Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1920-02-11
Gov. LOWDEN
REAL FRIEND
OF farmer
Record in Offices Proves His In
terest in Measures to
Benefit Agriculture
MANAGES HIS OWN FARM
Illinois Governor Is Cotton Planter,
Stock Raiser and General Farmer
Fosters Bills to Make Rural
Life More Attractive.

Gov. Frank o. LOwden of Illinois,
one of the leading candidates for the
Republican nomination for president,
is a practical and successful farmer.
Born on a farm near Sunrise, Mimi. of
sturdy American parentage he moved
TO Hardin county, Iowa, when he was
years old, where he worked his way
through school later by teaching.
When he came to Chicago, he pur-
chased a large farm near Oregon, H.,
which he now calls his home.
This farm is one of the finest in ILL
nois. In addition to this he owns and
operates two cotton plantations in Ar
kansas and has extensive stock breed
ing interests in Texas. Although he
has been successful as teacher, law
yer, business man and statesman,
Lowden prefers to be known as a
farmer. He has a way of succeeding
in everything he undertakes and his
experience as farmer is no exception
to this rule.
The governors interest In farming
has at no time been more forcibly
shown than during the four years he
has governed Illinois. In his inaugural
address he laid out broad policy
which he has consistently followed for
fostering every phase of agriculture.
He said, on taking office:
Agriculture is our most important
industry. 1t is the source of our
greatness. Its continued success is
perity within our borders. The con-
servation movement must concern it.
self with the soil. for even our brief
history shows that fertile fields may
become abandoned farms through
other causes than lack of rainfall.
The raising of live stock seems neces-
sary If We are to preserve the fertility
of the soil. We should foster this in
dustry In every way we can.
"We should encourage cooperative
farming. Wherever you find agricul-
ture in its highest state you find that
cooperation has made Its greatest ad
| vance"
One Of the most notable measures
taken by Gov. Lowden to foster agri-
culture was the civil administrative
code. This act consolidated In the
state department of agriculture vari-
Gus commissions and bureaus, created
from time to time to aid the farming
interests. The efficiency of admins
tratiOn was vastly enhanced by this
Capitalization of responsibility, and
the benefits 10 the rural population
have been increasingly evident during
the two years since the code was
adopted.
Moreover, through Gov. Lowden's
active interest, n number of bills have
| been put through the legislature d.
| rectly bearing on the farmers lot.
These include the bill for establishing
tenancy commission for regulating
! commission merchants, the pure seed
| law, the revised dog law, cOmpPnSa-
| ton for the slaughter of tubercular
, cattle, appropriation of $4,000 for
limestone plant, appropriation for a
live stock biological laboratory, estab-
fishing a veterinary college, and regu-
Iating the spread OF plant disease.
The governor likes not only farms
but farmers. In speech recently he
said:
"In these troublesome times | often
wish were governor Of a state whose
only citizens were farmers. The
farmer is the greatest stabilizer in the
country and If it We're not for our
100000 farmers ! would despair of
the future of America"