New-York tribune., 1922-11-06
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that the election of La Toilette or
Frazier couid mean indorsement by the
voters of Wisconsin or North Dakota
either of President Harding or of any
| possible Democratic candidate against
him. The same holds true to lesser
degree In the cases of the other Sena-
torial candidates named.
| The only general deduction possible
| Is that the country Is still inclined by
rather substantial majority to trust
| the Republican party rather than the
Democratic. This deduction is drawn
from the apparent certainty that the
Republicans will elect majority Of
the members OF the next House.
Reactions toward the Harding Ad-
ministration are widely different In
different sections of the country. In
New England even the Fordney- cCum-
ber tariff bill is popular. Even the
Democratic candidate for Senator in
attacking individual schedules Of the
tariff bill, has rather intimated that
the Democrats would have given an
equal amount of protection to Con-
necticut industries.
Through the North and Middle West,
beyond the Mississippi River, there is
great deal Of unrest and the people
are inclined very strongly to blame the
| Federal Administration. With very
heavy crops, the farmers find very low
| prices and nothing like enough freight
cars to ship their crops to market. At
the same time the bankers are pressing
! them for repayment Of loans, and the
result is that many of them are facing
ruin There Is dissatisfaction in the
far Northwest also because of the coal
| situation. No one seems to think that
the railroads have done a good job
| is very bitter feeling that the East
| has hogged moro than it's share of the
| freight cars.
| All Of these things result in bitter
resentment against the Federal Reserve
Board--which the farmers blame be-
cause the bankers are calling their
loans-vthe Esch- -Cummins railroad act,
which the farmers blame for the high
freight rates, and Wall Street. This Is
the explanation of the wave of appar-
ent radiea1ism which swept over this
section of the country in the primaries
Both Fan Resentment
There is no doubt that the Democrats
and some of the radical Republicans
who won in the primaries have profited
| by tanning this resentment. Both Dem
ocrats and radical Republicans are at
tacking the Esch Cummins law because
OF the popular impression that this law
guarantees dividends to railroad stock
holders. Both also have attacked vigor-
| ously the repeal of the excess profits
tax and the reductions Of the higher
surtaxes on individual incomes, saying
| nothing about the fact that the excess
profits taxes were amply passed on to
the consumers, and nothing about the
diversion of capital into tax-exempt
securities from active business, caused
by the higher surfaces.
County taxation indirectly is play
ing tremendous part in the election
or almost any state west of the Ohio
River. This is particularly true in
Ohio. Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska.
The farmers are paying more taxes by
far than they have ever paid before.
In most Of these states the state gov
ernment has increased the assessments
on property, and in practically no cases
have the counties marked down their
ieviess-t to conform with the increased
assessments In the instance Of Mis-
souri the state government actually
reduced the tstal amount Of money IL
took from its taxpayers by $1,000, 600.
However, in Missouri, the issue Of
increased taxes is proving just as po-
tent as it is In Nebraska, where, be-
cause Of new state buildings, an elabo-
rate road program and other extraordi-
nary expenses, the amount collected
by the state is actually much larger.
The voter simply knows, apparently.
that more money is being taken away
from him, and he is Just as apt to nut
the blame for this on President Hard
ing as on the county commissioner.
Indeed. he is far more likely to be
angered at his state government, which
increased the assessments, than at his
county commissioner.
Insists Europe Must Pay
On one thing the whole Middle
Western country is very much in ae-
cord and that is opposition to any
proposal to cancel the foreign debts to
the United States. Speeches demand.
ing payment always seemed to bring
hearty applause from the audiences
whether Democratic or Republican
The Middle Western country also is
very determinedly aganst the League
OF Nations and does not look with favor
upon any foreign "entanglements."
NO Democratic candidate is using
ehe League OF Nations as his campaign
issue. Senator Pomerene has carefuiIv
avoided it in Ohio, and nothing that
has occurred in that campaign has
caused so much CONSERVATION among
the Democrats and Joy among the Re.
publicans as Governor Cox's state
ment that the league would be an issue
two years hence. In Indiana ex-Gov-
ernor Ralston. the Democratic candi-
GATE for Senator, has carefully avoided
fght on international issues by re-
garaing the league as settled and ap-
treaty
The ship subsidy has very few
trends in the Middle Western country.
IN Nebraska, for example, both Hitch
COCK and Howell denounee it, and the.
evidences all point to very rough
road for this pet measure of the Hard
ing Administration when the specia,
session to consider it is convened.
Reed and Pomerene Strong
Ihe election of Reed in Missouri.
which is practically assured. viii be =
heavy blow to those who had hoped
the Democratic party in 1924 wo,,Id
stand on the Wilson foreign policies.
many Democrats believe that if Pomer-
enc Is elected In Ohio, as seems prob
nple, ne Is the logical candidate for
rresidsns IN 1924, especially as he took
middle of-the-road position on the
league The fact that Pomerene has
always been wet is interesting in this
connection, especially as Reed is also
Nefy y moist. s, Strangely enough, this
nliaale western country, which will
send both Of them back to the Senate
unless the signs fail. is actually very