Evening star., 1922-10-24
WA.RUMBL|NG
j WITH INSURGENCY
=
Brookhart, Republican Nom
inee, Is Frankly Anti
Harding.
LOOK FORWARD TO 1924
Change of Administration Policy to
Aid for Farmers Held Vital
to Success.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

10 unset the Taft administration and
contributed so greatly to the third
party movement of 1912. And Iowa
today shows some symptoms OF the
same mood. She is in a deVll-may-
care attitude about the administra-
tion in Washington.
Take, for instance. President Hard
ings letter to Representative Mon
dell, in which the President didn't ex-
plicitly appeal for the reelection OF
a republican Congress. but in which
he praised the work of Congress and
virtually made a bid for the nations
support. To many in Iowa this seemed
the same thing tina, Woodrow VIII
son did in his famous election ap-
peal of 1918. Apropos of the fact that
Mr. Harding didn't mention the cleo
ton in so many words. the Sioux City
Tribune. an Independent newspaper
which was one of the group which
showered it's praises on Theodore
Roosevelt and helped him sweep
Iowa, has this to say about Mr..
HardingS election appeal:
Paper Questions Motive.
'-The President praised the repub-
lican Congress and the republican ad-
ministration on the eve of an election,
but he is not appealing for the re-
election of that republican Congress.
No, certainly not He praises the re-
publican Congress at this time be.
cause he wants socialistic Congress.
The difference between Mr.. Wilson
election appeal and that Of Mr.. Hard
ing's. if there is one, has been lost
on this constituency. 1t Is interest
ing, however, as one canvaSSes opin-
ion hereabouts to find that there are
as many people who think Mr.. Hard
ing has as much right to appeal for
the election of a republican congress
as did Mr.. Wilson for 4 democratic
Congress, or Mr.. Taft for republican
Congress. MIR. Mckinley did the same
thing as Mr.. Harding-he wrote a
letter which sought to accomplish
what President Wilson did in 1913.
namely, win a working majority IN
the national legislative body. so the
last two years of his term wouldn
be obstructed.
Oppose Republican Commission.
There is another and perhaps more
striking view. and 1t may explain the
disappointment of those republicans
who feel Mr.. Harding committed the
same blunder as Mr.. Wilson. They
seem to feel that the Chief Executive
of the United States Is President of
all the people and not political
y
must eschew partisan politics. This
same element voices disapproval in
the same connection of Mr.. Harding
appointment of five republicans to the
comm ssion which is to handle the
funding Of the entire war debt owed
this country by the allies. That. 1t is
contended, was a war matter and was
not a partisan affair. that democrats
helped to support liberty loans as did
republicans and that to deny the mi
rNN IN ~
a negotiation which might even mean
reduction of the war debt. is to do ex-
actly what so many criticized Mr..
Wilson for doing. though. to be sure.
there was at least a gesture OF ap-
pointing one republican on the peace
mission to Paris. There are no demo-
Gratis or independents on the funding
commission-it's all republican.
Phases of Mr.. Harding's administra-
ton like these are not necessarily the
hasic reasons for dissatisfaction. but
they add to the sum total of impress
sions.
Brookhart Anti-Hardfng.
Col. Brookhart, republican nominee
for United States senator. says openly
he is against Mr.. Harding. yet there
are to be found such men as Senator
Medill Mccormick of Illinois and
others campaigning for him. Mr.. NC
Cormick's re ationship is one that takes
one back to 1912, for he was one Of
the Roosevelt leaders. So was Brook
hart. That makes the Illinois senator
friendly to the Brookhart cause. The
turn of affairs in Illinois this year has
practically cinched Mr. McCormick's s
opportunity for reelection two years
hence so he need not worry about his
own state, but he is out in this sec
tion of the west helping Roosevelt
man in NebraSka-R. B. Howell-and
another in Iowa.
These former Roosevelt men are
somehow sticking together even in
a campaign, which has no particular
national fundamentals involved. It's
all a personality affair. The radicals.
or insurgents, in the republican party
are coming together. however, and 1t
may or may not mean something for
1924.
Criticize, But Fail to Suggest.
Tales of lack of leadership in WASH
cism of a drifting Congress. 1t can
hardly be said that the uissatisfac-
tion has crystallized any alternative
policies. The viewpoint Is decidedly
negative. None of the candidates, not
even the esteemed Brookhart. out
lines any positive program for the
administration to adopt.
The signs of revolt are unmistak
able though to be sure they are tor
the moment confined to Iowa The
rural communities are sullen. Freight
rates haven't gone down, the prices
of farm products are low and the
tariff hasn't helped boost those prices,
though it has made higher the COM
modities and implements which the
farmer must buy.
Talk of Mr.. Harding's renomina-
tion usually brings out predictions
of contest from this part of the
country. Typical of this comment
is a recent editorial in the Des Moines
Register. an independent newspaper,
which says:
Revolt In West Seen.
The record discloses that COM
paratively few men have been re-
elected. although generally first.term
Presidents renominated. The prospect
hat a denomination now might operate
Is the denomination Of Taft operated IL
hot pleasing. and yet nothing Is surer
fhan a revolt in the west II some.
thing is not done to change the pres
rnt program"
This comes from a paper which is
said to have had more influence in
the victory of Col. Brookhart in the
republican primaries for United
States senator than any other news
paper IN the state.
Farmer. Want Hfxher Prices.
Whatever viewpoint one may wish
to take Of the importance Of Iowa's
Insurgency, this much Is clear -t the
state fs not excessively fond Of the
Harding administration and IL ready
to join a revolt against 1t in 1924, un-
less the next two years sees q more
decisive policy which will help the
farmer sell his products either here
or abroad at a higher price. Prosper
ity has won many elections-and the
lack of 1t has brought many defeats.
That's the coming issue In Iowa,
where the election Of Brookhart ts q,