The Washington herald., 1918-02-18

Tor this recital which we are sure Will
please those proponents of the plan
Of giving seeds to doting constituents.
1t appears that when Thomas JEFF
ferson was our diplomatic representa-
tive in France a splendid quality of
rice was grown by the Fhench. They
did not wish any of the seed to be
sent out of their country, however.
They guarded it very carefully, and
for years kept the product within their
own bounds.
Jefferson soon became convinced,
after he had been in France a short
time, that America should have seed
OF this remarkable brand of rice. So
one day, he asked to be taken on a
round OF the plantations. He put on
high boots to make the trip. When
he came to a huge pile of rice he
feigned a fall into it. He was at once
extricated. of course, but not until his
boots had become full of the grain.
After he had been taken home he
emptied his boots and sent all the
seed back to America by official mail.
under State Department seal. He ask
ed the State Department to send 1t
out to rice growers of the East and
South, ten grains to each grower. He
suggested that the growers report back
to the State Department, then, what
luck they had had with this new
brand
The result was that this brand be-
came popular on this side of the water.
But the big fact about the incident
was that the Department Of Agricul-
ture resulted from this little expert
ment of Tom Jefferson's, and with 1t
grew the custom of sending out free
seed to people of the country.
Thus Democrats who urge the re-
peal of the free seed business are not
only likely to incur the displeasure
of those to whom free seed has been a
boon, but they are also guilty of rend-
ing asunder very firm practice initi-
ated as a result Of the forethought of
their party godfather.
General condemnation Of the free
seed system used to mark campaigns
years ago, and there used to be a
rather widespread condemnation re-
fected among the rank and file. But
somehow or other the practice was
never discontinued. That it was not.
now appears to satisfy even some. of
those who opposed It most violently.
For with the rising cost Of all prod
ucts 1t has been a benefit to thousands
and thousands of people of the coun-
try to obtain seed in this manner. The
seed distributions to high school gar
deners and to charity organizations
have been particularly large, and this
year, 1t is claimed at the Capitol, the
donations in these directions are larger
than ever
The free seed habit, therefore, will
probably not be done away with dur
ing the war. Real good seems TO come
of it. 1t may cost something 1t is
true, but in the end the cost is not
nearly so great as it would be IL all
the people who obtain seed had to
buy it.
without question the war declar-
alton against Austria has worked
some injustice against men and
women who are exceedingly loyal to
this country. Such case was pre-
sented the other day. A young Bo-
hemian, who has served a year in
the navy, and who before that spent
several years in the United States
army, and who thought that there
fore that he was a citizen, was dis
charged from the navy for the high
ly technical crime of being an
| "alien enemy" Though he wanted
as much as any loyal American to
do what he could to lick the Kai-
| ser, he couldn't stay on board his
ship. The subordinate officers sent
the young Bohemian away without
civilian clothes, with no money to
pay his fare to the point where he
enlisted, and under the stigma of
being an enemy. He couldn't get
work In this city because he had an
uniform on-and he couldn't stay in
the navy because he had never be-
come wholly naturalized. The case
will be laid before Secretary Dan
iels this week, and at the Capitol
they are confident that the Secre-
tary will prove to be more humane
than his subordinate officers were
Mister Hays. the new leader of the
-n1blican cause. will be In Wash
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