Call to the June 17, 1924 Farmer-Labor Convention [March 1924] 1

Call for the National Convention of All Farmer Labor Forces in the : To be Held in St. Paul, Minnesota — June 17, 1924

Text published in The Daily Worker [Chicago], v. 1, whole no. 363 (March 13, 1924), pg. 2.

The Declaration of Independence, a document The industrial workers, struggling to maintain underlying the institutions of this country, states that their organizations and a decent standard of living, every human being is endowed with certain inalien- have found that this privileged class has at its com- able rights and that among these are “life, liberty and mand the powers of the government whenever the the pursuit of happiness.” These rights are today de- struggle over the right to organize, wages, and work- nied the great mass of people of this country by a privi- ing conditions have resulted in a strike. The use of leged class which through its economical and political injunctions against the workers on strike is an every- power dominates the life of the country. day occurrence. The infamous Daugherty injunction The privileged class has, through the organiza- against the railroad shopmen still stands — an injunc- tion of “trusts,” through interlocking directorates, tion which at one stroke robbed the workers of every through the great banking institutions of Wall Street right supposedly guaranteed by the constitution. concentrated the control of the economic life of the The Republican and Democratic Party have country in the hands of a financial oligarchy with its proven themselves equally the instruments of the privi- headquarters in Wall Street. It uses its power to amass leged class in using the governmental power against great wealth for itself at the expense of the happiness the farmers and industrial workers. and well-being of the farmers and industrial workers These conditions have developed a widespread who are the producers of wealth of this country. movement by the farmers and industrial workers to In order to maintain its privileges and to aid in organize a which will fight their battles its exploitation of the farmers and industrial workers and challenge the continued rule of the privileged class this privileged class has fastened its grip upon the gov- in this country. ernment. It uses the legislative, executive, and judicial The political organizations of farmers and in- branches of the government alike as instruments in its dustrial workers, scattered over the country, must be service to secure greater and greater profits and to amass united for the 1924 Presidential campaign, so that they greater and greater wealth. The recent exposures of might present a united front against the parties of the corruption in connection with the Teapot Dome oil privileged class and join in a common struggle against scandal is but one outstanding incident showing how that class. the government power is used to loot the natural re- To achieve this end this call for a National Con- sources of the nation. vention in the Twin Cities, June 17th, for the purpose During the past few years, millions of farmers of nominating a candidate for President and Vice Presi- have been driven from the farms because unable to dent and adopting a national platform is issued. secure even the means for a livelihood through their We extend an invitation to send delegates to this labor as a result of the exploitation by the privileged convention to all farmer organizations, local trade class. The Esch-Cummins law passed in the interest of unions, central labor bodies, state federations of labor, the railroad owners has been one factor in producing international unions, cooperative organizations, labor this situation. fraternal organizations, and all farmer and labor po- 1 2 Call to the June 17, 1924 Farmer-Labor Convention [March 1924] litical organizations, the Non-Partisan League and the gal standing exists a state political organization shall Committee of 48, provided that they endorse the fol- have but one delegate. lowing tentative program: This CALL for a CONVENTION is issued by A.— Public ownership. the Committee of Arrangements in the name of the B.— Governmental Banking. following organizations: C.— Public control of all natural resources. D.— Restoration of civil liberties guaranteed by Signed: the constitution. Tom Ayers, E.— The abolition of the use of the injunction in labor disputes. Alice Lorraine Daly, South Dakota F-L Party, The basis of representation in the convention shall be as follows: R.D. Cramer, 1. Each state shall be allowed votes equal to its electoral vote, plus one vote for each 5,000 votes, or William Mahoney, major fraction thereof, cast for the progressive candi- Minnesota F-L Federation, date receiving the highest number of votes in the 1922 general election. Any state delegation failing to agree J.L. Beebe, the total vote of each state shall be apportioned equally among the delegates from that state. W.H. Green, 2. Each national political organization shall be F-L Party, entitled to 5 votes; each national economic organiza- tion shall be entitled to 5 votes, provided such organi- William Bouck, zation shall have subscribed to the fundamental prin- Western Progressive Farmers of Washington, ciples upon which the call for the convention is based. J.C. Kennedy Apportionment of Delegates. F-L Party of Washington,

1. Each state federation, central body, and local H.R. Mortinson, organization of labor, farmers, business, or professional men shall be entitled to one delegate. Also any group Dad Walker of 25 or more farmers, not representative through an- No. Dakota F-L Party, other organization from the same territory, affixing their signatures and addresses to a credential indicat- Joseph Manley, ing their agreement with the political demands enu- Federated F-L Party, merated in the convention call, shall be entitled to one delegate. James Campbell, 2. Each state political organization having legal Buffalo F-L Party. standing shall be entitled to 5 delegates; where no le-

Edited by Tim Davenport. Published by 1000 Flowers Publishing, Corvallis, OR, 2006. • Free reproduction permitted.

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