The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-07-13
HOT FIGHT FOR
FARMERS VOTE
Harding and Cox Both Eager
to Make Friends With
Tillers of the
Soil.
FIRST BOMBSHELL FIRE
Real Dirt Farmer in Cabinet as
posed by Cox, is Old Story
With Republican
Party.
FIRST BOMBSHELL FIRE
[By Raymond Clapper. United Press
- Staff Corresnondentl

[By Raymond Clapper. United Press
Staff Correspondent
MARION, Ohio, July 13.vA hot
fight between Harding and Cox over
the farmer vote has been started by
1.-THE republican nominees stinging re-
tort to the announcement by Cover
nor Cox that he favors real dirt
farmer for secretary of agriculture.
| 1t was the first bomb shell Harding
has fred into the Cox camp and
promised to set off lively shower
iof fire works.
Harding's statement declared that
| the republicans had kept real
farmer" in Office as secretary of agrl-
culture for sixteen years continuously
until the democrats came into power
and appointed a university president
! to the post. He referred to Uncle
jim Wilson, of Iowa, who was sec
retary of agriculture under Mckinley,
Roosevelt and Taft. and was succeed
! ed by David S. Houston, then presi-
dent of Washington university, st.
Louis, recently succeeded by p. I.
/ Meredith, a publisher.
! The high cost of living problem
would have been solved in advance
had the republican policies in rela-
tion to the department of agriculture
been carried on, Harding said.
Harding expected to work on his
speech all day today, hoping. to make
up for time lost yesterday, when he
was engaged in conferences with
party leaders.
| There was apparent disappointment
+ at Harding headquarters over the re-
fusal of Governor Clement to call the
" 1of nj pia1
sion to ratify the women's suffrage
amendment.
81 had hoped he would do it.
to him.
| Cox on the Stump.
| [By Herbert w. Walker, United Press
Staff Correspondent
! COLUMBUS, O., July ia vigor-
Gus stump campaign, to be waged in
! all sections of the country until the
eve of the elections, will be started
by James NJ. Cox and Franklin D.
Roosevelt shortly after August Is, the
two candidates have decided.
| The outstanding feature of the
! first conference of the nominees was
that both are anxious to start Swings
around the circuit" as soon as notifi'
! cation ceremonies are over.
Complete agreement also was
reached that the campaign should
! open in the west
| Roosevelt stated that he expected
! to resign his naval office about Au-
gust !. Cox expects to retain his
| g,lbernatorial office.
The vice presidential nominee
clearly indicated the league Of ma
tions will be made the main issue on
the western trip.
Before leaving last night for his
+ home. Roosevelt said he would carry
assurances to President Wilson that
both nominees are for ratification OF
/ the treaty with reservations that pre-
serve it's integrity. He expected to
confer with the president the latter
part Of this week and bring Wilson's
: opinion on campaign plans back TO
the meeting of the democratic ma
tional committee at Dayton July 20.
! Roos evelt will attend celebrations
! in his honor at Hyde Park and Pough-
keepsie, n. Y, and Thursday will rep
resent the navy at the international
Yacht races His formal notification
will be held at his home early in
August, according to present plans
Although W. J. Bryan has not in
dorsed the Cox nomination, Roose-
welt said that he had received a
warm personal message" from the
, commoner commencing his selection