West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-07-04
Secretary oil Agriculture Has Become
Laughing Stock.
DEPARTMENT BEHIND THB TINES
Congressman Hull's Absurd Stat.ment.
rramps ara Trusts Republiean
Presidential Booms.

the grace OF Mckinley and Roose
Welt has run the agricultural depart
ment for the last ten years, and, as
some claim. run II into the ground,
has become laughing stock in
Washington and Kansas. 1t appears
that when the green hug was devas-
tating the Kansas wheat fields farm
er Wilson, out of the goodness Of
his heart, decided to give the Kan
sas farmers some advice how to beat
the "bugs" in the future.
"PIant turkey red wheat" said
farmer Wilson, "for in 1897 / made
experiments and found that turkey
red spreads out and withstands the
ravages of bugs better than any other
variety"
But the millers and wheat grow.
ers all over Kansas began to poke
fun at farmer Wilson for making ex.
reriments in 1897 with turkey red
wheat, as for ten years previously
Kansas farmers had grown that va
riety almost exclusively.
This shows how behind the times
the agricultural department is in
many things and how much it re.
quires reforming. Its statistics are
rotten and have been the sport of
grafters; many of its so called
scientists are far behind the times,
as the turkey red wheat episode in
dicates; the scientists of the weather
bureau, which is part of the agri-
cultural department, are still work
ing on the erroneous plan and
theory of the winds and weather
adopted SO years ago and the
weather forecasts are spoken of as
not as reliable as Hicks predictions,
published month ahead.
The department of agriculture,
as well as other del artments of the
government, is suffering from dry
rot and grating brought about by
so many years of control by Repub.
lican partijars, who that party can.
not, if 1t would, get rid of, from
the party necessity of providing for
its camp followers, who, if not fur
nished with what they have, or
something equally as good. would
turn and rend it. 1t is not the
clerks who are to blame, though
some of them are worthless, but the
Republican politicians who are in
charge of them. /; the voters knew
one half OF the partisan and grating
conditions in most of the depart.
ments they would join IN the cry of
rurn the iascals out"
Congressman Hull, of Iowa, was
in this city last week and at once
proceeded to give out an interview
in which he said that "if President
Roosevelt should be renominated
next year he would get about 40
per cent of the Democratic vote in
the northern states Such an alb
surd statement is Of course untrue,
aud IL the feeling of those who visit
Washington is any criterion of the
trend of Democrats for or against
the President in the northern states,
he would not get per cent of their
votes.
At present every Democrat l
meet, and they come here from oil
over the country, is anxious to know
who the Democrats should nominate
to beat Mr.. Roosevelt. Some think
Mr.. Bryan can defeat him on ac-
count Of the number of Republicans
secretly opposed to the President,
but by far the greater number de.
clare they want a candidate upon
whom the whole party can unite. |
The great fear seems to be that n
Mr. Bryan IS renomlna.ed for the
third time he cannot come any |
nearer being elected than in 1906 |
or 1900, and some go so far as TO |
say that many voters, whJ are ardent |
friends Of Mr.. Bryan, believe he is
one Of those leaders like Calhoun,
Clay and Blaine, Who we're unable !
TO reach their ambition Of being
President Of the United States.
$50
The optimistic view. Of Chairman
Knapp, Of the interstate commerce
commission, that an era Of peace
between the corporations and the !
people is dawning is al nonsense.
Mr.. Knapp says the railroads are |
accepting the situation and that |
"any further legislation will have |
the approval Of railroad men as we'll /
as the public" n Chairman Knapp |
really believes what he says, he
evidently does not understand the
railroad tactics, which at present
are TO lie low and take what small