Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-26
BY MARK SULLIVAN

meaning quito as definite a. the terms
Republican Party" or Democratic
Party" In fact, those senators who
compose the center Of the farm bloc
and give 1t leadership and guidance
come together more often ana act to-
gether more solidly than do the Repuh-
lican senators Of the Democratic sena-
tors. Further yet. the farm bloc IL
undeniable a growing institution. Its
strength and prestige increases with
every issue that Gomez up.
The leadership of the Republican
party, which 10 supposed to dominate
the senate but does not. IL In state
OF constant yielding to the farm bloc.
President Harding and q meanber Of
his cabinet. Secretary Weeks, have III
public addresses spoken critically of
this form OF group action in congress,
but the Republican leaders within the
senate and house do not fight 1t. At
least, they do not fight 1t vigorously
or successfully. Their more frequent
and obvious tendency IL to lie. II have
It's way. Just now. as the impoI tant
tariff Legislation is about to emerge
from the senate finance committee, 1t
is apparent that Senator Penrose does
not feel strong enough to take any
course other than largely to lie, the
farm bloc writc whatever tariff 1t
chooses to write.
Since this is new and important
institution in American politics, it will
be interesting and useful to consider
the story of its inception and growth.
For that purpose. the best possible be-
ginning \. brier statement of busi,
ness conditions in the farming states
from which these senators and con-
gressmen come, and whose economic
and political ideas they represent. For
such a statement there is no source
more authoritative or compact than to
quote few detached sentences from
tho Just issued annual report of Sec
retary Henry Wallace Of tho depart
ment of agriculture Secretary Wal
lace paints this picture OF the farm
ing conditions which have caused the
senators and congressman from farm
ing states to seek economic remedies
thru government action, and to act to-
gether politically toward that end. He
says:
The purchasing power OF the prin-
cipal farm crops of the year 1921 at
the present time is lower than ever be-
fore known. In times past some OF
per sale unit expressed in dollars and
cents. but probably never before have
our farmers generally been compelled
to exchange their crops per sale unit
for such small amounts OF the things
they need.
THE Improbable year Of 1920 COM
PEELED largo numbers OF farmers to
borrow heavily to meet excessive costs
of production, which could not bc paid
out OF crop proceeds. Tho unprece-
dented drop in prices of farm products
in 1920 came as a stunning surprise to
the majority OF farmers. They had sx-
pectcd some decline, but nothing %
severe as what actually happened
Consequently for time they tried to
avoid heavy sacrifice and continued
their borrowing. Their bankers shared
their belief that the situation would
adjust itself and were willing to lend,
but prices went lower, and these loans,
together with loans previously made.
soon added volume to that mass OF
frozen credit of which we have heard
SO much talk during the past year.
During the prosperous years land
rents went up rapidly, doubling and
trebling, and in some cases going even
higher. 1t was human nature that
renters should prefer to pay cash rent
in time Of good farming profits. The
drop In prices for crops in 1920 caused
many of these renters to lose not only
their labor for that year but their
savings as we'll.
Many young farmers who had saved
several thousand dollars during the
prosperous years were induced to buy
farms on contract at the price peak
making small payments down with
provision for yearly payments of in
terest and on the principal on pain
OF forfeiture of all sums previously
paid. The sadly Improbable year OF
ls2O wiped out thousands Of these fine
young men and the even worse year
Of 1921 will finish more of them"
Those were, and are, the conditions
which caused the senator's and con-
grcssmen from the states most affect
cd to be acutely responsive to the
needs of their constituents. Those
were the conditions which brought the
farm bloc into being. 1t was purely
a case of political action growing out
of economic conditions There was
ncvsr nything in politics more spon-
tancous, more natural or more sin
Cere.
l do not know just what particular
senator took the initiative. 1t Is clear,
however, that from the beginning the
acknowledged leader OF the movement
was, and is. Senator William S. Ken
yon OF Iowa. Another senator closely
associated with Kenyon in leadership
is Capper OF Kansas. FROM these two
outward to the fringcs OF the group
there are "A number OF senators who
PaTIclpate IN varying degrees IN the
and counscla
Among the Rcpublicans-and for the
moment l am speaking OF the Repub-
licans on1y-practically all are from
states west of the Mississippi. The
only Republican senator's from east of
the mississippi who have had much
in the movement arc the
two from Wisconsin, La Toilette and
Lcnroot. La Folette is, by choice and
practice, solitary maverick in poll
tics. About the last thing he would do
would be to subscribe to group action
or to obligations of teamwork that
might impair his complete liberty OF
action in any contingency. Ncvcrthc-
less, it is fact that La Toilette has
shared most of the steps taken by tho
farm bloc. Lcnroot who is one of the
ablest men ia the senate, has a posi-
tion considerably farther toward the
outer fringe OF the movement. BY
1t