Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-10-08
Grasty a. the Farmers Candidate
VALLEY Virginian)

On first thought, we had decided
not to "butt in" on Mr.. Grasty's cam
paign for Congress, but in these un-
settled times, when our country is
passing thru season of transition
and nothing seems to be stabilized, it
is not the part of prudence or discre-
ton to take things for granted-es-
pecially a matter OF such great i'm
portance to the people at large, and
to the farming interests of Virginia
and the tenth district as selecting a
candidate to represent us in so impor-
tant branch of the Government as
Che Congress of the United States,
We honestly do not believe we have
ever known OF case where there
was so little reason for making a
change as in the case of our expert
enced and efficient representative.
Indeed, there is no reason at ali, un-
less it be that Mr.. Grasty wants the
place! II that can be called reason.
Let us see about 1t: The only rea-
sons Mr.. Grasty advances why he
should supercede Mr.. Flood is that he
Is "a farmer" and is opposed to the
League of Nations. We have noted
his fulminations in the Staunton pa
pers, and this is all the reasons we
have seen set forth. Well, then: isn't
Mr.. Flood also farmer? We have
been reliably Informed, more than
once, that he owns and farms 500
acres Of land in the county of Apo
mattox, and that, when his public
duties permit Of it, gives it his whole
personal attention. We have heard,
furthermore, that when the farm
came into his possession it was run
down and nonproductive but that now
it is one of the best in the county
and-unlike some farmers, he actual
ly makes money off of it! So much
for the farmer phrase of it. AS to
the League of Nations, MF, Flood
stands with Mr.. Wilson on that, and
it's mighty good company to be in.
Grasty stands with such republican
politicians as Lodge, Hiram Johnson
and that push, for which he got
pretty strait calling down by one of
the soldier boys a few days ago Our.
private opinion, however, publicly
expressed is that, like ourself, what
he doesn't know ABOUT the League OF
Nations would make much larger
book than what he knows about 1t.
And another thing in this connection
It seems to us but little short of an
insult to the intelligence Of the Dem
ocratic farmers of this district, to
whom he is appealing for support,
when he appeals to republican argu-
ments in the public prints to justify
his course,
: But we feel very confident that to
the large majority Of farmers he will
appeal in vain. We have known a
number of them for a good many
years. The large majority are men
Of intelligence and discretion and
mighty hard to- fool And it is for
these reasons that we feel confident
they will make no such mistake as
Grasty is urging them to make. We
are confident of electing a Demo-
cratic President and Senate this fall.
Should we fail to elect Democratic
Congress the President and Senate
will be about like the play of Hamlet
with the Ghost left out-handicapped
and defeated in every move they at
tempt to make. =
Hon. H. D. Flood, who has repre-
sented us now, for nearly twenty
years, we believe, is a man Of long
and varied experience, having served
the State, the Constitutional Conven-
ton, and in Congress, an experience
of itself that constitutes vast store
house of knowledge of public affairs
which renders him invaluable to the
large and intelligent constituency he
serves. This ought to be so plain
that a wayfaring man tho fool
could make no mistake about it. Be-
side that, Mr.. Flood is, therefore, a
man Of no ordinary experience and
ability, a man who has long since
passed the experimental stage and
stands out in the Congress Of the
United Staes as a representative Of
and ability, well qualifi-
ed by experience and ,,sagacity to
handle legislation Of the utmost i'm
portance. The best proof of this Is
that for number Of vars he has
been chairman, and therefore head,
of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, the Committee which with but
one exception-"Comm on FL
nance"-is the most important in
Congress. And at the present time,
and doubtless for some time to come,
owing to the war with Germany, we
doubt even if the Committee on FL
nance would take precedence. Could
r. =