CHAPTER XI 

 THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BLOC 



When the organization of the Agricultural Bloo 

 first received public notice in Washington there 

 almost immediately developed a spirit of opposi- 

 tion on the part of the representatives and the 

 press of our large cities. The New York news- 

 papers were promptly critical and did not stop 

 by merely announcing the organization of the 

 group, but went further to state what they as- 

 sumed were the objects and motives of the 

 group and to discuss them in detail. 

 The New York Journal of Commerce said : 



"The whole program — or certainly the major portion of 

 it — is based upon false premises. The congressional theory 

 seems to be that farmers are being exploited by other 

 interests, no inconsiderable part of which live as parasites 

 upon the agricultural communities. The logical procedure 

 is therefore (they reason) to enact legislation which will 

 free the farmers from this burden. Unfortunately, how- 

 ever, many are not willing to stop even there, but on the 

 contrary, desire special government favor or a subsidy for 

 agriculture." 



Such a point of view was passed on to busi- 



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