The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16
r ARM ER BLOC IS. IN SADDLE RIDING. THROUGH CONGRESS.
Bi-Partisan Alliance the Most Powerful Political Element >ln Half a Century-ln-
 fluence Felt
By l.. V. MARSHALL Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald Copyright, 1921. by The Age HeraldI

NNoPJAiSptf AV~'s pJ Aho
 Washington, October 15.--What .s the Agricultural bloc?' What is this new and strange power which seems to exert so complete a control over Congress?
 No new factor in national politics in decade has figured so exten- siyely or so sensationally in the news: no element in the Congress has been able to hold such sway over the destinies of the national legislation. It has brought the European political designation bloc into the English language of the western hemisphere and it is following the bloc meth ods of old world parliaments It has set Washington by the ears It has called forth statement from Presi- dent Harding that he opposes class Legislation and group control It ha9 upset some of the best laid plans of the republican leaders in Congress and 1t Is potential in the evolution which is bringing the west into as- cendancy in the grand old party.
 But the agricultural "bloc" is not wholly republican; not by any means. In fact, at the present time 1t de- bends for it's effectiveness upon dem ocratc sympathy and support.
 Nneht-SOttOn Bridge Gap
 Wheat and cotton have bridged ths gap between the great northwest and the solid south" community of interest has wiped out both sectional and political lines in the handling of legislation affecting common inter- ests.
 The group of senators in virtual control of legislation in the upper branch of Congress. known as tho farm bloc, consists of not more than 2s men. the majority of whom, as stated, are republicans and all of whom hail from agricultural conn munities. They are under the lead. ership of Senator Capper, of Kansas. who created the bloc; Senator Kenyon of Iowa, who came to it in Its early days and whose forceful personality immensely strengthened and for warded 1t; andSenato Harrison, of Mississippi, who heads the demo, cratic allies within its ranks. Ken yon and Capper. republicans, are the directing heads and moving force of the group.
 The North Dakota idea, called the Non Partisan League, seems to have started in small way as the a.gricui- tural bloc has started in national Instead of being non-partisan the league is bipartisan; the cement being interest of agriculture.
 Senator Capper comes from Kansas and is a pioneer champion of the farmer. In his home state he is editor and owner of string of farm magazines and daily papers. He Is power in his state, a good fellow as men appraise men, a glutton for work and In a quiet and effective way, an opponent of that element In the republican party commonly termed the old guard. He Is b6 years old. started in life as printers assistant and left the gov ernor's chair to come to Washington. Always he has espoused the cause Of the farmer.
 Fight Railroad Interests
 several months ago 1t seemed to him as If the railroads and the other highly capitalized interests were crowding the farmer into the corner In the matter of obtaining relief Legislation. He sounded several ot his colleagues close to the farm and round that their views coincided with his own. They met at his home.
 That was the ebginning of the ag- ricultural bloc. The same senators sliA4 meet often at lne Capper home, but the group has grown from two or three 10 more than score and in cludes democrats as well as repub. licans.
 Ere long there was added 10 the Capper group the senator from Iowa MT. Kenyon. Mir. Kenyon, a progres sive,s has been interested in the farmer. of course. and also. to marked extent, in uplift Legislation Nat. urally the group soon included az we'll. Senator Norris, of Nebraska, chairman of the agricultural commit tee, progressive and bitterly opposed apparently on general principle. to almost everything that Senator Pen. rose and his group advocate. Senator LaFollette of Wisconsin joined. So did Senator Ashurst. democrat. Of Arizona.
 Came also, impelled by the belief that the farmer was being crowded from the map by relief legislation for other classes, Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi, young. vigorous. new conner in the Senate and with big following of cotton growers.
 McCumber of North Dakota. cham pion of the soldier bonus. came over to the bloc on a single question, tax alton. Kellogg, of Minnesota. Me-