The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-16
In State Politics
THEY SEE CHANCE
Democrats Must Convince the
Farmers of Kansas.
Place All Recent Troubles on
Republican Shoulders.
BY A. l.. sHuLrz

If hypnotics and a bit of slight of
hand works well in the rural districts
the Democrats see a chance in the
November election. If the farmers can
be convinced that the Republican state
and congressional candidates are re-
sponsible for the car shortage, the in
ability of local banks to loan more
money and the uncertainty of grain
market it looks like a Bourbon chance
next month.
There won't be much Democrat
campaigning in the towns during the
next few weeks. A few celebrities may
stop in the railroad centers to tell of
the tniquities of a Republican congress
and the shortcomings of the Harding
administration. But the real hunt for
converts will be out in the wheat belts
and down in the COW country.
Apparently the Democrats are
thoroly convinced that the labor vote
is nailed down tight for the Bourbon
ticket. If it should be necessary to
trim the postage stamp appropria tons
the shop workers and the coal miners
will be the first to be dropped from
mailing lists at Democrat state head
quarters. But every bit of literature
that sounds like a clincher will go to
the folks out on the farm. If extra
pressure should be necessary in the
labor precincts during the final days
of the campaign, Democrat leaders are
certain that it will merely be necessary
to mention the Industrial court or the
Daugherty injunction to stir up the
old fire of hatred of Republican candi-
dates.
Depends on Farmer Vote.
1t is out in the country that the
science of hypnotism must not fail.
tho, if the Democrats are to make
gains in November. Unless the farmer
vote comes in strong the cause hasn't
a chance.
There is where slight of hand work
counts. The farmer isn't exactly wild
about the labor union thing. He had
big consignment of experience with
the 1. W. w. and the radical labor
union leaders who wanted to charge
him a dollar an hour for gathering his
wheat crop. 1t won't help the Bourbon
campaign to explain to the farmer
that a slap at the Republican ticket
would be playing the labor union
game. So the Democrat campaigners
are out to show the crop growers that
it was a Republican president, Re-
publican congress and a Republican
governor that caused the car shortage
and the present slump in many rural
banks. 1t isn't at all likely that any
of the Democrat literature will place
the blame on the railroad shop strike
Republican leaders will make a
straight Harding endorsement cam
paign and will advocate the industrial
court idea They hope to show the
farmers a few of the Democrat bugs
under the little political chips. In the
next two weeks the Republicans will
probably dive into a req hot publicity
campaign. On the other hand the
Democrats are relying on the still
hunt system to win the election.
In order to retain their normal ma
jorities~ the. Republicans must con-
vince the farmers that influences and
interests hostile to the Republican
party have been responsible for the
trouble on the farm. The Democrats
must play an entirely different sys-
tenn to win. 1t is up to them to con-
vince the farm voter that his ills will
be cured by the election Of a Demo-
crat governor or az few Democrat
congressman. In performing the feat
the Bourbon state headquarters will
tackle the delicate task of magnifying
the farmer woes without permitting
him to secure an introduction to the
counter town interests with which he
has SO long been on hostile terms.