The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-13
THE APPOINTMENT OF KENYON

President Hardings most effective
move so far against the agricultural
bloc was his appointment of Senator
William s. Kenyon, republican Iowa,
the leader of the bloc, to a federal cir
cult judgeship, thus taking the Ken"
out OF the Ken Cap Khan" as Senator
Pat Harrison wittily put 1t. In point
Of ability, high character and public
service rendered, Senator Kenyon
measures up fully to the appointment.
but there are other phases of the mat
ter upon which public opinion will not
be so well agreed.
From the viewpoint Of reactionary
"old guard politics, the president can
| be credited with a piece of adroit
strategy in his efforts to destroy the
agricultural bloc by Turing away its
| leader with the one prize upon which
| it was known his ambition was set.
| II is a serious, but not an irreparable
only group, except the democrats, who
have shown any real leadership in this
! congress. Their greatest danger now
| Is that others may not be any more
| proof against temptation to leave their
| farmer constituency in the lurch than
was Senator Kenyon, and the president
\ has many attractive Offices yet TO be
| filled.
"A crisis exists in the agricultural in
| dustry, but this is not the crisis with
which President Harding is dealing;
his concern is about the crisis which
| exists in the republican party. The
strength of the agricultural bloc has
| developed to a point where that group,
standing together, can CONTROL legisla-
1 - ~, he
democrats All the indicated policies
of the Harding administration are that
legislation shall be controlled by the
reactionary group, coming from that
section described by Congressman
! Madden, republican chairman of the
house appropriations committee, as
north of the Ohio river and east OF
the Mississippi"
For the reactionary block to triumph
il is necessary TO destroy the agricul-
tural bloc or weaken il to a point oil
in effectiveness. In open contest with
the ''old guard" the Agricultural bloc
can come off victor at any time, but
the appointment of Senator Kenyon
raises the question whether or not they
are proof against the most insidiou:
form of republican strategy-the Sc
ductive temptation of federal jobs anc
places OF power? Whether or not they
will sacrifice the interests of the agri.
cultural section to their own weak
nesses or personal ambitions?
Senator Kenyon's appointment il
aimed directly at the agricultural in
terests as well as at the insurgent re
publicans themselves. The senator had
given notice that he would speak or
the Newberry case in all his public
addresses. AS a spokesman of the
progressives, as a scourge of the reac
tionaries, IS an eloquent voice of tbs
agricultural interests, he has been anC
would have continued TO be one of the
most powerful influences in the land
Federal judges do not make public
speeches on the Newberry case or re
dictionaries or on any of the subjects
OF legislation which the agriculture
interests are demanding. Senator Ken
yon has been effectually silenced.
Senator Kenyon's colleagu all ap'
prove OF him as a fit man for The
bench: the bench itself and the bal
will approve of him; even the reac-
tionaries. who are always willing Il
make any sacrifice for party advan.
tages. while secretly rsgretting thai
important lifelong offices should 60
10 party insurgents, viii openly assem-
TO the appointment.
But what Will be the attitude Of that
great class CT agriculturists OF whom
Senator Kenyon has been the spoles.
man and the champion? What VII
the farmers thInk-and say?
When a young man asks a girl to