The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-11
PERTINENT POLITICAL PRATTLE
(By A. 7. Edmonston.l

l
Jefferson City, NO., June 8.--The
eleventh-hour entrance of Judge Fl, S.
Priest of st. Louis and the dry leader
and legal light, Charles M. Hay, into
the preliminary skirmish for the Dem
ocratic nomination for United States
Senator as contestant against Brock
enridge Long, Editor Geo. II. Scruton,
Rev. A. N. Lindsay, the Clinton, Hen
ny county, minister, and the patent
lawyer, John c. Higdon of st. Louis,
promises to bring out on Aug. 8 the
largest primary vote in the history of
Missouri. Judge Priest is running on
a wet platform and Attorney Hay,
who formerly was representative in
the State Legislature from Galloway
county, but now is practicing law in
st. Louis, stands on platform as
arid and parched as the Great Ameri-
can Desert.
1t is already predicted for st. Louis
that between $4,000 and $4,000 votes
will be cast there by Democrats on
primary day, thereby excclling all pre-
vious records, and it is expected that
Kansas City, st. Joseph, Joplin,
Springfield, Hannibal and all other
former Missouri wet cities, will ex-
perience a similar increase in voting
electors on this eventful occasion. Out
in the State, especially in the dry
counties, the contest will prove as in
teresting and the increase in the
number of temperance votes cast will
be as marked. The indications are
that of the 100000 Democratic voters
in the State over 100000 will hasten
to the polls primary day to help name
lthe next party ticket.
The eleventh-hour developments in
the senatorial derby upset all calcu-
lations of even the wisest of political
wiseacres as to what the final result
will be the night of August 8. Breck
Long announced few days ago that
he was against return Of the sa-
looms but does not mean that he fav-
ors prohibition as other statements
of the past indicate that he also fav-
ors a modification of the Volstead en-
abling act. His chances of pulling
down the big Democratic plum pri-
mary day were considerably lessened
by the entrance Of Judge Priest, but
he still is classed as one OF the three
candidates betting men have limited
the contest between, the other runners
being the prohibition champion, Hay,
the last candidate to file, and the as
tuto dripping aspirant, Judge Priest.
Gov. Gardner Could Have Won
1t is definitely known that had
Governor Gardner tossed his sky
tpiece into the Democratic tournament
Immediately after the Joplin conven-
ton neither Judge Priest, nor Hurry
up" Hay, nor Col. Scruton, nor Preach
er Lindsay, would have listed for the
melee. Mssouri's Chief Executive
would have easily captured the big
honor, a fact which was never evt =
disputed by the formidable fore
which now is behind Brock Long WI
is running on a League Of Nations
and an anti-Reed platform. The mo-
ment the Governor for the second
time within sixty days turned deaf
ear to the statewide popular move
ment to almost unanimously hand him
the big prize, the other aspirants an&-
ious to enter the race began getting
busy. Col. Scruton, who, with three
sons, saw active, thrilling and danger
GUS service in France in the World
War, was the first to file among the
late entries. Then an emissary OF
Preacher Lindsay bobbed up at the
State Capitol and tossed his minis
terial halo into the ring. From st.
Louis came the news that Judge
Priest had declared his candidacy and
given out a 1900 word platform with
q waterlogged plank as the salient is
sue. 1t was then that "HulTy-up'
Hay let it be publicly known that il
Judge Priest entered the race he
would file as prohibition gladiator.
This was Wednesday afternoon
June 2, 1920, St. Louis, Mo, U. S. A
From then on these two Democratic
warehouses; watched each others ma.
neuvers very closely, each ready tt
act at moments motive. On Friday
the final filing day, Attorney W
Blodgett Priest, the son of the Judge
slipped into the Capitol City from st
Louis on the noon train. Ten minute:
later friends of "Hurry-up' Hay wiret
that fact to their champion and were
in turn informed that Attorney F. M
Curlee would reach jefferson City be
fore midnight with Hays necessary
legal entrance declaration.
Young Priest, when trailed to hi