The Farmers Union Advocate (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 18, 1910 Page: 1 of 8
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The Farmers Union Advocate
Vol. i
Guthrie, Oklahoma, August 18, 1910
No. 15
* A Business Administration
We wonder what it means and have often said that a man that
would excite elass prejudice was truly sowing the seeds of anarchy and
we have not changed our opinion,.
The work farmers are those who produce the food and sustain
the life of the people of the nation,. Their products also furnish the
means to keep alive transportation and commerce,. The wage earner
digs the ditch, constructs the public highways builds the cities,, polishes
cud beautifies the walls of commerce with an industrious and intelli-
gent hand prompted by a aptriotic heart and a fraternal impulse but
according to a few modern politicians these are not business men so
tliey are not in the political swing for any consideration or preferment,
sc we suggest the newspaper man, the teacher, the preacher, and even the
lawyer, but the candidate with his new political science in this cam-
paign says, No, we cannot accept any of these for political preferment.
Nothing will do now. 1'atriotism or anything else is to be considered
but a "business administration."
Neither do they tell us what kind of business that these modern
politicians are going into, hence, before we vote on this important
question, let us take a \iew of what is styled a business man, and what
would be a business administration according to the different systems
cf the age for what was once considered business men and useful mor-
ally and intellectually to the community in the past, sinks into insig-
nificance and are but pigmies when we compare them to the business
men of these times.
The business system as now operated and conducted by what is
termed business men, under this system the average man or laborer is
so badly overworked when he has a job he is constantly on the verge of
nervous prostration that he is not and cannot be possibly in a food
mood or condition to study extensively into the political conditions
that surround himself and his elass.
The methods of the present system that governs and controls
the business deprives the workers of the means and the opportunities
to study these conditions that affect conditions for weal or woe.
Should these industrial wage workers study anything or give public ex-
pression to the political questions that affect legislation, thev must
<lo so in a way to please the business interests of the state or lose
ti eir jobs.
T.nst spring in this slate no doubt many hundreds of v/age earners
under these conditions were influenced to sign petitions to call an
emotion which (hey felt was contrary (o (heir convictions of right and
wrong, vet thev could not affo-d to refuse the business men's request
on account of the needs of wife and little children, hence they could
tot exercise (lie tights and privileges of free American citizens.
Business teen cf (his kind are onlv n few in number but possess
r power that the wage earner cannot resist if he holds his job. It is
(rue fhese have gotten (heir means to do their present business with
1" the svstom that permits them to absorb the commercial value of
t others-' toil with iiut little restrictions, and thev have come to own
fJ," u 1' ' '' i't li'1" '"s of t! i - ( Mintry, railroads and telegraphs,
with ill other lines of transportation and communication except the
t nited tSates mail: also, tocv own the mills, mines, factories, and
it.i other industrial 'institutions with the large merchantile establish-
ment* and corporations, omnlovin? the waTe earners (o do (he work and
en pav llietn only a small fraction of the value of the wealth which
the laborer produces.
T„ is estimated that the wage earner i' paid about one-fifth of
the commercial value of tin wealth produced by him. and all of this
(lass of business men today believe not only in making labor divide
nn htii, in making them give .ip four dollars out of every five which the
laborers produce.
Not being a business man in (be eves of the politicians, we want
to asl< a question here. 'Ms this kind of a business system founded
i no" •■•e principles of .Justice nn(] Equity and prompted by a fraternal
Kjiitil of good ii izenship?"
I : is business system as it exists today and is operated by business
lycn. sfnnd: nut boldly for dividing up the 'allies of productive in-
dustries for the system which they sunnort. compels the industrial pco-
) le. without (lie consent nf their mind, to divide up with the lazy idle
£nd no-counts of America and Europe.
i>v dose investigation of official reports we learn that this sys-
tem of business which exists compels the average wage worker to work
!.bo"t nine hours per day. The first two hours of the day's labor, the
wage earners produce a sufficient amount to pay them for their entire
days wages. It lias been clearly shown that in another two hours'
w. rk the wage earners produce enough to pay the wear and tear, the
running expenses, with all of the raw material and the salaries of the
superintendents, but the system forces the workers to continue to work
the remainder nf the hours of the day to add more to the world's
wealth and this is not to be given any part of it to the wage earner
(,r to their families who produce it but it must all go to the so-called
business men to be used to gratify tlieir brutality and selfishness.
All nf these things are shown from daily observation; it is to be
used only for the corrupting of politics, society and themselves. As
r.n evidence of this fact, we have but to read of the Vanderbilts ana the
Goulds, who seem to be minus of virtue and their divorce cases which
ere a stench in the nostrils of all good people both in America and
Europe.
The causes which have produced these conditions and the onlv log-
ical reasons for their existence, are the laws and commercial rules
which have permitted them to monopolize in some sort of deceptive bus-
iness way the means of production and the means nf distribution of the
food and wealth prndnced by all industrial people in the past, so that
they can now absorb the wealth nf the nation while they are prompted
only by calloused hearts, milking the conditions which increase dailv
the number of wage workers and compelling them to hand nver to the
business interests the g -for part nf the bulk nf the wealth that is pro-
duced.
It matters not how intelligent, how industrious, hnw patriotic or
bow much like a freeman the wage earner would like to ho hut he is
compelled to submit himself t<vthc=e conditions just for the opportun'ty
to earn a bare living fiv himself and familv
0 ves. we must have n business man and a business administra-
tion. and the farmer nho needs a business man No others need apnlv
for oSeial positions nr honors at this time in the State-,of Oklahoma
The farmers mnst have a business man to own the farms or hold a
mortgage against the* farms so that the farmers can be mr.de hap'17 by
lining compelled to either par interest ,,r reiif. whir.1i is the *vne thine
that gives joy and gladness to the hanker and bond bolder, and these
businrss men believe in making the farmers divide un also like the wsge
earner, and Hiev have the system so formed and fashioned hv niles and
^ hi( thai govern commerce and exchange, whether the farmer want' to
np or not he is compelled by the business trusts to divide up with
•Mb nid >11 ot Uwan. Their Imaiaaaa system fbraaaad
YEAR IN COLLEGE FOR BEST BOY
CORN GROWER A.I3 BEST
GIRL BREAD MAKER,
Guthrie, Oklu., July 30—"To grow
hotter corn tliun father grows" is the
motto of many, Oklahoma boys this
summer and to as many girli the
motto reads: "To bake better bread
than mother bakes." The inducement
for th.-se ^irls and boys, adde from
their own satisfaction in an excellent
efficiency is a year in an agriculture
college. The State Board of Agricul-
ture has offered this liber 1 induce-
ment. To thore who fail in reaching
this coveted goal there are many les-
ser prizes.
The corn prizes are not new and In
many cases boys have excelled their
fathers and by their showing of ten
ears of corn have won, as irlzes, pigs
to eat the remainder of their crop and
turn it into money. Thousands of
farmers in the state have set apart
one acre of land for their sons to cul-
tivate his year.
Many things have united * encour-
age the Oklahrma lads to grow corn.
Mainly that Ok.ah ma should he a
more important corn state, with a
reputation of being a grower of better
grades of corn. The State Roan of
Agriculture, throug the Farmers' In-
stitute, started the hall rollinc by of-
fering prizes to farmers' boys for the
best corn grown. Then the Farmers*
Union of this state joined she cam-
paign. as did also the State Corn
Growers' Association and every rural
newspaper has devoted columns to its
space to bring about the best results.
What Ore School Man Did.
About this time. too. the Legislature
enacted laws making the teaching of
agriculture In th" public schools com-
pulsory ami as a result the county su-
perintendents of schools, especially in
the farming districts, are encouraging
the boys and girls by teaching the
possibilities of intelligent effort. A
good example of this class of county
superintendents is T. C. Moore of
Cheyenne, who is at the head of the
Rogrr Mills County school system
Mr. Moore has born working to I
terest the boys In things which make
for success of farming. Last spring
he persuaded 253 boys to start In a
eorn-growing contest and 52 of them
brought exhIMts to the farmers' ir.sti-
tute at Cheyenne that fall. Three
prizes were offered; six pig; each to
the best exhibit of white, yellow and
other corn. These exhibits proved to
be the most interesting featur" of the
institute and attracted a crowd of f.ir-
mers and townsmen, whoso faces wore
entirely new at n farmers' institute
meeting.
Nor were the farmers' daughters
forgotten. Prizes were given to the
girls bringing the host bouquets
grown between July 1 and the fall In-
stitute. The boys who won the corn
prizes were protographed with M*\
Moore.
State Fair Prizes Given.
Noting the success of p *l*.e coniests
for boys at the county institutes, it
occurred to John Fields of Oklahoma
City, that it would he well to odd siicn
prizes to the list offered by ttie State
Fair Association. Mr. Fields now
president of the association IT.' was,
for a number of years, a director of
the Agricultural Station at the Slate
Agricultural and Mechanical ••oJlet;o
at Stillwater, llo saw to it "hat prizes
were offered to boy corn growers in
each of thr Supreme Court districts of
the state anJ the boys' exhibits proved
one of the most Interesting at the fair.
Henceforward this department will be
one of the big annual features.
"Helping the boys to grow corn and
encouraging them to select best grades
to plant is having a wonderful effect
on the boys' fathers," savs Mr. Fields.
"The enthusiasm is contagious.. The
fathers sno the boys getting better re-
sults and harvesting better corn and
soon become interested. The result is
that a better grade of corn Is being
planted In Oklahoma, the acreage Is
Increasing and better cultivation of
the crop is noticeable. The big yield*
filers.
Boys' and girls' home culture clubs
are being organized throughout th
State to further Interest them in th
study of agriculture, as well as to as
sist the teachers in the Introductioi
of agriculture in the public schools.
The organization of such clubs Is un-
der the direction of the State Depart-
ment of Education, which inaugurated
it during the last year.
It Is shown Hint such movement litis
proven, successful In other states and
was also a considerable factor In cre-
ating an Interest on the part of the
bovs and girls for the things of every-
day life.
These organizations are Intended to
develop the praotlcal side of the edu-
cational work and It I* their aim to
deal especially with the subject of
agriculture, domestic economy end
manual training. The agricultural In-
struction will Include the care of
highways. It is the intention alco to
have one organization In each school
district. Front the district el ibs town-
ship clubs will be formed and from
the township clubs courty rlubs and
from the county clubs a State organ-
ization which will embrace all the
school children of the State and bring
them In closer touch with each other
In this movement.
J plow, raise corn and other crops and
do farm work in general.
Secretary .''rank Field of the State
Board of Agriculture, has announced
the following prizes for the 1910 con-
tests conducted by properly organized
Boys' and Girls' Clubs:
"At the ani.ual county contests In
1910 held under th« direction of the
county committee, there will be given
to the boy who exhibits the best 10
ears of torn (with record) and to the
girl who exhibited the best loaf of
bread (with record> a round-trip tick-
et to the nearest, district agricultural
school to attej d a week's sho . course
for boys and girls and livestock judg-
ing and in domestic science.
"Each boy who wins this ticket will
be required to take to th" week's short
course must take with him an exhibit
witn the record; and each girl will
take a loaf of bread of her own bak-
ing. An exhibit will be held at the
short course and instruction will be
given in grain ano livestock judging
r nd domestic science. The boys will
be graded on work done at the short
course and to each of the .'.ireo boys
and three girls whose exhibits and
works are the best 'will be given a
round-trip ticket ftom their home to
! Stillwater to ;.ttenrt the week's short
course at the Agricultural and Mc-
•nanlcal College in Janua r. 1911.
"Each boy who wins a ticket to the
Agricultural and Mechanical thort
course will take with him an exh'blt
of 10 ea.'S of corn, and the recorj, arid
each girl will take with her a loaf of
bread of her own baking.
"Each will bo graded on his or her
work and to the boy and girl whose
work and exhibits are the best will be
J awarded a one-year scholarship in
any one of the State district agilcul-
tura! schools he or she may choose.
"The scholarship will include all
fees, necessary expenses for board and
its value is about $30."
and
the
jqual with
play
rfgid defense
♦bey have been enacted Ino
14. Women stiff raj
man suffrage.
15. Suitable* and plentiful
;:round.*: for i h lid rem in all cHb-s
16 The Initiative and Referendum
and the Imperative Mandate a>.
Right of Recall
17. Continued agitation for the
public bath system In all cities.
18. Qualifications in permits to
build of all cities and towns, that
there shall be bathrooms and bath-
room attachments in all houses or
compartments used for habitation.
19. We favor a s\stem of finance
whereby money shall be Issued ex-
clusively by the Government, with
such regulations and restrictions as
will protect it from manipulation by
the banking Interest for their own
private gain.
20. We favor a system of United
States Government Postal Savings
Banks.
Teaching Young Indians.
An Indian ton Club, after the man-
ner of ho«*e organized among th®
whites of earh county, has been or-
ganized at Colony. Washita County,
among the Cheyenne and A rap a hoes
by Col John Seger. one of the oldest
and most Interesting Indian educators
In the W«it. For many years he was
(lie Indian, farmer for It* Cheyenne
MISREPRESENTATION.
Daniel Webseter said: "Liberty
cannot long endure in any country
where the tendency is to concentrate
wealth In the hands of a few"
We have come to that and Into the
entire reality.
Mr. Webster was a true prophet
The national wealth Is said to be o?
the value of one hundred and ten hll-
llon dollars and that "Th* Owners of
America," a few thousand men and
their corporations own or control ma-
chinery and hanking operations.
And as Mr. Webster said, our liber-
ty has not endured.
Those moneyed men and combina-
tional. alas, control, too far. our press,
our legislation, both state and nation-
al. our courts, corrupting the people's
representatives and establishing a
"House of Lords." in free America!
They appear to be .mainly, an arro-
gant set of millioneares, allied with
"Big Interests." and forgetting the
best interests of the common people
whose servants they should be.
This Is Misrepresentation! The peo-
ple are seeing it as It is. and thoy
are rebellious, because they are pat-
riots!
Lot us restore the people's will and
rule. Is the growing sentiment, re-
gardless of party names. Alreadv 37
states directly or Indirectly. have
asked for the election of senators by
the direct vote of the people and ev-
ery month's congressional hlstorv
strengthens the reasonableness of
their demand. They will never back
down from that right. The remedy
for misrepresentation lies In the pow-
of a a Injured people. Their sense
of Justice will demand fair primaries
the right of initiative, of referentum.
of Imperative recall by a non-part!-
zan expression. This struggle that
the farmers are now in. for economi-
cal freedom Is leading to a sane and
serious demand for the restoration
of the political freedom we have lost
and organized farmers are seeking
that they must make a united demand
for true representation. In order to
obtain their economical and political
liberty. The history of the Chinese,
of the Romans and latterly of th
Germans, gives ample evidence that
final reckoning always comes v
the common people. chief among
whom have ever been the country
people, food producers, whose opinion
and wishes can never be safely
nored. Supremely true Is this now
In the age of common schools, uni-
versal Information, personal Indepen-
dence—News.
WOMAN FAVORS CITY AFRM.
From the Los Angeles Examiner.
That an honor o stein be established
f r t!*.e moral uplifting and guidance of
those who incur the penalty of commit-
ment to the municipal farm for Infrac-
tion in tbe city laws, Is the suggestion
of Mrs. J. B Llpplncott, wife of the
park commissioner. The leoommenda-
Uon of this basic principle In the con-
duct of the proposed institution has won
unqualified approval from the police
commissioners and Chief Galloway. If
her Ideas and those of the League of
Justice, which she represents, are car-
ried out, the Los Angeles municipal
farm will occupy a distinctive place
among efficiently corrective institutions
In the United Stales.
At the 312 acres of water-bearing
land at the north or upper end of Grif-
fith Park, on which the tarm will Lie
established Mrs. Llpplncott would mako
a nude! reservation, inspiring in ap-
pearance and unmarred by anything
suggestive of a prison environment.
She believes that those sent to the farm
can, by the influence of wholesome sur-
roundings and moral direction, bo mart**
to appreciate the advantages of right
living.
Mrs. Llpplncott has conducted a
Jor portion of the Investigation carried
on by those who favor the city rarm,
She came from Kansas City, Mo., where
a successful municipal farm has been in
operation for many months. It now i
fcelf-supportlng She has supplied th.
data from the other successful city farn
conducted at Cleveland O., and tnelr
successes have made an enthusiast of
her.
TH!- GLORY Or WORK
The late Governor Johnson of Min-
nesota was r nee taunted with hav-
ing worked as a boy for his living,
doing some very common place tasks,
but his reply should give a thrill of
Inspiration to every boy. "Yes," he
said, "I chopped wood. So Id Wash-
ington. so did Lincoln. I carried food
to cattle. So did Grant and Sherman,
and a thousand others. I did the chore
work of a printing office to help sup-
port my mother. Thousand of hon-
est men have done that. I am proud
that I did these things. If It Is
against me that I did them, I prefer
to he defeated at the poll:, on the
platform of honest work. Honest
work keep the muscles taut. Honest
work keeps worry from the mind and
conscience. Honest work brings sweet
sleep to your pillow at nlgiit. Hon-
est work stands you erect before your
God and your fellowman. Honest work
may. and does, soil the ' and*, the
clothes and the boots. Honest work
bring calluses here and bumps there.
Honest work at times trios every
nerve and keeps the blood afire with
endeavor. But, gentlemen. honest
gentlemen, honest work never cal-
loused. soiled or broke any human
heart."
LABOR'S ECONOMIC PLATFORM.
Following Is the Economic Platform
adopted hv the Amerlcar Federation
of Labor-
1 1 he abolition of all forms o
Involuntary servitude, except as
punishment for crime.
2. Free srhools. free text book1
and compulsory education.
Unrelenting protest against th
issuance and abuse nf Injunction pro-
cess In labor disputes
4. A work dav of not more than
eight hours In the twenty-four hour
day.
V A strict recognition of not over
Ight hours per day on all Federa!.
State or municipal work, and not leas
than the prevailing per diem wage
of the cIpss of employment tti
elvlnltv where the work is per-
formed.
6 Release from employment one
iv It# seven.
I The abolition of the contract
stem on all nubile work.
*. The municipal ownership of pub-
• utilities.
9 The abolition of the sweat-shoo
system
Sanitary inspection of factory,
workshop, mine and home.
Liability of employers fojr in-
jury to body or Ins* of life.
12. *lhe nationalization of tele-
•n«f teleplmne
WILKING MACHINES VS. MILK-
MAIDS.
Seattle. Wash.. July 30—One of the
r. odel dairies in this State located
near North Yakima, has received a ship-
ment of modern milking machines, and
SO whlte-troused girls are thrown out
or employment. The girls had been do-
ing ths milking for severl years, hav-
ine displaced Japanese, who were found
to be ur.hyrl^nlc. Each girl wore a
Mght-flitlng pair of trousers and a
short-sleeved jacket to match, which
•jarr.ients we.-e boil« d and startched each
day by the fnrm loundress.
probably thr re never were farm ani-
mals kep so clean as are the cows on
thla farm. "Cr.ch cow Is bathed In warm
water and soap twice dally, combed and
brushed. The floor of the dairy barn
arc scrubbed many titr.ss dally, and
every precaution taken against germs.
The newly acquired machines are de-
signed to draw trie* milk by a pumping
rrethod. power for which Is supplied by
a gasoline engine.
It Is claimed one machine will be able
to do the work of ten girls, and do It n
a more hygienic way. • The milking girls
have donned skirts and are emloyed :n |
packing peaches and pears in the Irri-
gated orchards nearby.
Where there Is srate-wide prohibition,
the authorities want county option; where
tberv Is county option they want local
option; where there is local option they
want high license Instead; where there
is high license they want low license.
But everywhere they unanimously violate
the law. whatever It Is. In Ohio there
is county option, aid the lynching of
Ktherlngton at Newark, was says the
president of the Model License league
"the dfrect result of enforcing the law
in a city thai did not want it" and so,
he adds, the law enforcement people
were "directly responsible for the murder
and lynching."
Woman's prge says it increases psln to
put water on a sunburned akin. Than**,
MM. TIM llUMl <li M
O'Mealy's Answer
In tiI<> isjue nT the vstli of June of tho Farmers' Union Advocate
rieview, brother 0 Mraly essays to answer Crawford. In that he labors
paid to prove that Crawford was the real criminal that brought about
the removal order ot the ptper from Oklahoma City to Guthrie. Well,
( rawford has never denied (he [Tart he took in such removal ; in fact, he
has in a printed article written and signed by himself, admitted all and
more than all he bad to do with such removal.
In Brother O'Mealy's "Answer" he states that lhe executive Coun-
(il was in session all day, (we suppose he refers to May 23rd) all mem-
bers being present, and with them Vice-President Stallard, Sec. Treas.
White and State Organizer (javes. Now Brother O'Mealy "has another
j lies- coming SI he has kilo on nearly everything else he writes about.
I his matter in'the first place was a meeting of the Executive Committee
and not a meeting of the Advisory Council, and in the second place
there was only four members of the Executive Committee there during
all that day that Crawford was there, and again Brother Caves was not
there. Again lie says Crawford presided over the meeting. Now he
must know that such was not the ease. Brother Whitehall presided as it
was his duty to do and not the duty of Crawford. He says Crawford
had every opportunity to prove charges against the Oklahoma City and
did not do so. eli, that is a good one. Crawford was there alone, and
the opposition was well organized and had Postellc and Tuttle with
them, besides a lawyer. \\ lint Crawford snw fit to snv was utterly ig-
nored, and Brother O'Mealy's further statement that Crawford was on
the floor two and one-half hours, is like a good deal of the erst of his
guessing. We say they were well organized and afterward as we thought
about it we were sorry that all the farmers in this land could not have
seen that object, lesson, and seen how easy it was to do things right nr
wrong when the forces that wanted to do it were organized. It was in-
deed a great argument in favor of organization.
Brother 0 Mealy says that I defended Armstrong from the charge that
lie moved the paper. 1 certainly did, as it is a fact that Armstrong did
not move it: he onlv requested that the committee take steps to move
it and the committee did take those steps whether they were right or
wrong.
Again in the same issue of the paper Brother O'Mealy says Craw-
ford bad prepared or caused to he prepared an affidavit for Armstroug
to sign. Now again, that was a had guess, as Crwford not only did not
know anything about that affidavit for a week after it was made, but
was not even there when it was made.
Again Brother O'Mealy says tho Guthrie paper published an arti-
cle that Armstrong wrote and never gave him credit for it. Well, if
Brother W augh did send to the printer an article that Armstrong had
vrote, he bad paid him pretty well for it as Armstrong bad gotten
something like $.'100 out of him and hnd only given him in return about
two and one-half columns of matter for the paper. Now in conclusion,
we only want to say that if all this buneome published in the Keview is
true, that the affidavit of Armstrong is false, and also is the minutes of
the B >ard meeting at Guthrie false. The tnitli is, iieiihcr of them are
fal*e amhtne Keiiew is bound to know It. 'i In.t paper publishes a let-
ter purported to he written by Armstrong in which he tells his tale of
woe, and which of course disputes his affidavit and Brother O'Mealy savs
editorially that it seems consistent, and yet he must know that Arm-
strongs letter is disputed by the minutes of the meeting at Guthrie and
that in effect those minutes correspond with his affidavit. There aro
many other like statements, hut we do not care to deal with them fur-
ther. lhe truth is that the Advocate has never tried to misrepresent
any of the facts concerning this matter. Neither has Crawford or any
one connected with it ever forgotten the obligation they took when they
joined the Union so far as to misrepresent any brother in the Union or
make charges against their character. Not one word can be found in
all we have written or said, that attneks any brother at least worse than
they attack themselves. Some day if not now, the fair minded Union
people of Oklahoma will know who were right, and who were wrong in
this matter.
NO FEAR OF HUNGER
Those who anticipate a shortage of food may take heart from the
following facts gleaned from the official governmental reports, and the
experience of good farmers: There is. so far hut one acre in six in
the I nited States under the plow, and on this plowed land we are
raising, of wheat, less than one-half a normal crop; of corn about one-
third; of cotton less than one-half; potatoes one-half; hav one-half;
oats one-half, and so on to the end of the list. Now suppose we put
the rest of the tillable land to use, and that that, instead of heing six
times the present plowed area is onlv twice the total, then, instead of
one acre in six under the plow we shall have one in three. Further,
iet us farm the present acreage as well as the English, French, Germans,
to say nothing of the Hollanders and Danes, till their soil. Admit that
tht next land to come under the plow is on the average but one-half as
good as that now tilled, tho in reality the difference is much less. Now
see what we have. The crops on the present acreage doubled; the
crops on the new lands equal to the present; in other words, a very
conservative view of the situation shows that we are able, at any time
we wish to do so, to feed .t.000.000,000 quite as heartily as we now
feed less than one hundred million.
The farmer, who has learned by hitter experience that big crops
do not mean large profits, can farm much better than he is now doing,
and will do so just as soon as a sufficient profit justifies the ctep. Not
speaking for the individual )>nt in thp fVip American f.irmc"
is'doing as good work as his profits will let him. Were he to increase
hv 50 per cent his wheat production the resulting prices would leave
him nothing for his labor. Were be to grow one bale of cotton where
be now grows but half a bale he \vould starve. Why do not the city-
bred advisors of the farmer apply the same principles thev advocate to
the enlargement of their business? Why not double the coal output?
Whv not increase the supply of clothine 100 per cent? Why not cheap-
on tho cost of house construction bv investing some of their veaming
millions in cement factories? Is an answer neeessarv? Then why
should the farmer be expected to continue generation after feneration,
to put into the soil more than he gets out of it ? Why expect him
forever to turn the mill-stones that the world may have cheap bread.
The facts are that the farmer is paving but a vcrv low rate of interest
cn the investment, after the item of wages has been taken into account.
Improved methods, better farming, larger crops will help the individual
farmer but. let us quit talking nonsense about doubling the production
of the farms—all the farms! If that were possible todav—this vear—
what would happen ? Every run down farm would hold a starving
tenant or owner; onlv those lands where the soil and general conditions
were favorable could longer be tilled, not at a profit, hut at all. We
would pass thru such a whirl-wind of disaster as this countrv has
never yet seen, and out of it would emerge, secure in hl« title* and
estate, the land baron, who thancaforward could dictate te kia ten-
aata, eon mm of Un aoU,
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Crawford, W. J. The Farmers Union Advocate (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 18, 1910, newspaper, August 18, 1910; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc98669/m1/1/: accessed July 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.