New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
By Carter Field

y
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS. Mo-. Feb. =
This quiet little health resort, In the
center of a Congressional district com
posed almost entirely Of farms handed
down fror, father to son since Civil
War days. is being torn by political
campaign the like of which 1t has never
seen before. Interest in this contest
engrosses for the moment the thoughts
Of the national committees Of both
parties, and every night there are
speeches by Senators of national repu-
tation. Governors and leaders from far
Off states,
The result in this district will give
the national leaders of both parties
what will be taken as fairly accurate
test of whether the Democratic party
will do wisely in following President
Wilson's idea of making "wholehsart-
ed" ratification Of the peace treaty the
paramount issue in the Presidential
campaign. Tho issue here, uncompil-
Gated by other elements to ali extent
almost inconceivable in Il political fight,
is the peace treaty and the league of
nations.
The special election was made neces-
sary by the appointment of Judge Alex
otnSl' WIN has lcpicSCuISN I!iiS uIS-
tricd in the House for many years. rs
Secretary OF Commerce. The ection
OF d successor TO fill out his unexpired
term will occur on February Ia, and
both sides profess the greatest CON
tidence.
Democrats Denounce Reed
The situation is complicated by the
fact that Senator James A. Reed, of
Missouri. who lives in Kansas City,
only thirty miles from Excelsior
Springs, is very influential In this dis
trict, normally. His bitterness against
the league of nations has obviously had
Gratis In the district who are making the
present fight cannot find cpthets con
temptuous enough to express their sen
timents toward Mr.. Reed especially
since the Republican workers recently
brought $4,000 copies OF one Of the
Reed speeches into the district and be-
gan mailing them under this Reed frank,
Their soreness rather indicates that
Reeds opposition to the treaty Is Civ
ing the Democrats trouble,
But Reed. despite the fact that only
the one issue is involved, and that an
issue on which all his sympathies are
with the Republican instead Of the
Democratic nominee. II making no ef
fort to help win this particular fight
against the treaty. On the contrary. he
has contrl lbuted twice the amount asked
OF him toward the pcmocrutie campaign
fund. The Senator processes at ieast to
nope for the election of 81 Democrat
He is making no speeches.
Another element in addition TO the
arguments of this Senator In tbs fact
that the newspaper which dominates
the district is "Thc Kansas City Star"
and its morning edition, "l'hc Times"
Few papers in the country are more
strongly opposed to the league than
The Star" For certain other reasons
THE Star" is unusually lukewarm-for
such fighting paper-in the Congress
sional bsttle, but it has been preaching
against the treaty ever since the debate
began in Washington, with the result
that the Republicans are counting heav-
ily on the accumulated sentiment which
this campaign has built up,
Facticnal Strife Ssirs Republicans
Offsetting these two advantages, the
Republicans arc disturbed by some
factional resentment against the man
ner in which the Republican nominee,
John Frost, was nominated, Numerous
references to Il "basebal bat eonven-
ton" are heard, These refer To con
vention alleged to have been dominated
by the same Republican leaders who
tion, some years ago. as soon as the
organization men were inside II s
alleged they put guards armed with
baseball bats at the doors and the In
dependents were not allowed to come
IN Just why this should be regarded
as SO rough in a district where editors
have shot politicians and politicians
nave shot editors within rhe last few
Years is not explained, but there is a
4 of %,1l< a
So the disadvantages and advantages
may be fairly said TO offset each ether,
to all practical PURPOSES, with the re-
suit that the outcome of the election
ought to demonstrate something, In
this community, through the efforts of
its chief newspaper source OF nation
wide information. 'The Kansas City
STAR" about as good a case as can be
made against the treaty has been
rather thoroughly presented. There
fore it may be roughly assumed as g
cross section of what the farming dis
tricts Of the entire country would be
after an educational campaign for and
against the treaty.
Watch Farmer Vote on Treaty
That is why the national committees
of both parties are making such efforts.
While both are tremendously anxious
to win, there is even more evident an
intense desire for real demonstration
at the ballot boxes of how the farmer
Of the country might vote on the treaty
were IT the paramount issue
The Democratic National Commit tta O
several weeks ago sent Joe l., Davis.
of the publicity staff at Washington
headquarters, to Excelsior Springs,
where he is cooperating with the local
workers. Attorney General Palmer was
to have spoken here this week had he
not been too ILL., He has promised to
come next week and make speeches for
two days through the district. Repre-
sentative Tom Hefiin. of Alabama, re-
garded as the most stirring of all tho
rabble-rousing orators of the Demo-
cratic party and man who appeals
particularly to the Southern seotional
spirit. will also be- here next waek. As
sistant Secretary of State Brseksn-
ridge Long addressed several meetings
with Captain j. l., Milliyan tha Dame