The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-07-28

long known as a public ownership
man and pledged to vote against
Newberry in the reopening of the
scandal has won the republican NOM
nation for u S. Senator in Nebras
ka over Congressman Albert w. JEFF
ferries, G. O. P. republican. Howell
was $4,000 votes ahead of Jefferies in
1,74O of 1913 precincts of the. state.
Tactics similar to those used in
Iowa in the hope of defeating Brook
hart for the senate nomination there,
were used in Nebraska.
The re-actionaries persuaded Clar-
ence A. Davis, attorney general Of
the state, who has been considered a
progressive, to enter the race. AL
so C III. Gustafson, prominent Farm
Bureau Federation leader and head
of the u. S. Grain Growers, Inc, en-
tered to attract farmer votes away
from Howell and throw the nomina-
ton to Jefferies.
In Iowa men with something of a
1 progressive record, including Clifford
Thorne, attorney for the Farm Blu
eau Federation, entered the race to
draw votes from Brookhart. e~
/ In the latest count Jefferies was
only NOGGS 6Ailcdu VI DdNlS anu
i Gustafson was 1000 votes behind
Davis. Hence, these results show
weakness of the G. 0. ?. candidate as
surprising as was shown in the state
of Iowa The total anti-G. 0. Z. vote
for the office is over twice that Of the
vote for the G. 0. P. candidate, unless
one considers Gustafson also as e.
o. P. candidate.
Results also show that the progress
sives have won all of the nomination
for state offices with the possible ex-
ception of governor. For that office
McMullen the progressive candidate
has 47,492 votes to 47,374 for Randall,
the C. 0. P. candidate, in 1857 pre-
cincts out of 1913 in the state.
These results have smashed the
machine of Governor McKelvie who
has been one of the most notorious
anti Nonpartisan League leaders and
who during his term of Office has
condoned and failed to prosecute
practically as much mob violence as
did Governor Burnquist of Minnesota.
The Nonpartisan League organized
the state rather thoroughly two years
ago and the results of it's work was
apparent in the primary election.
AS public official of the city of
|. Omaha, Howell has made a great
success of it's water plant, light plant,
. and other public utilities of less I'M
portance. He ran for attorney gen.
, eral on the Nonpartisan League and
, labor ticket two years ago and his
I campaign in the present year was a
challenge to fundamental lines of ac-
. ton Of the G O. P. administration.
Jefferies, on the other hand, as a
congressman voted for the Esch-
Cun1nains act and otherwise supported
the regular Harding policy.
Howell's vote in the senate, with
those of Brookhart of Iowa and Fra
zier of North Dakota, will be suffi-
cient to reopen the Newberry case
and produce a majority for expulsion
:, COAL ANARCHY NOW
After much promise that the coal
: situation would be cleared up under
. threat of public operation, President
Harding suddenly turned about face
!. and told the coal operators to GO
, home and begin operations. That such
plan of action can give immediate
\ relief to the serious coal famine
ahead of US, probably only reaction
arv mind can understand. But to the
reactionary mind a coal famine might
Il be preferable to the one solution OF
s the problem that is available to the
American people.
Harding's handling of the coal stu
alton is likely to be considered one
of the most disastrous phases OF his
career as executive of the nation. Ov-
er three months have been lost since
i the operators refused to renew then
contracts with the miners on March
31st or to enter into any dealings
whatever with the union miners. The
situation should have been cleaned up
within a few days after it started II
i the American people as whole We're
to escape serious interference with
their slowly returning prosperity.
But for three months the admins
tration has listened to the absurd ex-
cuse of the coal operators that they
feared the operation of the antitrust
act if they met to work out a COM
mon agreement with their employees.
The belief is widespread that the coal
operators were anxious to produce a
coal famine and thus secure famine
prices for their coal. And it is OBJ
vious that they are interested IN
smashing union organization among
miners.
Under the latest administration
move, the operators returned home to
begin union smashing with more Wig
or than ever, with the implied prom
Use that the government will assist
in the process.
Thus, until the unions are smashed
or until the coal operators are ready
to yield to negotiations little or no
coal will be mined The railroads are
not hauling coal and are not equip
ped to carry all that we need when
production actually commences.
MICH. GOVERNORS TELEGRAM
Even granting that it is right and
proper to destroy union miners or
ganization and to debate them while
the rest of us are hoping for return
to prosperity, it is none the less a
practical fact that the miners have
considerable strength and that the
smashing affair If successful, would
give us little or no coal up until the
time that the snow begins to fly.
The president wired the governors