The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-27
Lowden, Farmer and Business
Man.

Man.
The campaign Of Gov. Frank o. Low
den, OF Illinois, for the Republican
presidential nomination, is based on an
unusual combination of qualities Gov.
Lowden is at the same time a farmer
and business administrator With
this combination his managers expect
TO claim strong support from the agri-
| cultural states, where there is insist
emit demand for a better understanding
Of the farmers situation and also to
meet the growing public sentiment in
favor OF a more businesslike admins
tration of public affairs.
The Seattle -Intelligencer lind
Rep) puts special emphasis on the
latter point. 1t says that Gov. Low
den's achievements as chief executive
OF Illinois have created profound
impression throughout the country"
because he adapted plain business
| principles to the administration Of gov
eminent in his state" and found a
solution of the problem of steadily in
creaslng cost of government and cor
responding, loss in efficiency" He
civil administrative code, which abol-
ished more than 125 boards, commits
slons and independent offices, and vest
ed their functions in nine new depart
ments each under the control of one
man. The actual saving to the
taxpayers has been a reduction of
| third of the property tax levied
| for state purposes in two years."
The plain, common people," notes
| the Utica Observer (Dem.), might en-
joy the novelty of having governors
and presidents who would take some
account of the growing expense of the
| administration of governments" But
| the same paper despairs of making any
strong appeal to the convention on this
score, and thinks that in advancing
1 rANn H..
| not good politician" For, continues
the Observer:
THE political managers do not care
| TO nominate and elect men who favor
retrenchment, and simpler and fewer
| and less cumbersome government de-
| partmentS. > They want states over
run with all sorts of commissions into
which thousands of their henchmen
can be hidden as they draw their sub
stance from the public crib. They
don't want men who will save, but men
who will swagger"
1t is as a farmer that the Sioux Falls
Argus Leader (Rep.) finds the greatest
appeal in the Lowden candidacy. The
farmers, 1t thinks, win support him
because "he knows their needs and
sympathizes with their problems. Z"
Gov. Lowden owns and operates one
of the largest farms in Illinois," and
he owns two large cotton plantations
in Arkansas and has extensive stock
breeding interests in Texas"
Gov Lowden has many admirable
qualities and would make a splendid
president" declares the Des Moines
Capital (Rep). and it thinks he would
be particularly strong as a conciliator
of various factions. Unlike Gen. Wood,
says the Capital, ''he has not tried
to take any mans state away from
him. and "he secured the nomination
for governor of Illinois by a strenuous
campaign in which he never uttered
an unkind word about his rival can
didates, nor did he ever criticize them.
Consequently the nomination proved
to be equal to an election" The Roa-
nole Times Dem,) commenting on
Gov. Lowdens securing the Virginia
delegation, calls him "a very strong
candidate" who looms large in the
public eye at this time" while the
; Chattanooga News (Dem.), thinks he is
{ foxy" in refusing to commit himself
] to universal military training which
never had many adherents in this
fewer than ever" -,
Still, what about Minnesota? Lowden
was bOrn in that state and it is largely
agricultural. Therefore, 1.-The result
. of the Minnesota, primary must be a
severe blow to his hopes" in the view
, of the San Antonio Light Qnd.) To be
sure, the weather on primary day was
"of the variety that helps machines, -
| and it is conceded that the machine
was for. Wood. But allowing for this
the Light says:
THE really impressive feature of the
primary is not that Wood gained some
votes, but the exceedingly poor show
,, ing made by Lowden. To finish in last