THE FARM BLOC, 1920-23 333 



farm organizations present from 37 states. Some 80 farmers representing 

 30 states attended, as well as 84 representatives from agricultural organiza- 

 tions, 67 from businesses related to agriculture, and 18 women delegates. 

 A few economists and "other scholars" were invited. 40 



Among those present was the nationally prominent economist, Richard 

 T. Ely, who observed among other things that the delegates in general 

 had a better grasp of economic issues than had the delegates to similar 

 bodies in the past. Some of the "freaks" who had been in the habit of 

 frequenting conventions were there, but they did not equal the number 

 of those of earlier days: 



To be sure, we heard the old-time oratory and exhortations, to effect mighty 

 combinations in order to smite the farmers' enemies "hip and thigh," to over- 

 throw their evil machinations, and to press forward to achieve those things 

 which would make the farmers prosperous, the implications being that there 

 could be no doubt about measures which would restore prosperity and that only 

 selfish and evil minded groups of powerful "interests" prevented the achieve- 

 ment of the desired ends. We heard the old familiar talk that the farmer does 

 not fix his prices, while those whom he deals with fix their prices ... we saw 

 here and there that bird of prey, the demagogue in politics . . . but he evidently 

 failed to reap any considerable harvest from this conference. 41 



The work of the conference was divided among twelve committees. 

 When the committees finished their deliberations they made recom- 

 mendations most of which were not new to Congress, the farmers, 

 and the President. Congress, for instance, was advised to investigate means 

 for stabilizing the dollar, to provide short-term credit if necessary, to con- 

 tinue the work of the War Finance Corporation, to amend the Federal 

 Reserve Act to provide for an agricultural representative, to consider crop 

 insurance, to ban tax-free securities, to restore the power of state railway 

 commissions, to complete the Muscle Shoals project, to develop the St. 

 Lawrence-Great Lakes Waterway, and to pass cooperative legislation. 



40. Richard T. Ely, "The National Agricultural Conference," American Review 

 of Reviews," LXV (March, 1922), p. 271; Samuel Gompers, a member of the con- 

 ference, wrote: ". . . the real farmers were not there, only those who exploited 

 farmers. . . ." See Gompers, Seventy Years of Life and Labor (2 vols., New York, 

 1925), II, 521. For Wallace's views, see H. C. Wallace, Our Debt and Duty to the 

 Farmers (New York, 1925), p. 521. 



41. Ely, in American Review of Reviews, LXV (March, 1922), p. 271. 



