New-York tribune., 1922-01-29

New Party Seem
Some Leaders
Are Alarmed
Members Of RIocs Declare
Work Will React to the
Good Of Entire Nation:
Farmers Forced Acton.


tural bloc. He prefers to avoid the
bloc system Of legislation or Congrcv
siona action, bat now aad then he votes
for measures sponsored BY the bloc.
A number OF similar eases might bc
cited.
Response of the bloc leaders to the
charge that the system is un-Amcfican
and wrong i that Congress for years
has been organized into tariff groups.
railroad groups, labor groups and so
on. and that the farmers arc simply
doing what other interests have done.
One effect Of the activity Of The agri-
cultural bloc has been TO ovcrworN
the word "boc.' Opponents Of Sena-
tor Newbcrry. Of Michigan, for in
stance, charged in the Senate while his
fight was on that the social "bloc" q
Washington was conducting a campaign
in his behalf.
Senator Kenyon. chairman Of the
Senate agricultural organization. re-
ferring to the purposes Of the farm
bloc, said:
"Thc bloc has been much misrcpre-
sentcd II is simply an attempt to
bring about unified action Of agrcu4-
tural members to accomplish things IA
legislation which arc necessary for the
farmers. It is not a movement which
is hostile to the public Il is an a..
tempt to get square deal in Wash
ngton for the farmers and for the
agricultural industry made by men VINO
realize that unless agriculture pros
pcrs the whole nation suffers. 1t IL
not an attempt to get class legislation
on class governmental action, and II
is as much in the interest Of the con
sumcr. the merchant, the business man
and everybody else to put the agricul-
tural industry on sound basis as j.
is in the interest of the farmer
Representative Dickinson. chairman
of the House bloc said
The demand for legislation upon
the part of agriculture has been sane.
1t has rot sought undue advantage for
the farmer or TO rean revenge upon any
industry. 1t is only plain effort OF
the West and the agricultural sections
and their representatives, in the Ser
ate and House to meet the needs OF lhe
agricultural sections and to protect
them BY such legislation as WIZ pre-
vent their being ground to pieces bs
g
ton both far-rcaching and selfish. Only
by unified effort can the agricultural
interests OF this country be placed L.
position in which they belong
Secretary Of Agriculture Wallace ss-
cvnced much sympathy for the aims,
Of the agricultural bloc He has at
tended one or rofe meetings o. tn.
Senate bloc; so has Secretary Of Com
merce Hoover latter'y. there are cvi-
dcnces that Administration political 4
leaders are becoming disposed to the
! view that instrad Of fighting the bloc
il viii be wiser to coun,cnancc il and
help along the measures it wants. OF,
at least, some of them. The fact has not
escaped attention here that Tho NJ
tional Republican," which is practically
an official publication OF the Republi-
can National Committee has spoken
kindly Of the bloc Oftentimes il is
suggested that the farm bloc in Con
gress and the powerful farmers organ
zatons which are backing i. up may
prove to be the beginning OF d great
third party movement Regular poli'i-
clans dream dreams and sec visions and
portcnts Of a political storm gathering
its clouds in the west. sometime AKIN.
to the Populist party movement Of the
''os. Their forebodings VIII probably
not be realized, though the possibility
cannot be overlooked by those who un-
derstand the conditions to-day In the.
agricultural sections.
President Hardng's political advisers
have not overlooked the possibilities in
| that direction and the calling Of tn.
recent national conference on acr,cul-
tural problems is an effort to demon.
strate to the farmers of the country
that their welfare does not depend By
any means entirely on the agricultural
bloc, but that it is a subject close to
the heart of the administration and Of
the Republican party