The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-05-07
PERTINENT POLITICAL PRATTLE
lBY A. Edmonston.l

day of the Statewide primary, Tues
day, August 8, nears, it becomes more
and more evident that the wet and dry
issue is the salient one in both the
Democratic and Republican parties
and that it will be fought out along
that line for United States Senatorial
and gubeinatorial honors. 1t is also
plain at the present moment for OBJ
vious reasons fully explained further
along that If this preliminary Skin
mish was pulled off Immediately that
John M. Atkinson, former Representa-
tive from Ripley county, now prac-
ticing law in st. Louis, would gather
in the Democratic nomination for gov
ernor, and lawyer Arthur M. Hyde of
Trenton, Grundy county, would safely
land the same glory on the "gop"
ticket. Atkinson and. Hyde are the
dry standard bearers for their respec-
tive parties and have no opposition to
that arid task.
For United States Senator, Seldom
P. Spencer, the present incumbent,
would easily be rcnominated by the
Republican party with a vote big
enough TO exceed that east for both OF
his opponents, James L. MINES, the
former railroad counselor, and Col.
Dwight M. Davis, the st, Louis war
hero, combined. So far Breckenridge
Long Of st. Louis, Federal Assistant
Secretary Of State, official address,
Washington, D. c., is in the lead for
the Democratic nomination for Senat-
or, but this situation may change at
any moment for the chief reason that
the "wet' half of the "0nly Reliable
Party" has not yet developed a can
didate sufficiently strong enough to
be generally accepted and looked up
on as the Bacchanal leader. 1t is true
that John G. Higdon, the st. Louis
patent lawyer, has officially filed
against Breck Long for the place on
a decidedly "waterlogged" platform,
but so far he has not grown formidable
enough to attract attention anywhere
in Missouri, Two years ago when he
took similar active part in the pre-
liminary senatorial tournament with
Joseph w. Folk and X. P Whitley as
his opponents, the strength he mus
tered over the State was only 1907
votes out of total of the 195,6O6
cast by Democratic electors.
Why Atkinson and Hyde Now Lead
1t is conceded by both Republican
and Democratic leaders that half of
the vote which is to be cast by either
party at the August primary will be
dry, and therefore, for this sole rea-
son, will go to the gubernatorial and
senatorial candidates who have been
more or less active in behalf of the
prohibition cause in the past.
Hyde is the Republican credited
with the leading part in placing Tren-
ton, his home burg, and Grundy coun-
ty, into the local option column. If
this was the only fact to give his CUB
ernatorial candidacy prominence he
and Editor E. E. E. McJimsey of
Springfield, the only present opponent,
would evenly split the votes Of the
"gops" in the primary contest, but
there are other features to this race
which throw an overwhelming advan-
tage in the direction Of the Trenton
aspirant. The 10000 negro "gops" of
Missouri have announced through
their leaders that they will not sup
port McJimsey neither at the primary
or the general election for the anti
Ethiopian attitude Of his paper, the
Springfield Republican, thirteen years
ago when two or three of the race
were lynched and their bodies burned
during the race riot in that Ozark me-
tropolis. Another Hyde strength is
that thousands of rural Republicans
who are really neutral on the liquor
question detest half of the "gops" of
st. Louis, Kansas City and the wet"
counties of the State for their strong
pro-German and unAmerican activi-
ties and proclivities, this element now
forming half of the force which is be-
hind Editor McJimsey for the reason
that he is recognized as the "wet" can
didate. This big army of true-blue
American Republicans will not vote
the party ticket next November if
Hyde should, by some unexpected mis-
hap, not be nominated at the primary.
Here is the Democratic gubernator-
ial situation at the present moment.
To start with each of the candidates
stands for the war and other policies
and activities of President Wilson and
for the League of Nations so that
they are all even on that score. The
dry vote of the party, constituting at
least two-fifths of the total which will
be cast at the August primary, is
nearly solid for Atkinson, and for
personal and other reasons some of
the liberal Democrats favor his can
didacy. With the other three-fifths
of the vote apparently hopelessly di-
vided, the present moment, between
four other candidates and not one able
to corral another two-fifths, what will
happen on primary day is plain to all
unless some other big national or State
issue bobs up suddenly to overshadow
the wet and dry problem. Judge
Charles H. Mayer of St. Joseph gained
some more strength two days ago
through being Endorsed by Festus j.
Wade, the well known st. Louis finan-
cier. 1t helps his candidacy in st.
Louis and other eastern Missouri in
dustrial centers. Representative Frank
III. Farris of Phelps county and Lieu
tenant Governor Crossley are hold
ing their own and are very active
in their campaign work. The talk
of politicians is the surprising good
form that Col, Ruby d. Garrett
who officially got into the running
last Thursday, is showing. While