The Washington herald., 1920-05-07
BY RAYMOND G.. CARROLL.


jefferson City, Mo, May Com
ing down the Mississippi River in
frail canoes. Father Marquette and
his companions were nearly capsized
and submerged at the mouth of the
Missouri. whose yellow. rushing,
roaring waters carried masses of
driftwood and uprooted trees into
the main stream. That historical in
cident of two and a half centuries
ago seems to be quite symbolically
prophetic Of the possible fate Of any
political party in November which
might be so unwise as to be burden
ed with candidate for President
who stands for universal compul-
sorry military service.
The Missouri rolls grimly past
this sleepy old town. holding in its
fast keeping the inner thoughts.
fears. hopes and animosities, of a
river basin 400 miles long, sweep
ing Missouri. Kansas. Nebraska.
Iowa, the Dakotas and Montana.
"aE is an dOOIHlHdNlOh ~ Jul Aoi III
ers west of the Mississippi. They
look upon the principle OF everybody
getting ready for war as a sure-pop
way to bring it about again.
Five of these grain States. Mis-
souri,. Nebraska, Kansas North Da-
kota and Montana, went for Wilson
in 1916 because he kept us out of
war" They represented forty-five
votes in the Electoral College or
enough to have elected Hughes. The
entire seven States OF the Missouri
basin command siXty-three electoral
votes. They are too much for either
party to lose.
Sterilization Desired Here.
Let us consider Wood and Hoo
yer as representing the military
idea versus the nonmilitary idea"
said a veteran Missouri politician,
drawing up his chair closer in the
lobby of the refitted Madison House.
Wood would lose most of these
States If the Democrats nominated
nonmilitary candidate against
him. Whereas Hoover. notwith-
standing all that the farmers think
they have against him for keeping
wartime prices down. could be put
over without difficulty by the Re-
publicans.
"All that is necessary would be
to educate the farmers to see that
Hoover stands firmly for peace-time
stabilization of prices. which Is
their fondest dream. Just appeal to
their patriotism for a full compre-
hension of his wartime action in
1917-1S and they would respond
Hoover's side in the grain contro-
versy has not been. heard by the
farmers of the Middle West"
He continued: Our western
farmers have more patriotism than
they are given credit for. Remember
how they were forced to take SO a
bushel for wheat at time when
they were getting $2.6e? A bill was
recently introduced in Congress to
make up this difference to them
from an unpoid $1,000, 100000 war
time appropriation. Well, the Kan
sas State Board of Agriculture has
announced that its farmers will
pocket their losses-about $4,000
900 altogether-as a patriotic war
time duty, and shall not ask the
Federal government to reimburse
them. Judging from this action,
there is less malice toward Hoover
in the country districts than has
been represented"
Missouri Repubiicnn Probability.
Satisfying the demand of no mil
itary man for President" Missouri
looks Republican this year. Champ
Clark, the silver-crested Democratic
warhorse from Bowling Green, evil
IDENTIFY thought SO a few weeks ago
when he said nay to those who
suggested that he undertake the
prospect of fighting for a seat in
the United States Senate. He has
left the Democratic field wide open
to Breckinridge Long, Third Assist
ant Secretary In the Department of
State, who will probably contest
the election with Seldom p. Spen-
GER. of st. Louis. Spencer, who
is now in the Senate. defeated the
widely advertised Joseph w. Folk
two years ago for the unfinished
term caused by the death of WILL
lam j. Stone. James Minnis. vice
president of the Wabash Railroad,
ard Lieut.. Col. Dwight Davis. both
gripping wet. would like to horn