Notes on Some Theoretical Aspects of the Effect of Direct Action Farmers' Movements On Farmers' Organizations

Abstract

A STUDY of farmers' direct action movements in the United States during the past I50 years, together with a survey of the direct action movements of industrial laborers and the teachings of the anarchists, syndicalists, and others, may well revolve around the following four pertinent inquiries: (i) To what extent, if any, have American farmer revolts and their leaders been influenced by the philosophies, economic and social doctrine, of the direct action theorists? This inquiry is raised partly because of the well known influence of these theories on left wing labor movements. (2) To what extent, if any, have direct action movements among American farmers borrowed, either consciously or unconsciously, patterns from direct action in the labor world? (3) What similarities are there between the conditions which give rise to direct action movements of farmers and other groups? (4) In what ways are direct action farmers' movements typical left wing movements within more general movements? Posited briefly and more or less dogmatically for the purpose of discussion, it appears first, that there is little, if any, evidence that direct action farmers' movements in the United States have been motivated by a knowledge of or belief in the basic philosophies of direct action. It seems doubtful whether any of the leaders of American Farmers' direct action groups have read after, or even know of, the great theorists of direct action, although they have at times had some contacts with recognized leaders in the labor world, for, despite instances of violence and sabotage, neither the leaders nor members of the Holiday association seem to have any theories of persistent annihilation of all authority. In the second place, however, farmers' direct action movements have definitely borrowed patterns from labor organizations. This may well be illustrated by some of the techniques employed such as picketing, sabotage, stoppage of farm mortgage sales and penny bidding, the demands for debt moratoria. Moreover, the chief explanation of direct action farmers' organizations is to be found in economic conditions similar to those which have given rise to direct action in the industrial field, to some typical basic farmer attitudes, and to behavior patterns which are typical of mob activities. In practically all cases, farmers' direct action movements in the United States have arisen only when distress was widespread among the whole farming class and direct action groups have been the left wing of farm organization, life, and development. Finally, direct action movements, being made up of left-wing groups, have set themselves off strongly against right-wing or middle-of-the-road farm organizations 'These notes, with the kind permission of the author, have been greatly condensed from the original longer discussion as presented before the Rural Sociology Section of the American Sociological Society, Summer Conference, Chicago, June Z9, 1933. Consequently, much of the interesting illustrative material has necessarily been omitted.-The Editors.