The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-13
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY g. HOUSE.
(From Philadelphia Public Ledsss.i
Ambrotypcs of the Middle west-n.

Il 4
Ambrotypes of the Middle West-H.
AS has been observed in these ammo
tations. the rural citizeury of the mid
die west no longer fears the Great Red
Dragon of Wall street. The Dragon
is "old stuff" 1t has been exploited
SO often that the hardy yeomen no
longer rush to the rescue when the
cry of Wolff" is heard. But the mid
die west still falls for the olds"bunk;"
and as a result the old bunk" flows
copiously. and the flat country always
Is in a state of inupdation. There is a
statesman in the middle west-a United
cialty is that of hugging the farmer.
1t is a carefully calculated caress.
The senator's constituency largely is
made up OF those engaged in agricul-
ture and animal husbandry. He is
not much of a farmer himself. but
there is where his vote lies. And so he
is devoted to the task of tanning his
constituency with the conversational
emollient and the perfumed word. He
has it sewed up tight as druni.N Out
ator and Abraham Lincoln in the same
class and give Lincoln a bit the worst
of 1t in the inevitable comparison.
The senator went into a fine frenzy
early last spring. He had noted the
Tightening in financial circles and had
sensed the inevitable drop in farm
products The senator is canny. and
he knew it was going to be a fine
campaign in which to do something
for the embattled and downtrodden
farmer. Selecting the Chicago board
of trade as his chief fall guy" he
tore the practice of specializing in
stock and grain futures into fine tat
ters and pledged himself to introduce
bill in congress which would entire
ly wipe out the degrading and PERM
cious practice. He attributed the fall
in foodstuff prices to manipulation on
the board of trade. characterized those
VINO engaged in it as robbers and told
IN round sums, running into millions
or dollars. of the money of which the
farmers had been mulcted by the grain
operators. He did not say the sort of
measure he proposed probably would
| be unconstitutional; but as becomes
one holding an exalted political posi-
uon, the senator is smart and probably
was fully advised on that point. Al
any rate, the Associated Press carried
| the senator's EXAMINATIONS against
grain gambling to its large and yarie-
gated clientele, and the senator got
| much valuable publicity from the in
| cident.
In his home state it worked. if any-
thing, little too well. The farmers
Already were disgruntled. Farm stuff
was going down. The farmers def
nltely suspected they We're getting the
worst of 1t. When their own A. Lin
coin told them they were being robbed
ont board of trade they flew into
a fury beside which his own counter
felt presentment of the emotion was
weak and vacillatipg. They demanded
SO wheat, and worked themselves into
such a perspiration over the matter
that there was strong talk of a strike
tof the agricultural interests until such
time as their demands were complied
with. 1t was necessary for the sena-
tors personal representatives and his
! press bureau to lend a calming vel
lvety hand TO the situation and rub the
] farmers down. They were in a state
Iof unrest; and while it may have been
tremote, the fear tht their unrest
fboded i'll -for the national, state and
| county tickets existed: The calming
process was successful, and the Re-
lpublicansf won the state, lock-, stock
and barreis
After the election was over the SEN
ator sent for the accredited heads OF
the grain dealers and millers' organi-
zAtions. The grain dealers and milIers
mad been frothing AZ the mouth and
shaking N their shoes. They are the
bully boys who carry on a great deal
of the speculation in grain futures. To
them it is an essential operation in their
said in effect to them. Il made the
campaign on my fight againstl dealing
in futures on the board of trade. But
II want to be perfectly fair in the mat
ter. If you gentlemen will indicate
1.-THE sort of bill that will satisfy you,
will see that one such is introduced.
The gentlemen indicated the sort oil
measure that would satisfy-them. More
THAN that, they had theid5 own attorney
in TO draw it. He is a very competent
gentleman, well versed in the grain
business and in legal lore. He drew a
perfectly good bill, which has beer
introduced in congress. In the event
that it becomes a law, it will not stor
Speculation in grain futures. 1t will
do no harm of any sort. 1t will inter
fere with no mans inalienable right to
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
1t is perfectly fair to the mil1ers and
lgrain dealers: it has brought the sena-
ttor an immense amount of valuable
publicity. and II has confirmed his con-
lstituency in it's fixed belief that he is
1.-THE greatest man since Lincoln. What
happier solution of the question could
4 any other statesman have found?
Il The columns admiration for Senator
4 Penrose, which arouses indignation in
some quarters and inspires boots and
jeers in others, is based largely on the
fact that he doesn't depend on the old
bunk" to put him across with his