The Republican journal., 1916-11-30
Letter From Missouri.
The Elections. Prohibition is Marching on.
Crops and Prices The European War.


time for the election of president has
passed. 1t came and went last Tuesday
the seventh inst, but as | write, five
DAYS later, the result is still somewhat il
doubt; so much so that our good Demo
cratic friends who had intended celebrat
ing the event last Wednesday night have
postponed the celebration until they are
sure that the shouting will be in full &C
cord with the facts. Personally die
not vote for Mr.. Wilson, but the present
trend of events seems to indicate tina,
full waiting" If majority of the peo-
Pile Glove to have it so" the minority
must gracefully submit to what the ma.
jority declares to be its will. Locally
we had every opportunity of forming an
intelligent decision as to the merits of
the case. Some able speakers were on
the platform here, including Mr.. Hughes
himself, who spoke to very large audi
ence in Convention Hall, and made a
very favorable impression upon those,
or most of those, who heard him; my
self among the number One of my men
who failed to hear him had the privilege
of shaking his hand and receiving three
buttons from the hand of Mrs. Hughes.
Mr.. Fairbanks, candidate for Vice
President. was speaker the night the
returns from Maine came in. One speak
er brought down the house by guaran-
Fairbanks majority of thirteen thou
sand, and before the meeting was brought
to close it was reported that be was a
pretty good guesser. DR.. John Wesley
Hill, Methodist minister from New
York, spoke twice in the city. l was
privileged to hear him once. His address
was eloquent, entertaining and instruc-
tive. People sat silently listening to his
speech for more than two hours and were
sorry when he closed. l did not hear
one speech from the opposite side, as
only one speaker attracted my attention
and was not in position to hear him.
Missouri is getting to be close State,
but not sufficiently close to awaken the
intense interest and desperate effort
which you will find in Indiana, where the
contest is intense. Here there were no
ch-light professions nor anything like
the enthusiasm which the Bryan contest
awakened. There was shouting then,
but the votes were lacking in the count.
In Missouri the voters elected Demo-
cratic governor; but the race was close
one, Gardner receiving only few hum
dred more votes than Judge Lamm. The
liquor interests of St. Louis turned the
tide in favor of Gardner, who announced
himself as desperately opposed to the
principle of prohibition. Rapid strides
in favor of constitutional amendment
in opposition to the liquor traffic had,
however, been made since the last cleo
ton on the subject inKansas City, Spring
field, and other of the large cities of the
State. But for the large vote in favor
of the liquor traffic in St. Louis the
friends of temperance would have carried
the State. The cause, however, is
marching on and will ultimately prevail.
Locally Greene county is dry outside of
the city of Springfield.
So far as weather is concerned we have
had an unusually dry season. For about
three months we have had but little rain;
not enough to soften the ground and
make good blowing for the winter wheat
crop. At the present time the streams
are low and the ponds mainly dry. The
water we have, however, is of first class
quality, clear and palatable.
Business conditions are very trying.
Prices Of the necessities of life are very
high and soaring higher with the passing
of nearly every day. Many articles of
daily need have advanced in price from
fifty to ona hundred per cent. during the
last twelve months. Corn crops are now
selling at $2.05 per hundred, bran at
S1.65, oats at 65 cents per bushel, and
tllSdto anu OtHeI thugs III dUoul lue odiHS
proportion. Automobiles keep high, but
the number in demand is constantly on
the increase. This city is thronged with
them; more particularly at the present
time with the jitneys. For several weeks
the traction companies employees have
been on strike, and the jitneys are
reaping a harvest, greatly to the incon-
venience of the travelling public. I'm
ionism is strong in the city and very few
persons in the north part of the city ride
in the cars. We are very close to the
verge of a coal famine. In Oklahoma
the miners are on strike, in other States
the shortage of cars has sadly diminish
ed the supply. had personally an order
in for one car per week of one grade of
coal from the State of Illinois, but my
last shipment was made on the tenth of
October. The result IS greatly increased
prices. AS | look out upon the future,
although l am not strongly inclined to
be pessimistic in my views, do so with
deep solicitude. If the European war
should soon come. to an end thous ands of
men would be thrown out of employment