The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-09-11
THE CONTRAST.

A REPORT made yesterday to the American Society of National
a engineers by one of its investigators, pictured conditions on the
may be looked for. The report, by Dean Walker of the Kansas uni.
versity engineering school, showed population at a standstill or de-
clining in all agricultural sections of the country. Detailed invcsti-
cations in Kansas and Iowa were cited to prove the contention that
because of labor shortage, bad transportation conditions and uncer.
tain marketing conditions, the nations food supply is actually
threatened.
If this were the first time the problem of the future food sup.
ply had been before us, we might look upon this report as that of IAN
alarmist. The same forecast, however, is made by every careful in.
vestigator, and a great many such Investigations have been made.
The situation, then, is serious as regards farming conditions and
food production. A threat of inadequate food concerns the whole
nation and a considerable part of the world. 1t IS a national problem
in the very largest and most important sense. Moreover it is u
problem which the next national administration must deal with. The
present national administration has ignored it; but it will not be
ignored for another four years.
Concerning this problem we have heard nothing from Candidate
Cox, except some gittering generalties about how he loves the
farmer with calloused hands, and how, before he BECAME a millionaire,
he liked to mix in the farm work when necessary. Candidate Cox
has devoted almost his entire time and attention to beratng re-
publican campaign managers who ae conducting the campaign which
has his defeat as its objective. lie declared yesterday that the cam.
paign managers of the opposition, or somebody should be put in
the pcnitentiary.
The candidate whose campaign managers Governor Cox would
like to see locked up, and whose detention from the active business
Of the campaign certainly ould be a relief to the governor, made a
speech Wednesday at the Minnesota state fair. In this speech Sen.
aor Harding took up in detail this great problem of the national
food supply and proper living and earning conditions for the men
and women who produce that supply. 1t was no outpouring of gen.
cralities. There was no appeal for or to the sympathies Of the hard
handed farmer and his wife. The address stated the problem in
plain terms and then proceeded to outline the definite, concrete pro.
gram by which Senator Harding and a republican congress propose
TO remedy the principal difficulties in the way of successful food
production. II was the statement of a student of the great problem,
TO practical farmers whose attention the problem now absorbs. 1t is
impossible to reproduce the text of that address here. Its length
forbids. Portions Of it will be published on this page Monday. 1t
is worth careful reading.
The purpose now is simply to point out the contrast between
the campaigns being waged by the presidential candidates. Cox is
calling people names, shouting out charges he cannot prove, and
demanding that his opponents he locked up. Harding is taking the
nations great problems, each in its turn, and is presenting to the
people not only his complete understanding of those problems, but
the policies and methods by which he proposes to bring about their
solution.
Up to the present time Governor Cox has employed in his cam
paign the methods typical of the sharp little ward politician, or the
cheap demaRoguc. who seeks to dodge o. cover up issues he either
does not understand or would evade, by making a loud noise of ac-
cusahon. Shocking as this revelation has been to the citizenship of
n nation always more than willing to idealze its presidential can
didates, we cannot escape the facts Of the revelation.
Up to the present time, to continue the contrast, Senator Hard
ing has let nothing interfere with his calms deliberate. dignifed pre-
sentation of the major issues before the nation; his clear discussion
Of our problems, and the policies and methods by which he proposes
10 seek their wise solution.