Evening star., 1921-06-11
Editorial Digest
The Farmer Comes to Congress.

AAe G6ImeI C0meS 70 Co0&1eSS.
Adoption Of the made-in- Europe
bloc" system by 4 group Of members
IN the United States Senate pledged
to support Agricultural interest pro-
vides q topic for newspaper discus
sion filled with varied speculation.
Although some writer's feel that the
formation Of groups for the promo
ton of special legislation 10 q sign
Of growing intelligence on the part
OF the electorate and some are will
Ing to grant. with the Richmond
lines thn Dispatch (democratic),. that
least debatabie," others look upon the
tendency as "un-American" and q
menace to the country's institution:
senator 10 q senator OF the
United States" declares the Times
side Of the debate" above suggested.
and not senator of farmers. busi-
ness men or even democrats and re-
publicans," and "if individual groups
become sufficiently we'll organized
and able to deliver votes. it is alto
practices which the country will and
should condemn"
Since "bi-partisanship is character
istic OF the republican form of gov
eminent" the San Antonio Light (in-
dependent), believes that, despite the
shortcomings of this system. zone
may well doubt that the effects are
half so adverse to the public's in
terests as are those of the bloc sys-
TEN. which has long been character
istic of the European bodies"
To the Houston Post (democrauc)
the movement is simply an attempt TO
revive a populist third party. which
it believes the history Of the failure
of these parties" will discourage. for:
The farmers are not going to De ied
off again by the vain delusion that
class party can secure for them their
the rest of the people. The higher
standard of intelligence among the
farmers will itself operate against
the revival Of populism."
The special interest" angle Of the
movement Is also stressed by the
accuses the new agrarianism" Of
having fallen into disrepute with
thinkers in and out Of Congress
who debit" 1t with "anti-grain e1.
change" and "anti-packers' bills and
the emergency tariff. advocated at
the expense Of the public"
The Springfield Union (republican)
criticises the bloc on another score
for its legislation: THE main trouble
with most of the measures the con-
gressional agricultural combine has
proposed Is either that they would
prove Of no value to the farmers or
they would hurt them"
While finding no fault with the
farmers movement itself the Jackson
City (MichD Patriot independently
asks II Everybody" is to follow SINH
lar methods Ito get theirs" will we
The Columbia Is. c. State tdemo.
cratic). pointing out that although
many who benefit under the two
party regime will. oppose the move
ment. "thousandS' will defend the
theory that so large an interest as
that of the agriculturalists should
have compact representation. HOW
ever, the State feels that "the pros
poets for such an agrarian movement
are not promising" for farmers nave
never held together "even In semi
political organizations. ike tine
Grange and the Farmers Alliance.
The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times (re-
pubIican) accepts on faith the state
ment of the organisation to the ef-
feet that 1.-The movement is not In
tended to promote agriculture al the
expense of other industries" and ex-
ate to accomplish something tangible
for the farmer"
The Wichita Falls (Tex.) Record
News Independently says: Glass leg
islation Is almost universally snort
lived and without actual results, but
class legislation such as the agricul-
tural senators are promising carries
hope in that they not only strive to
help their own constituents. but that
they are the progressive elements In
legislation they back will be for the
good Of perhaps Us per cent Of our
entire population
While it questions the advantage OF
a large number Of such groups. the
New Orleans Times-Picayune Gnde-
pendent democratic) sees progress in
political leadership with bloc sub
stitution for the present system.
The Lincoln (Neb.) State Journal
Independent republican, calls atten-
tion to the fact that there is IN nothing thnre
have been the high tariff democrats
the sugar democrats" the members
from steel-making districts and others
who have voted together. regardless
of party lines. This tendency is in
creasing, the Journal believes. with
increasing public intelligence"