Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-04
items OF INTEREST
AT NATIONS CAPITAL
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This has been emphasized in the
consideration of the measures for
agricultural extension work, where
in the south has been accused of
getting more than it's share of bene-
fits. The Lever bill looks to cooper
alton between states and the nation,
in the great work to carry better
farm methods directly to the farmer.
That there may not be unjust impo-
sition on the federal government it
provides that every dollar of feder-
al money provided for this purpose
may be matched by another appropri-
ated by the state. Moreover, the mo-
ney thus provided has to be handled
in each state through agricultural
colleges. No state will be able to
draw its allotment of the national
money until it shall have made pro-
vision for it's own share. This plan
seems fair enough, but yet it is de-
clared that 1.-The south will get the
best of it, And why? Simply be-
cause the south has already made
greater success in following the lead
ership of the Department of Agricul-
lures program for improvement OF
the farm than any other section Of
the country. We are accustomed to
accuse the south with being slow"
but an analysis of this great move
ment toward the betterment of agri-
culture tends to confirm the belief
that the west has prospered to such
an extent that it is rather lofty in its
attitude toward book farming" On
the other hand, the south has frankly
admitted that it has been cropping in
the Oakland it wants to learn. This
is one thing in which the south might
we'll be initiated by the rest of the
country, and this is especially true
of the region east of the Alleghanies
and north of the Potomac, where,
Notwithstanding the fact that for
more than a century there has existed
the best markets and surest demands
for agricultural products, that there
has been a steady falling off of the
right kind of methods for carrying
on farming work.
The Case of Colombia.
Because the United States annex
ed a piece of Colombia and built a
1915 100000 canal across it, the
Colombians are still demanding any
where from $20,OO0,000 to 100000
! 900 from the American government.
Those who are splitting their SYM
pathy on these people ought to con-
slider that every mothers son" in
Colombia has a scheme for getting
rich as soon as the Panama Canal
opens-and as matter of fact the
country never has been as prosperous
since Balboa traded wampum for
coacoanuts with the Central Ameri-
can Indians. In Washington there is
sentiment in no less than Admins
tration circles, to reimburse Colon
bia. The opposition to this program
declare that the attitude of Colombia
is not tenable-that what wrongs il
may have suffered were due to the
fact that the country stood in the
pathway of progress; and by dog
in the manger" policy attempted
not only to drive a sharp bargain
with the United States, but to defin-
itely delay the building of the Canal
The North American Indians have
been repeatedly chased from their
own fields, their forests and streams
back onto the reservations; and
likely the present agitation will de-
termine whether the Colombians are
open to opportunity, in which event
they will not shy from the pathway
of progress, but may even outdis-
lance the people of the United States
in reaping the harvest of the achieve
ment of Panama.
Washington Politics.
Senator La Follette's denunciatiOn
of the Progressive party was not un-
expected, but the return of Senator
Bristow to the Republican party was
disappointment to the Progressives
The latter organization finds cold
comfort in the attitude of Senators
Clapp and Cummings, whom, it has
been thought, might be ''cOaxed
away" and induced to rejoin the
march of christian Soldiers" whose
leaders declare they will reach Arme.
geddon in the next presidential cleo.
ton. Meanwhile, Washington being
Democratic-for the simple reason
that the Administration is of that
political party, finds comfort in the
division of its opponents.
Nearly Million Day.
Congress will provide 1000.
600 for its postoffice business the
coming year. The parcel post Is
proving great money maker, but
it is designed to make extensions in
the service, and reductions in rates
in order to keep the Department