The Washington herald., 1918-11-11

|
Farmers Of the West are up in
arms over the operation of the Food
Administration. The vote last Tues
day shows this ConClusively. Iowa.
Kansas. Nebraska, Colorado. Wyo-
ming, Illinois, South Dakota, North
Dakota and Minnesota. all went Re
publican by decisive majorities.
Many Democratic office holders were
| turned out in the cold. and Repub-
| licans were elected with little re-
gard as to their qualifications.
Their whole aim. apparently was to
repudiate the Democrats.
That large drops in the prices of
! corn and hogs were brought about
! by the Food Administration was be-
! lieved by the farmers and added to
/ the fact that they had always OBJ
I jected to the wheat price-fixing.
| they resolved to carry their Griefs
to the polls and they lost little time
/ in voting with unanimity against
the Democratic candidates.
Republicans are we'll organized,
too. in these Stltes and had the ad-
vantage this year of being united on
their candidates All in all, the re-
suits were foreseen by the Demo-
Gratis who tried to still the rising
| tide. but were unable TO do so.
I Fighting. Hiram" Johnson and
Bill Borah. the unbridled Idaho
! terror. have an opportunity to make
! themselves famous, beginning March
| 4 For both are known as Progress
sive Republicans and the Republi-
can majority, which will assume
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determined a ring of stand pat
! ters" as ever assumed command of
| the G. O. P.
The Senate margin is just enough
so that either Messrs. Johnson or
| Borah, or both, can upset the pro-
gram any time they want to, ana
! it is assumed. thus far in advance
of affairs. that they will do so
! whenever they think things are not
/ being run in the interest of the
! people.
The fact that both OF these pro-
! gressive members are of Presi-
Dental caliber will make the matter
more interesting. In fact, there are
numerous Democrats at the Capitol
who contend with some glee. that
! if these two members do not carry
on" politically as they are expect
ed to. they will hardly be in the
| list of Presidential possibilities any
! longer.
The persistence with which Sem
ator Knox has cultivated Senator
Johnson, since the latter came into
/ the Upper House may bear some
fruit. however. and may remove Mr..
Johnson from his old Progressive
classification. That has been the
I
Californian. 1t is possible, however.
that Mr.. Johnson has not become
| too heavily fettered by this atten-
| tion, and he may be able to still
! speak out with the same remarkable
frankness that he has always spok-
en- with when the opportunity has
presented itself. and when the dire
need was seen.
To these two progressives may be
/ added Senators Cummins and Kenyon
/ or Iowa. Both of these men are
noted for their political cleanness
and for their firm adherence to pro-
Eressive principles. Republicans from
their State insist that neither of the
.Hawkeyes" will be led around by
! the "standpat" whips of Congress.
In other words, the Iowa people think
neither Cummins or Kenyon will be
rubber stamps in the hands of the
'standpatters.''
1t is conceivable that Mr.. Cummins
as matter of fact. might show
enough strength to become a Presi-
/ Dental candidate, although some of
mis- friends say when he failed to
make that goal in 1916 he ended his
! effort to get into the White House.
The western farmer is a political
| puzzle to some politicians, but to
! those who understand him he is not.
IL can be put down, once for all. that
the western farmer votes the way his
pocketbook is affected. If times are
good and he is being treated fairly,
he will acquiesce quite readily in the
demands made upon him by the po-
! lit1cal power, but If he believes he is
being treated unfairly he will rebel
and overturn the party IL he can, no
matter how much sentiment may be
utilized by the party. in order to re-
tain its place in his affections.
| This leads US to this years contest
as viewed by the agricultural section
! of the country. The Republicans made
| telling use of the wheat-price fixing
fndulged in by the Democrats.
The Republicans insisted to the
farmers that the South, with its Con-
gressional domination, has not hesi-
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