THE PEOPLE'S FORUM
THE PEOPLE'S FORUM GOVERNMENT AND SOCIALISM [Paris. Texas, Aug. 2I>. —One of your exchanges is quoted as saying "All arguments about the economic advantage of government ownership of industry are...
...each and everyone determined to cross the river...
...La Follette remarked to me, "Mr...
...by every method arailable, governmental, - bankers associations, chambers of commerce, captains of industry and finance, to be more efficient, and then tell him he grows too much...
...rye has been stabilized to the lowest point in 30 years...
...and on through the list of farm products, all have been stabilized of about one-third of their former value, by Hoover...
...Perhaps you are riding on a pass, if you are you should not be traveling with me", I may have blushed when I replied, that X may have ridden on a pass-, but I never will again, and I walked up and bought a ticket as he did, while I had a pass in my pocket...
...If the farmers received as large an income from their business, as the manufacturers do...
...I have admired a great many public men, but never loved but three, and they were William Jennings Bryan, Robert M. LaFollette, and Alfred E. Smith...
...Let us steer clear of these extremes, but...
...A. DuBois...
...Are not these great Corporations just simply groups of Socialistic workers controlling prices and preying upon the great body of consumers...
...And that is just what is taking place: the standard of living on the American farm is rapidly seeking the level of the farmer in the Argentine, Philippines, and continental Europe with whom he has to compete, and American peasantry has become a fact...
...The only way to encourage the individual is to elect lawmakers who believe in checking the power of big corporate socialistic groups and in encouraging the socialistic whole for the good of all...
...In nine years of Republican rule, farm mortgages have increased approximately $9.00P,000,000...
...Why get scared at Socialism in government by the many and for the many, and then shout, for Socialism, in government -by the few and for the few...
...Of course, both the manufacturers and farmers, are a necessity for the state...
...WHAT THE OLD GUARD HAS DONE [To The Editor.—The last two Republican Administrations have been running around in circles, ostensibly—'¦ trying to correct the distressing condition of agriculture, but it is becoming apparent that they are merely trying to keep agriculture thinking about things that are not concerned to their real troubles...
...We have already' upheld the Socialism of groups in the United States until individualism in its political and economic power is almost completely destroyed...
...The next day I was going to another town with Mr...
...I never used a pass after that...
...take a train at Maiden Rock, Wis., We were in the dejiot wailing for the train when Mr...
...But not so with the people...
...A. Spain...
...Sept...
...WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR LA FOLLETTE [Port Angeles...
...These group.' are now largely dominating out government...
...If we repeal our present income tax law, then the farmers will have to pay more taxes...
...Up to the time of the Civil War there were only two millionaires in the United States...
...T. Heslin...
...But they are not...
...Legge...
...What a tyranny of injustice it is to allow a few scoundrels to amass millions while millions of the producers of wealth are doomed to a life of poverty...
...In addition, they put a big burden of taxation on the people while shirking themselves...
...If the people were as true and trustworthy to their leader,—as a bunch of wild cattle, wild horses or wild buffaloes are to their leader.—I would know what to expect...
...They ran the green back dollars down to 3,r> cents and then bought them up cheap and made them par again, thus swindling the Union soldiers that saved the nation...
...At the beginning of the new year I was requested to send in my old pass and get a new one...
...They tell him he should study industry's methods and learn efficiency from the great manufacturing interests, and then deny him tariff protection, while industry must be highly protected to survive...
...He walked up to the window and bought his ticket, then looked at me and remarked again...
...The same tactics still prevail and will continue until we get enough honest men, like Senator Lr Follette, in congress who will have the couragi: to stand, by the producers of wealth...
...And with one year with the "Great Engineer" and his hand made farm bill, we have seen farm products decline about 60 cents per bushel while Hoover's experts were ."tabilizing the price...
...and this agricultural nonentity is trying to advise the farmers...
...where many of them will stop and listen to their own enemy and will follow him seeretely off down the yellow trail, to the defeat of his own true leader and friend.—Geo...
...And now we have an automobile salesman ior secretary of agriculture, a man who has had no training whatever for his position...
...While chairman Legge of the Farm Board and Secretary of Agriculture Hyde, are running about the country advising the farmers to reduce their acreage of wheat, another department of the government is starting construction of Boulder dam, which will bring into production approximately seven million acres more wheat land, at the expense of the tax payers...
...according to the capital invested, then they would be willing to pay their shlare of the running expenses of the state, but if they are forced to do it under the present income it, will put them out of business...
...he lived in the agricultural section, had some political pull, and the President thought it would help himself politically to appoint him secretary of agriculture...
...I informed the division superintendent that I had been converted against the use of railroad passes, and that I would keep the old pass as a souvenir...
...Stay at home scoundrels during the war conspired to rob the government and organized the stock exchange, a legalized gambling hell that has made 40.000 millionaires and millions of paupers...
...of course, one aims well in all such talk, but do you not think you are fostering a vicious kind of "individualism" when you are building up the great private corporations which are now really usurping the governmental power which should belong to the people...
...This summer when I came over here I found, and became very much interested in reading The Progressive...
...Would it not be better for the whole government to become Socialistic in favor of the masses, rather than let these Socialistic groups rule the government in favor of a few capitalists...
...FARMERS AND INCOME TAXATION [Chippewa FalLs...
...La Follette...
...We were to...
...Wash., Sept...
...Initially is not government | always formed for the purpose of pro- i tecting the many against the greedy j grafting private few...
...That would put them out of business as they are paying, more now than they can afford under their present income...
...the farmers income has declined billions, about one and one-quarter billion in 1929...
...Senator LaFollette...
...R. Matttaon...
...While over production is our great problem, so they say, they are hiring experts from all over the world to teach Agriculture to the Phillipinos, who's products come into this country duty free, telling the American farmer to slow down, and the Filipinos tu hurry up, forcing him by the use ol the tariff to sell his products in a free trade market and buy everything in a highly protected market, advising him...
...FROM A CIVIL WAR VETERAN Olympia...
...et al...
...This is conceded by all thinkers...
...let us make the government sufficiently Communistic 1o ix>lice and protect individual rights and al the same time to 'suppose both private and group usurpation of governing power.—P...
...11—I cast my first vote in 1872...
...Let us encourage the individual by having the government do more of those things which the individual cannot, do for himself...
...All wealth arisesx from the application of labor toward production, but the shirkers get u. If The Progressive could be placed in the handp of all voters, panics i would never happen, fear then the people would rule, instead of ir.-ney.—J, C. Coning...
...honest and true, they did right because it was right...
...Let the government as a Social organization do more of those things which help the individual...
...They will follow their leader to the ballot box...
...I had attended a La Follette meeting at Plum City, Wis...
...Until the farming industry is put on an equality, as to their earning power, with the manufacturing power which should be done, the latter should pay our state tax...
...A drove of wild animals will follow their leader up hill and down hill, to the bank of the river, and plunge in after him...
...Wash...
...in Wisconsin, for Horace Greely...
...Other extremists want Communism carried to the extent of suppressing all individual possession or initiative...
...One of your exchanges is quoted as saying "All arguments about the economic advantage of government ownership of industry are less important than upholding' the ideal of individualism, etc.'' Now...
...I loved them because they were great man...
...And it is becoming apparent that the government, as represented by the Republican party is adopting the theories of the "Great Engineer" who in a series of articles, shortly after he migrated to this country from England, said it was foolish to try to maintain such a high standard of living on the American farm, when there was an unlimited supply of food stuffs grown by cheap labor in the Argentine and other Southern countries...
...This of course is likewise reprehensible...
...I claim that our present income tax law, that was passed by the Progressives has saved a lot of the farmers from going to the wall...
...Are you not thus striking the hardest blow you can strike at "individualism" in proper form...
...This of course is reprehensible...
...Heslin we had belter get our tickets...
...While they are advising the wheat growers to bold their wheat off the market, the Farm Board is selling wheat, to the mills...
...31.—If we had been lucky enough to have had a majority of Progressives in Congress two years ago, our country wouldn't be in Ihe horrible condition it is in today...
...While one department of the government is teaching the farmers how to increase their yields, -another department is advising the farmers to not grow so much...
...the only qualification he had was geographical...
...For years I had been riding on railroad passes...
...I am 91 years old and a veteran of the Civil war, and believe I know something of the past...
...was probably the greatest man that ever served in the United States Senate.* He was always on the side of the producing class and opposed to the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few...
...And the great prosperity enjoyed by the country for a few years just about equaled the decline in farm values for the same period andwhen the farmers' wealth had been consumed, the country suddenly found itself about as poor as the farmer, and if the farmers don't protest against their plight by voting against Republican candidates, whose party is responsible for their condition at the coming Congressional election, they are going to lose the sympathy and respect of the public.—T...
...Is not the formation of a government to begin with, a Socialistic, a Commu- j nistic, move...
...I always thought I was a Democrat but.I am beginning to believe that I am* a Progressive...
...the Federal Land banks have during this period, foreclosed more than $32,000,000 of farm mortgage...
...I had taken La Follettc's Magazine from the first issue, until about t\vo years ago, when I had it sent to my daughter and I quit reading it...
...and that he may bo all to the people that his beloved father wass...
...The school law that was passed four years ago this winter, to help needy districts, is a good law, but the state's part of the finance should be raised by Income tax, instead of a general property tax as it is' now.—B...
...Ia not government always formed to | do for the people collectively those things which individuals cannot do for themselves...
...Some extremists carry the hobby of individual liberty to the extent of Anar-rhism...
...I sincerely hope that the good old state of Wisconsin may once more be governed by a La Follette...
...The Civil war started the millionaire age...
...If the farmers pay their share of the local tax, they will be paying more than they can afford under their present income...
...I feel like anyone is very inconsistent and undemocratic in doing that...
...4. — When we see the great discussion about the income tax driving the manufactories out of the state of Wisconsin, the people should decide which of the two industries, manufacturing or farming, iy of the most importance to the state...
...In doing this all government is Socialistic...
...If I had a vote in Wisconsin this fall, it would be just as wholeheartedly for Young La Follette as was the two or three votes that I east for his father for the same office...
Vol. 1 • September 1930 • No. 41
