THE I. A. A. RECORD 



Puge Nine 



K 



I. A. A. Non-Partisan 

 Policy Approved By 

 Members, Survey Shows 



Total Attendance at 14 District 

 Picnics Approaches 100,000 Mark 



THE non-partisan political policy of 

 the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion is meeting with the approval of 

 the Farm Bureau members of Illinois, 

 according to a survey conducted at the 

 14 district I. A. A.-Farm Bureau pic- 

 nics held throughout the state during 

 the summer. Following its established 

 policy, farm leaders and Congressmen 

 of varied political faiths were selected 

 to address the outdoor gatherings. 



Among these were such men as Con- 

 gressman Haugen of Iowa, a Republi- 

 can who spoke at Sandwich; Congress- 

 man Adkins of Illinois, a Republican 

 who delivered speeches at Sullivan, 

 Marion and Macomb; Congressman 

 Rainey of Illinois, a Democrat who de- 

 livered the addresses at Watseka and 

 Olney; Edward A. O'Neal of Alabama, 

 a Democrat and vice-president of the 

 A. F. B. F., who was speaker of the 

 day at Bloomington, Freeport, and 

 Jacksonville ; President Sam H. Thomp- 

 son, a Republican who spoke at Gales- 

 burg; Wm. H. Settle of Indiana, a Re- 

 publican who was speaker at Taylor- 

 ville. Highland and Sullivan; and M. 

 S. Winder of Utah, Republican and 

 Secretary of the A. F. B. F. who ad- 

 dressed the Peoria gathering. Presi- 

 dent Smith was principal speaker at 

 the first district picnic held near 

 Wheaton in July. 



These men confined their remarks 

 for the most part to a discussion of 

 the agricultural situation, the econom- 

 ics involved, and the necessity for 

 farmers to disregard fictitious party 

 allegiance and vote for those candi- 

 dates whose records and statements 

 show them to be fair and friendly to 

 agriculture. Nearly 100,01)0 farmers 

 and their families and guests, includ- 

 ing business and labor groups, came 

 out ':q the 14 picnics. This number is 

 approximately five times greater than 

 the largest crowd ever assembled at a 

 former state picnic of 

 the I. A. A. 



Fair Weather 

 Prevails 



Fair weather pre- 

 vailed for the most 

 part at every gather- 

 ing. Cloudy weather 

 and light showers 

 held down the attend- 

 ance the morning of 

 the picnics at Marion 

 and at Sandwich, but 

 before noon in each 

 case the sun broke 

 through the clouds 

 and in the afternoon 



volved had become sufficiently clari- 

 fied, so that they might cast an intelli- 

 gent vote in behalf of their own in- 

 terests. 

 j I Interest Great 



There was comparatively little open 

 discussion of political questions at the 

 gatherings, but it was very apparent 

 that interest in the situation was 

 great. Never before was such careful 

 and close attention given the speakers 

 who had larger audiences than at any 

 previous picnics. The I. A. A. public 

 address system was an important fac- 

 tor in making this possible. 



Picnics held early in August con- 

 flicted with harvesting and threshing. 

 As a result the attendance was re- 

 duced considerably at all the gather- 

 ings held the first three weeks of the 

 month. Threshing was still in progress 

 as late as the first of September in 

 northern Illinois, and the 13th district 

 picnic at Freeport on September 1 

 was affected by this situation. 



Logan Barber of Locan county measures 

 5S inches around the middle. He won first 

 prize in a walkaway at the 17th Dist. Picnic, 

 Bloomington, Aug. 31. 



from three to five thousand people had 

 gathered to hear the speaking and to 

 take part in the sporting events of the 

 day. Horseshoe pitching tournaments, 

 baseball games, hog calling, and chick- 

 en calling contests, races for the chil- 

 dren, and other events featured the 

 majority of the gatherings. 



President Earl C. Smith addressed 

 ten of the picnics and before intro- 

 ducing the speaker of the afternoon 

 outlined the definite policy of the I. 

 A. A. in political matters, told of 

 the efforts of organized agriculture 

 throughout the past three sessions of 

 Congress, explained how this economic 

 issue had been injected into politics 

 by the last presidential veto, comment- 

 ed on the agricultural planks of the 

 major party platforms and the accept- 

 ance speeches of the two candidates, 

 and urged farmers to continue their 

 careful study of the situation and re- 

 serve judgment until the issues in- 



CHAMPION NAIL DRIVERS AT MARION 

 Nail driving contests for the ladies were popular at several of 

 The young lady in the center, Esther Beasley, Jackson County, 

 driving 19 tenpenny nails into a pine plank in one minute. 



Galesburg, 111., Aug. 15. — A crowd 

 estimated at 12,000 gathered here to- 

 day for the 15th district I. A. A.-Farm 

 Bureau picnic. Warm, sunshiny weath- 

 er greeted the arrivals who began 

 pouring into Lincoln Park, north of 

 here, shortly after nine o'clock. 



President Sam H. Thompson of the 

 A. F. B. F. and President Earl C. 

 Smith of the I. A. A. arrived shortly 

 before noon. The Galesburg Chamber 

 of Commerce ably assisted the Farm 

 Bureaus in preparing for the large 

 crowd and in arranging the program. 

 Galesburg business men contributed 

 liberally also to the expense fund. 

 Many of the business houses closed 

 for the afternoon. The Chamber of 

 Commerce quartet enlivened the after- 

 noon program with its excellent 

 music which was broadcast over the 

 grounds by means of the I. A. A. pub- 

 lic address system. 



Sam Thompson reviewed the efforts 

 of farmers to gain equal privilege leg- 

 islation. He touched the hearts of his 

 audience with his deep sincerity and 

 earnestness in fight- 

 ing the battles of ag- 

 riculture. President 

 Smith answered 

 charges that the corn 



?belt farm leaders had 

 no rank and file by 

 pointing to the great 

 a audience from the va- 

 iK rious counties of the 

 district. 



E. F. Griggs and 

 E. C. Griggs, the lat- 

 ter a 16-year-old boy 

 of Adams County, 

 defeated Henry Coun- 

 ty, represented by W. 

 H. Miller and Jesse 



the district picnics, 

 won first prize by 



Q. 



