1b* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1377 
Danger to the New York 
S HALL New York State abandon its system of 
primary nominations ? That is one great question 
which our farmers must decide this year. The ma¬ 
chine of the Republican party is openly opposed to 
the primary, and if the politicians of that party 
can have their way they will repeal the law and 
substitute the old convention system of nomina¬ 
tion. The Democrats pretend that they are in favor 
of the primary, yet at their recent convention they 
proceeded to take all the life out of it by “suggest¬ 
ing" a ticket dictated by the bosses and politicians. 
Of course such a ticket has the support of the ma¬ 
chine and an independent candidate would only be 
run over and flattened out if he stood up against it, 
while in a fair and open contest he might have a 
chance. 
The Democratic party in New York is essentially a 
body of city voters. Not over 20 per cent of its vote 
comes from what we may call the open country. On 
the other hand the Republican party must depend for 
its success upon rural voters, for almost 00 per cent 
of its vote comes from rural districts. The so-called 
leaders of this party are opposed to the primary 
because they see stronger and stronger signs of 
independence among the rank and file of voters. 
They know that the farmers and country people 
will yet learn the power which the primary offers 
them, and that when they do make use of that 
weapon a little bunch of shrewd politicians can no 
longer dominate a great party. Knowing this the 
politicians are attempting to destroy this indepen¬ 
dent power before it becomes too strong for them. 
Briefly stated, that is the situation, and if the pri¬ 
mary is to be saved at all it must be saved by the 
country people— right note at this coming primary 
election. We waste no time in arguing that the pri¬ 
mary election for nominating candidates is a de¬ 
sirable thing—a safeguard and a help for indepen¬ 
dent and conscientious voters. It may not have suc¬ 
ceeded in accomplishing all that we could wish. 
That is largely because we have not made full use 
of -it. The New York law is weak and imperfect but, 
even so, it gives the plain honest voters of any party 
a chance to control nominations if they will only 
make use of it. The New Jersey law is much 
stronger and has given such satisfaction that prac¬ 
tically no one ever speaks of its possible repeal. We 
ask our readers this year to give the primary a full 
trial. That is the only way to demonstrate its value, 
and you wish to have it continued. We are not 
in the habit of waiting until the damage is done and 
then saying, “I told you so!” We tell you right now 
that if you permit the bosses of either party to repeal 
this law you are surrendering the best political 
weapon that you can have for defending your rights 
in the selection of candidates. A big, overwhelming 
vote in the primary this year will be an unanswer¬ 
able argument for its continuance. Our hope lies 
in the Legislature. We would refuse to vote for any 
man in any party who will not pledge himself to re¬ 
sist a repeal of the primary law. 
As for primary candidates, the “convention” has 
shut off all but a few determined fighters who have 
the blood and the bulldog spirit to fight against 
odds. On the Republican ticket the convention sug¬ 
gested Judge Nathan L. Miller for Governor. Judge 
Miller never replied to our questions concerning 
agriculture. So far as we know he has made no 
statement covering his position. Opposed to him is 
Senator George F. Thompson of Niagara County—all 
the others having retired. A statement of Senator 
Thompson’s views was printed on page 1163. lie 
will oppose “daylight saving” and will stand for a 
farm policy upon which practical farmers and their 
leaders will agree. We believe be will stand for a 
“square deal” as between man and man, and that 
a big primary vote for Senator Thompson will put 
more of “the fear of God” into the hearts of the 
bosses than anything else that could happen this 
year. The only other contest in the Republican 
primary will be over the candidate for T T . S. Sen¬ 
ator. The “convention" suggested Senator J. W. 
Wadsworth for re-election, lie has a record and 
must run on it. Opposing him is George Henry 
Payne, a newcomer in politics. Mr. Payne says that 
Senator Wadsworth is against woman suffrage, 
against Prohibition, against labor and against the 
dairymen, as shown by his attitude in oleo. Mr. 
Payne says he favors all these things which the 
Senator opposes. Another candidate for Senator is 
Mrs. Ella C. Boole. She runs on the Prohibition 
ticket, but thousands of men and women promise to 
write her name on the Republican ticket. 
In the Democratic primary there is no contest 
except that for Senator. The convention suggested 
Lieut.-Governor Walker as the regular candidate. 
Opposed to him is Mayor George R. Lunn of Schenec¬ 
tady. Mr. Lunn is a Progressive. and was the only 
man at the “convention” who had the courage to 
stand up and fight against what he considered un¬ 
fair or dishonest conditions. In the county primary 
this year there are many contests—some of them 
being bitterly contested. Many of them are between 
two farmers or between two worthy men where 
personal opinion must decide. In several cases, 
however, there are definite contests between actual 
farmers and politicians. In all such cases we urge 
our readers to vote for the farmers or those who 
will promise to stand by the farmers’ interests and 
the primary law. One particularly clear case is in 
Madison County, where J. Arthur Brooke, a farmer 
of Cazenovia, is a candidate for the Assembly. The 
issue in that county is so clear-cut and direct that 
every farmer in Madison should get right in behind 
Mr. Brooke. Another case is that of Hon.- J. C. 
Fowler, a candidate for Senator in the district em¬ 
bracing Chatauqua and Cattaraugus counties. Mr. 
Fowler is father of the law for the repeal of day¬ 
light saving and deserves the support of all farm¬ 
ers. Still another case is that of Geo. F. Wheeloek 
of Livingston County. Mr. Wheeloek is a candidate 
for re-election and he deserves it. Getting behind 
him is part of the farm program. We can safely 
trust our readers to do their duty when the issues 
are made clear. We need not tell them that right 
now there is greater need of a definite farm policy 
and a stronger concentration of farm political power 
than ever before. The leaders of both the old par¬ 
ties are working away from real progressive ideas 
into the old hidebound politics which has done us so 
much injury. Here we have a chance to put a little 
new life into them by rolling up a great primary vote 
for candidates who stand for what we believe in. 
A great vote in the primary is your best chance to 
impress the bosses. Will you help? 
The New York Grange Exchange 
Will The R. N.-Y. give us a complete statement of 
the financial condition of the New York Grange Ex¬ 
change, and the status of the new exchange which is 
to succeed it? Was the Grange Exchange actually 
operated at a gain or a loss, and how much, and on 
what terms was it taken over by the new exchange? 
If you would give us this information at the start and 
keep us posted regularly you would contribute to the 
confidence of farmers in it and to its success. E. S. M. 
We have had considerable inquiry and comment on 
this subject and are pleased to be able to furnish 
exact information. The Grange Exchange. Inc., had 
an authorized capital of $100,000. The par value 
of the shares was $10. The number of shares issued 
was $3,14S, giving a paid-in capital of $31,480. Shares 
to the amount of $750 had been bought in and this 
seems to have been added to the capital to make a 
total $32,230 as total cash issue of Grange Exchange. 
On June 2, 1920, when the business was trans¬ 
ferred to the new company, the balance sheet of the 
Grange Exchange was as follows: 
Current Assets : 
Cash on hand.. .$28,010.00 
Accounts rec.... 21.341.75 
Mdse, inv. 54.9S5.22 
Int. accrued. 125.00 
Unexpired ins... 264.41 
Total Current Assets.. $107,726.38 
Fixed Assets: 
Furniture and Fix. 2,537.97 
Expense Items Paid in Advance: 
Rent . $200.00 
Directors’ exp... 250.00 
Organization exp. 116.19 
T’l Items Paid in Adv.. 566.19 
$110,S30.54 
Liarilities : 
Accounts payable . $68,613.66 
Capital stock sales. 32.230.00 
Notes payable . 7.962.S4 
Reserve for unadjusted accounts. 750.00 
“ “ closing expenses. 350.00 
“ “ accrued dividends. 805.75 
Total Liabilities . $110,712.25 
Surplus . 118.29 
$110,830.54 
Primary Law 
By mutual consent stock of the new Exchange 
at $5 par value -was issued dollar for dollar to the 
old stockholders of the stock held in the old Grange 
Exchange. This required 6,296 shares of the new 
Exchange which then took over the business of the 
Grange Exchange with its assets and liabilities in 
exchange for the 6.296 shares of capital stock. 
On this statement it would seem that the Grange 
Exchange just about held its own, provided the ac¬ 
counts receivable of $24,341.75 are all collectable and 
the inventory of $54,9S5.22 represents actual estimat¬ 
ed value. It is always safe to make allowances for 
losses on accounts receivable, or due the company, 
but -if merchandise is conservatively estimated there 
should be- margin enough to cover any loss in uncol¬ 
lectable accounts, if any. 
The secretary of the new Co-operative Exchange 
promises full information as the work progresses, 
and we shall be glad of the opportunity to keep read¬ 
ers informed. It represents a needed form of co¬ 
operative endeavor, and no line in New York State 
affords a greater promise of success on straight co¬ 
operative lines. The present plan seems to be on 
the identical lines outlined in 1917 by the State De¬ 
partment of Foods and Markets, but at the time dis¬ 
carded in favor of a plan to sell feed through local 
dealers, which did not succeed. The present plan 
differs from the original only in that the first plan 
embraced only the Dairymen's League, ivhile the 
Grange and Farm Bureau Federation joined in the 
present exchange. There is now no lack of capital, 
and the trade is only waiting the opportunity of 
dairymen to buy. Given ordinary business manage¬ 
ment and information to sustain confidence, and the 
enterprise cannot fail to succeed. It will succeed, 
because if errors are made they will be corrected, 
and if losses result they will be made up and the 
business will go on. Farmers are now awake to the 
needs of co-operation and the progress will be for 
ward from now on. It is, however, entirely possible 
to conduct this enterprise without serious mistakes 
and entirely without loss. Our co-operative enter¬ 
prises should not be made too expensive in the de¬ 
velopments. First of all they should be made truly 
co-operative, or. which is the same thing, purely 
democratic. Members will be loyal to an organiza¬ 
tion when they have full confidence in it. They will 
have full confidence when they have a real effective 
voice in its management, and when they have full 
and complete information as to its affairs. We are 
assured of the information in this particular enter 
prise, and it now remains only for the management 
to adopt a system by which each member will have 
an opportunity to vote for officers and policies by 
secret ballot. The caucus or convention boss system 
is no different in farm organizations from politics. 
The one man. one vote, through a secret ballot is an 
essential of true co-operation, and by enlisting the 
interest of members is a big factor in success. 
A Sample Ballot at a Farm Picnic 
The ballots were received in time to have the vote 
taken at the Farm Bureau picnic today. There was 
not a very large number out at the picnic, but there 
was a ready response and quite a good deal of interest 
manifested. The following is the result of the ballot: 
George F. Thompson. 22 
George F. Warren. 1 
Silas L. Strivings. 3 
William Church Osborne. 2 
Francis M. Hugo. 10 
Total. 3S 
A few voted in reference to calling a meeting to for= 
mulate farm needs and policies, and all who voted on 
that proposition at all voted “Yes.” As you will doubt¬ 
less be interested to observe, there was not a vote cast 
for the “designated” Republican candidate, Nathan L. 
Miller, or for Gov. Smith. If the Anti-Saloon League, 
the League of Woman Voters, the Prohibition party, 
the W. C. T. U. and the farmers’ organizations would 
get together before the primaries and make up a ticket 
to fight the bosses with, we could beat them to a stand¬ 
still, and teach them that a new day has dawned in 
New York State politics. Hoping that if I can be of 
any service, no matter how small, in the fight to bring 
cleaner political conditions and better farming condi 
tions in our State, you will call on me. I am, 
Yours for a fight to a finish. 
Rockland Co., N. Y. (mrs.) ednac. jones. 
The sentiment expressed by Mrs. Jones is quite 
typical of the feeling in many country neighborhoods. 
Senator Geo. F. Thompson is popular with farmers. 
He is known as a fighter, a sincere friend of temper 
ance and of the primary, and is ait acknowledged 
enemy of the political machine. There is a general 
feeling that he would surely be responsive to farm 
desires, and that he would handle the food situation 
without fear or favor. His name will appear in the 
primary election. 
