The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-11-02
MORE PARTISANSHIP SHOWN
Personalities Big Factor In Presidential
Elsction-Four Million Republicans
and Several Hundred Thousand Dem
ocrats Deserted Their Parties In 1912.
Attention TO Agriculture.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

tIDlltu III Nolnt IibAtthHs 40 ~ mat
ter ~ fact, one reason for the apathy
has been the absence OF bitter parti-
sanship save among those who see
deep into the political situation and
realize the tremendous Importance to
the government of electing the candi-
date of their party. But there are
many people who take a superficial
view of the situation and who say they
cannot see any great difference be.
tween the parties under present condi-
tions.
Elections have been Won largely upon
personalities or because people were
satisfied with existing conditions. That
is one reason why there Is so much
uncertainty regarding the result this
year. Many people have not shown a
real interest In the outcome.
Based on 1912.
Harking back to 1912, 1t may be re-
called that nearly 4,00O.0 900 Republic
ans were so little attached to their
party, or at least were not such hide
bound %partisans, that they could not
bolt the regular Republican nomina-
sonal choice. 1t is also known that a
great many Democrats that year left
their party and voted for the Progress
sive candidate, showing that party ties
were not very strong with a large
class of voters OF that party even In a
an uat1afun Uvhnn THAR marty candidate
was sure to win.
Beware Of Advance Voting.
What politicians call the silent
vote.' and what is often a puzzle up
to the time that the votes are cast. may
determine who will be president the
next four years. For this reason II Is
well to be a little shy OF ~pinning faith
upon the straw" voting and the news
paper polls. No doubt these efforts to
ascertain the political pulse of the
country are honestly conducted and
may show the drift of public senti-
ment, but everybody must remember
that a large percentage OF the voters
will not pay any attention to the re-
quests as to their political preferences
and do not show them I'm these adj
vance polls. We have seen many
newspaper polls go strangely awry
when the votes are counted on election
night.
r. r. In the Limelisht.
If Colonel Roosevelt does happen to
be anywhere on earth, except when
buried in his study at Oyster Bay. he
Is sure to have bis share Of the politi-
cal stage. He can't be kept out OF the
limelight long during a political cam
paign.
BY the way. 1t seems that Roosevelt
cannot help but have difficulties with
secretaries OF war. Not much more
than a year ago he and Secretary Gar
risen were having a controversy over
the coloners speech to the rockies
at Plattsburg. Now he is having q
wordy contest with Secretary of War
Baker.
Colonel ZevsIey Comes to Town.
Colonel Bill Zeveley Of Muskogee.
Okla. came to town In time to assure
his friends that Oklahoma was surely
Democratic. Having been a resident
OF Missouri in his early years. the Ok
lahoma colonel also spoke for his old
home state and said that there was no
more possibility Of Missouri going for
Hughes than Texas. Well, the Repub-
leans have not really beer pinning
their faith upon either Oklahoma or
Missouri, but they have known that
there is a chance of Hughes winning
out In Missouri.
After Politics, Agriculture.
When the political campaign Is owe
Ii looks as Ii there would be more at
tention given to agriculture than eve
before. This country needs to produce
more wheat. corn, oats, barley and
other cereals. more beef, mutton, hogs
and other meats. But what is needed
more than all else. in spite Of the in
creased use OF gasoline and motors, is
the production Of horses. 1t appears
that a great many people are alive to
this subject, and the agricultural de-
partment is doing all 1t can to furnish
information to horse breeders.
Argentine Wheat.
The National Geographic society has
been investigating the prospects of OBJ
tanning wheat from Argentina for this
country and a recent article points out
the vast waste and fertile plains, call
ed pampas In Argentina. which ought
to produce large supplies Of wheat.
Deeper investigation will prove that
Argentina goes In for stock raising
rather than wheat raising, and that the
market for meat has been such as to
encourage that industry In the South
American republic. But neither wheat
nor mea can be expected from South
America with the present enormous de-
mand by the governments of Europe
for feeding the armies Of millions Of
oGhtdng men.
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