The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-10-06
|AGRAR|A|I BLDG
IN THE SENATE
NoN.PARTisAN GROUP in UPPER
HOUSE is HELPING RESTORE
PROSPERITY no FARMERs.
KENYON IS THEIR CHAIRMAN
Senator From Iowa Tells How Agricul-
tural interests, Hardest Hit BY the
War Are M Great Need Of Legis-
latlve Aid, vi 8 M isls, 81 " 68
sys EDWARD 3. CLARK.

i4. iss5 lHI4 ~ G1vvNnG D. SA-Nn M Aftslt
Washington. The American farmer
is having his day In the legislative
halls Of the National capitol Never
before has the voice Of the agricnl-
turist been SO potent when It comes
to lawmaking. Why7 6sv sBst; rslg
Because q group Of senators, with
out regard to party Affiliations, who
hail from agricultural states banded
themselves together at the outset Of
the new congress for the purpose Of
aaiding the fariner.' The farmer had
been harder hit By the after-the-war
readjustment Of prices than any other
group or class In the country.
This group got together each SEM
ator intent upon doing the best for
the farming element and determined,
first, upon an organization OF coali-
tion, and, second, upon a program Of
farm legislation. William Squire Ken
y0n Of Iowa was chosen chairman OF
the meetings Of the agricultural
group. st
Senator Kenyon is one of the most
modest men In congress- He lnvari-
ably endeavors to put the soft pedal
upon any publicity about himself, and
when correspondent went to him in
search Of an interview regarding the
now famous agricultural bloc of the
senate, the first injunction laid upor
him by Senator Kenyon was that he
should not be set down as the head
of the organization. &a
Bloc Without a Head.
"A number Of the senator's, intent
upon aiding the farmer, have organ
lied this bloc as 1t has come to be
called" said Senator Kenyon. "We
all Of us have the interests Of the ag-
ricultural class at heart none more
so than any one Of the others.
II noticed that one Of the newspa-
pers recently asked, Who is this agri-
cultural blocheadr" said the senator,
with q twinkle In his eye. "As 4
matter Of fact the bloc has no head"
Long before the organization Of the
present bloc IN the senate, Senator
Kenyon was engaged actively in leg
islative work to help the farmers.
He comes from one Of the great farm
ing states Of the country, and one
Of his great pleasures Is to get back
home to the farmers picnics''
where he can talk to the people and
get their angle, He is a farm owner
himself, though he says distinctly
that he does not wish to pose as a
farmer. He is a lawyer. But he lived
on a farm when he was a boy, and
worked on a farm.
II remember that when was If,
teen years old / ran away from school
to go to work on a farm said SEN
ator kenyon. 'The reason I ran
away was that every Friday all the
pupils were called on to recite poems,
etc. ] couldn't stand It. But I made
up my mind that I would get over
that feeling Of nervousness when I
addressed an audience, and later re-.
turned to school, went through acati-
emy and then college. joined
all the debating societies / could Just
to force myself to learn to speak in
public, for my earliest ambition
was to become lawyer. determined
that when / was thirteen years old.s
Senator Kenyon,s Career.
The Iowa senator Is big, clean cut,
hair gray, though abundant. He ID
ffty-two years old, but doesn't look
1t. He has been In the senate ten
years, taking the seat ofthe late Sen.
ator Dolliver. Before he came to the
senate he was an assistant attor-
ney general under the Taft admins
tration, having charge Of the trust
busting work of the department. Be-
fore that he was a district Judge and
q prosecuting attorney and success
ful lawyer In his own state. He over.
came his awe Of speaking IN pub
lie, but admits that up until few
years ago, he used to have qualms be-
fore beginning an address. he speaks
forcefully and clearly, and compara-
lively rarely III the senate Vi.
what was the need Of the farmer
bioc7n
X .That's d fair enough question" Re.
Piled Senator Kenyon. s.The farmers
of the country were in desperate con
diticn-they still are. They had sur
Tered more acutely than any other
body, due to the deHation after the
war. They are the backbone Of the
country. They produce the food which
ithe whole country must have. II
was imperative that something be done
fcr them: y
l'tAt first there was an inclination IN
some quarters to treat the farmer
group lightly. But senators from the
East now realize that much depends
upon restoring prosperity to the farm
ers.* a M u.s. liisl
The farmer bloc has never had
more than ~ senators at its meetings.
Senator Kenyon said. But Ii has
worked together ID eiftse TINT ttiii II II
has forced measures for farm aid osit
Into The senate, and once these meas
nres were before the senate other sen-
ators have, perfcrce. Joined III their