NFO-180 (AV10679): Rural America Declaration of Independence Day

rural America Declaration of Independence day an old-fashioned 4th of July a celebration well the question is how old-fashioned this broadcast began with a fly-in breakfast at Corning Iowa a community of about 2,500 persons at the Corning Municipal Airport which will accommodate 250 light planes a fly-in breakfast beginning at 6:00 in the morning this was some fourth of July celebration and we're saying not so old-fashioned because the crowd was expected to top at 15,000 a presidential candidate senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota a day long speaking schedule oh yes and conducted tours of the NFO national headquarters the unique thing about Corning Iowa is that it's the site of the national headquarters office of the 41 state NFO the farm organization that cooperates for this day-long celebration with the Corning Iowa Chamber of Commerce rural America declaration of independence day I'm Phil Allen and I'm Don Mack both of us will be acting as your host and bringing you the highlights and events of this rural America declaration of independence day on us farm report a public information program brought to you the interest of agriculture rural business and the well-being of our nation by members of the National Farmers Organization and others interested in having agriculture receive cost of production plus a reasonable profit bill could you give us a rundown on some of the other speakers besides Senator McCarthy other speakers at today's program will be mr. ed Wimmer who is national director of the association independent businessman and mr. Wimmer is from Covington Kentucky and is well-known speaker at both rural and City audiences he will give the patriotic address at the central square in downtown Corning another speaker will be mr. Homer Jackson of rifle Colorado mr. Jackson is a longtime production credit Association official who knows perhaps as much or more about financing farm operations as anyone living now there will be also conducted tours of the NFO headquarters office there will be free golf and swimming during the day speaking of the arrangements for this rural America declaration of independence day I would like to talk to a member of the committee who had been in charge of the arrangements mr. John Linz who is a school teacher here in Corning and has worked with the arrangements John can you tell us about the arrangements for this affair today yeah Phil we've been working on this for about six or eight weeks now and we've had a lot of cooperation where I think we've got a real good day planned we've got something for everyone for all day long and we hope everybody enjoys themselves I'm intrigued by the title rural American Declaration of Independence day I'll come a title like that well it seems that through the years the farmers in our area and I think they're the same all over the nation have been having a little bit of difficulty and this time that the business community unites and helps the rural community and we all work together and end up with a little bit of progress will you join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of America to the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all you may be seated with the invocation given by the mayor of Corning the Reverend William sinning who is also a Presbyterian pastor the main activities began at Central Park in downtown Corning Oren Lee Staley president of NFO [applause] welcome to Corning you don't need that thank you I don't have very many words to say this morning it we have a lot of speakers today of course and I guess later in the day I'm supposed to do something about summarizing some of the things that have been said as far as when the NFO are concerned and how we interpret the problems of rural America but I would like to say this before I say any more now one of the greatest pleasures this morning is to see a gentleman here on the stage which without his early efforts NFO and my estimation as I've written would never have continued to grow and would died at an early age if you haven't already given in my hand if you have I still want to give have you to give a hand to governor Dan Turner who's such a great an outstanding citizen of this nation [applause] I can tell many stories about him riding 80 years old in the back of a car and the cold of winter with an old coat that probably many of you here in Corning and seen him wear and the many miles that he made that gave us all courage and gave us all and to me a personal experience and he gave me a lot of philosophy that I have used and so all of these things are a part of success mainly what I want to say this morning is that we are proud to be able to participate in this event because when we're talking about Declaration of Independence for rural America we also are talking about the symbol of just what we're having here today that only in rural America can the people get together in a part a symbol of the past and the heritage that we are so proud of that this is a part of the free air the fresh air of rural America that the people in the jammed cities are not able to enjoy so I would say that we in rural America have so much to fight for together whether we live in the small town or whether we live on the farm and I think it's time that we realize that in rural America we have at stake our very future and it is going to take a better understanding and closer cooperation between the farmers and the rural businessmen and the people that make up rural America many Americans don't realize that the house that is behind us is the home where Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show was born I have with me Dr. Harold Muschamp who is one of the coordinators of the rural America declaration of independence day Dr. Muschamp what about the home here where Johnny Carson was born well this is a home where Johnny Carson was born his father used to be manager of the Iowa Nebraska Power & Light Station here and he was born in this home and stayed lived in Corning about a year and then they were transferred to Avoca now I John's mother comes from a little town of Bedford just south of us here about 20 miles they tell me that John and his father they called him Kit Carson had many of the characteristics of John and some of the old-timers here that knew his father why say they can recognize some things in the son and the father had before him has Johnny ever came back to Corning on any visits to see the home where he was born in well not that we know of at least not as long as I've been in this town but he mentions Corning on The Tonight Show every now and again and a few years ago we had a painting contest we have quite a group of local artists here and they had a painting contest on his home over here and I think we had 37 entries and we posted them in a store downtown and voted on them and then winner was selected and sent to him and presented to him on The Tonight Show and he had quite a little to do about Corning at that time what about the holding action book written about the National Farmers Organization being recognized by Johnny Carson well I have a letter here from mr. Carson as sent to mrs. Harold Hayes in Corning and thanking her for an inscribed copy of mr. Waller's book holding action which which she thought would be a good idea to send him and she sent us back a very nice letter Corning Iowa the birthplace of Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show I've been visiting with Dr. Harold Muschamp coordinator of rural America Declaration of Independence Day for the Corning Chamber of Commerce now back to Central Park with Phil Allen the next speaker is Homer Jackson finance specialist who started in banking in 1925 and now as manager of production credit Association at rifle Colorado for the past 25 years mr. Jackson has been with the Farm Credit administration since the production credit system was organized and 19:33 and for seven years he was filled credit supervisor for the Farm Credit administration in Washington DC for more than 40 years mr. Jackson has financed farm and Rance people and he is also a lifelong rancher and cattleman in his own right former governor Dan Turner mayor Sinleyy members of the NFO and ladies and gentlemen it's real pleasure and a privilege for me to have the invitation and the opportunity to come to Corning and visit and participate in this celebration today it was nearly 200 years ago when the American people first declared independence a hundred years later Ralph Waldo Emerson eulogized their declaration with his verse by the root bridge that arched the flood their flag to April's breeze unfurled here once the embattled farmer stood and fired the shot heard round the world it seems fitting this 4th of July for the farmers to again stand together as Americans to recall in part that declaration and refresh their minds to the meaning of it when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands that have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them to certain unalienable rights life liberty and the pursuit of happiness and for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of a divine providence we mutually pledge to each other Our Lives our Fortunes and our sacred honor we should pause today in appreciation of the privileges that we have as Americans we live under the best form of government and we live in the greatest nation ever in the history of the world but we know that this is not a guarantee of permanency America will remain great only so long as we Americans respect it and we earnestly endeavor to keep it that way wouldn't this be a glorious 4th of July if we 200 million Americans would honestly pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor for the purpose of making this a better country as farm people there's no greater contribution that we can make to our country than to pledge to do all we can to strengthen the rural economy not since that first declaration 200 years ago has the challenge to the survival of the American farm families been more critical than it is today now Agriculture's problem is price and what can be done about it will you pledge each other that as a member of this committee gathered here today that you will go home and go to work in your home community that you will tell your neighbors your merchants your banker your newspaper editor your state and national congressman that all of rural America is an economic problem that agriculture must receive prices equal to the cost of production or we will experience a depression that will bring financial rule ruin to every line of American business tell them that prices are not established by supply and demand tell them that farm prices are fixed by monopolies tell them that we do not need government subsidies but we do need legislative protection against monopolies price controls tell your friends and neighbors that Stockman and farmers must shake off the old superstition of being unable to organize show them that they must exercise their unalienable right to price their own produce in the marketplace tell them to take this story to their friends and neighbors all over America if you will make this pledge to each other and keep it then you will have the opportunity and the right to celebrate another fourth of July thank you [applause] that was Homer Jackson of rifle Colorado longtime official of the production credit Association one of the main events at Corning today is a visit with the national headquarters office of the NFO we take you again to Don Mac the National Farmers Organization national headquarters is back of me and with me is president Oren Lee daily president of the National Farmers Organization one other problem a tree otic appearances that appeared here at the rural America declaration of independence day today was former governor Dan Turner president's daily governor Dan Turner former president uh former governor Dan Turner was quite a crusade not only for agriculture in his day but did a battling job at organizing the National Farmers Organization you probably seen him in his works from the very start with the organization would you like to comment on his achievements former Republican governor Dan Turner of Iowa resided here always been his home here in Corning Iowa and as he saw the NFO starting to be formed in fact there was no organization at that point he came forward gave some very sound advice and because of his prestige that he lent to the effort by speaking and by advising very he was very instrumental in the early days in making it possible to gain the confidence of people to move forward together he gave a great leadership also when he was governor and back in the old days for agriculture isn't this right he was always a champion for agriculture and of course he was caught in as governor in the Depression years which many times I've said without having been caught at an unfortunate time in his political life he very well could have been at least vice president of the United States he was a tremendous student of history and and one of the best speakers that I've ever heard in any political party or either political party or just on any platform anywhere he was great he was knowledgeable and he was a very dedicated individual president Staley would you like to make any comments as the progress of the National Farmers Organization at this time well there's no question but what we're making tremendous progress first point is that we are fighting for the farmers rights to correct their problems and this is first and most important people wouldn't even know there was a problem if someone wasn't really fighting for it and we are making progress in signing processes we're making progress in building our bargaining power and of course the key to it is farmers understanding that they must organize they must bargain together and sell together that everyone else is organized and that farmers remain unorganized they get weaker and weaker the Presidents Day they I want to thank you very kindly have the opportunity to express these opinions because rural America is not just agriculture it's a small businessman and everybody that lives in rural America these problems are all tied to the level of income that farmers receive low farm prices destroys the economic life of rural America not just farmers president's daily president of the national farmers organization at rural America Declaration of Independence Day July 4th at Corning Iowa another outstanding agricultural leader is mr. W. W. Butch Swaim better known as butch to all his friends butch is director of the research and Public Information Department for the National Farmers Organization butch what is the prime reason for the rural America declaration of independence day well this is signify the beginning of the real cooperation between the rural business people and the farmers of America throughout the nation to work together to see to it that farmers have the price first so that the rural American businessman can stay in business Don now we had here today a special guest from the National Federation of Independent Business with 250,000 Main Street businesspeople and when that force of 250,000 Main Street business people begin to unite with the National Farmers Organization you do indeed have a truly great force in rural America that will do something about the farm income pattern the farm income pattern Don sets the true prosperity level of the nation business people are beginning to realize that what about the tremendous expansion in the organization well the tremendous expansion the organization of course shows up in the national headquarters and today we're having a national tour to show these people people have been going through the national headquarters by the thousands we're out in front of there now and during the noon hour even they're continuing to go through but it's been fantastic we've expanded into 41 states with requests from more states we've got them here today all the way from Alabama Georgia and Florida clear out to the west coast and Don it's really gratifying to see the great leadership that we've built in NFO thank you that was waw butch Swaim director of NFO research and public information before this crowd in Central Park in Corning Iowa the park itself is the one full block as these town parks are and it is entirely filled at this moment just a word about that the park is on a hillside and it forms a natural amphitheater for the senator to speak and now senator mccarthy mayor i see the mayor doubles as the chaplain for these meetings very good mr. Cruz who was here only platform which being all of you here from Iowa and Corning and I suspect one or two visitors from other states who may be here for today I'm glad to have all of you here is this fourth of July observation also with Oren Lee Staley and the national farmers organization here at the city in which the real beginning of that most important and vital organization took place the NFO is the well in a way it was kind of example to me and I need to many others around the country who in my case with reference to Democratic Party politics the idea that somehow we had to put the whole system to a test this meant going somewhat outside of ordinary channels or procedures that that was also necessary what I'm doing in politics is really not very different from what this organization attempted to do for the American farmers when they concluded that the farmers of this country we're not receiving fair attention that their voice was not being heard not only that their just demands were not being responded to but in fact that there was it seemed no way in which they could even get a hearing for their cause and the problem of Agriculture the problem of rural America even the problem of those who are sometimes called the rural poor is one which I think is most easier solution in this country there are a few problems which farmers themselves cannot handle if they receive a fair and a decent income [applause] and then this year the farmers are not really asking for anything unreasonable they continue to offer really more than parity of effort more than parity of a contribution to the good life in America and in return for that in this year I hope we can make real progress towards securing for them parity of income which is simply another way of saying that they too have a right to parity of participation in the good life of America parity of enjoyment of the happiness of this country a kind of parity or full citizenship taking on all the duties and all the responsibilities social and civic and also economic but on the other hand not just asserting a claim but in fact enjoying a full parity a full participation in all of those things that make America a great and a good Society thank you very much [applause] senator Eugene McCarthy has just finished a spectacular speech here at the rural America declaration of independence day is probably one of the largest agricultural events that will go down in history I have Doug Sickler here with one of the coordinators of this great agricultural event for rural America Doug what is going on now during intermission here in the city of Corning well Don we've kind of slacked off here a little bit after having all of these wonderful activities going on after the intermission we're going to have a square dance evening we're going to have a team dance with a rock and roll band for all the teenagers around we're also having tours at the town of Corning and showing such famous places as Johnny Carson's birthplace and such and of course will be an NFO speaker later on in the afternoon everything has been going real fine and real smooth and we are looking forward to a lot more fine activities yet this afternoon Doug this is in cooperation with a Corning Chamber of Commerce the farmers the rural merchants and of course the national farmers organization why was it chosen to take place on the 4th of July well Don we feel that around here the farmers and the businessmen are one in the same and we would like to show the people around here that we want a new Declaration of Independence right here in this town it's a new revolution and we find out that cooperation is the key to the success of everything the NFO and the Chamber of Commerce have been working together and the cooperation has been tremendous between the two factions and we just feel that we're having a wonderful celebration and a lot more to come yet this has been Doug Sickler one of the outstanding rural businessmen in the city of Corning Doug Sickler a coordinator for rural America day and thus rural America declaration of independence day from Central Park in Corning Iowa a town of 2,500 people it saw an address from a presidential candidate senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota a congressman from Texas representing the vice president as Graham Purcell of the 11th congressional district in Texas spoke for Hubert Humphrey it also saw important addresses by the head of the independent businessmen's Association mr. Ed Wimmer of Covington Kentucky and an address by a longtime production credit Association official mr. Homer Jackson of rifle Colorado and Oren Lee Staley the president of the NFO address this crowd at Corning Iowa who is this national farmers organization the question has been put in press releases recently and one that we ran across based on the study at Michigan State University I think points up pretty well the essential character of this organization the journalists put it this way in transaction of publication of Washington University American farmers for the most part are peaceful and conservative our NFO members then so destitute in comparison with other farmers that they're driven to revolutionary behavior according to Denton E Morrison and Allen D Stevis of Michigan State this is unlikely farmers who joined the NFO like the members of other power oriented social movements probably have more social and economic advantages than the farmers who stick with the traditional farm organizations to document this assertion Morrison and Stevis examined 13 studies done on Midwestern NFO members between 1962 and 1966 these studies show that NFO members compared with other farmers do well at farming they have larger more productive farms and rank higher and technological adoption and innovation and they are not outcasts from their communities the study of the two Michigan State professors said they are accepted and active in community affairs and perhaps that's as good a keynote as any to this declaration of independence day Corning Iowa