Evening star., 1923-07-27
Midwest s'Grouch'' Unjustified,
Say Observers Of Situation
Position OF Farmers Is Fundamentally
Sound, According to Big Chicago
Banker and Others.

night reduce the buying power of the
'boring mans dollar in terms of
rood. The fundamental prob
rem is to take farm products off the
International market and raise them
TO price as far above pre-war as
Ganized labor help? If not. there is
nc use talking about farmer-Iabor
alliance under present conditions"
Reasons for Revolt.
This writer concludes at Chicago
today months survey of politico-
economic conditions in Illinois. Mis-
souri,, Kansas. Colorado. Wyoming.
Minnesota. North Dakota, South Da-
kota. Nebraska and Iowa. The sur
vey was undertaken at a moment
that turned out to be more psyche
logical than was expected. 1t syn
chronized with the outbreak of the
so-called agrarian revolt in the west,
as eXemplifed by the Minnesota
senatorial election. Men thought the
farmer-labor rebellion" had reached
Its zenith with the elections of No
vember. 1922. Yet Magnus Johnson
jority. compared with the $4,000 by
which Shipstead won eight months
earlier. What is the lesson which
the troublous state of affairs in the
midwest teaches?
To this observer. certain definite
conclusions seem justified. They may
best he set down in tabular form:
l. President Harding's trip through
the southwest and northwest, during
the last ten days of June and the
questionably personal success" The
people who saw him warmed" to the
President. their liking being perhaps
deeper than outward demonstrations
would indicate.
2. The Presidents speeches on is
raj O
morale" of the farmers. They see
little new hope in promise of more
rural credits" or any prospect of
radical freight rate reductions-their
paramount issue-in the administra-
t1on's plan for railroad consolidation.
3. Mr.. Harding's projection of the
cooperative mark keting idea is popu-
lar with the farmers. who look to
such system with great hopefulness
Constructive efforts by the admins
tration In the cooperative direction
might go far toward rehabilitating
its prestige in the disaffected west.
4. The republican tariff is anath-
ema In the rural regions. Gov. Preus
rejection of ii in the Minnesota cam
paign was typical and significant
The west regards it an eastern
tariff" manufactured largely in and
for New England and containing only
meaningless sops to the farmer.
Aid of Warrington.
8. The farmer expects Washington
to come to his relief-speedily and
effectively. He has no very we'll
dehned or concrete plans for bringing
1t about Some farmers want federal
price stabilization; some want federal
grain storage, pending market re-
ihanilitation; mar ni.on; some fn0t many think
salvation; some think good will come
magically from repeal of the Esch-
Cummins law; some (the more radi-
caD demand the smashing" of the
federal reserve system. All want
action.
s. On the basis of farm conditions
as they are today, 1t seems doubtful
that Warren G. Harding in 1924 could
carry Missouri. Kansas, Colorado,
wyoming, Minnesota. the Dakotas or
Nebraska. He would probably pull
through anyhow in Iowa and Illinois.
He might not even be able to capture
those states If Henry Ford should be
his opponent. either on the demo-
cratic or an independent ticket.
Z. The Ford movement" in the
west. unorganized on the surface, is
undoubtedly in progress. An an
nounced candidacy on the part of the
motor magnate would certainly cause
the movement to flare into a sub
sections. into an almost Irresistible
one. The farmers are not impressed
by Fords lack of political training.
Many of them think 1t is an asset
They'll tell you they've had their fill
and more than their fill. of "the poll
ticians' and cannot possibly do worse
with business man. When Uncle
Henry gives the word, thousands of
western farmers will cry: Lets gor'
8. 1t may be that the radicalism
now boiling up in the west may re-
dound to Warren G. Harding's politi-
cal advantage. If there are arrayed
against him in 1924 three pronounced
labeled progressives or radicals like,
say, McAdoo, Ford and La Toilette
the President may stand forth as the
country's sure shield" He may be
singled out as the one safe and sane
candidate to whom the Overwhelming
mass of the American people, con-
servative by temperament. can turn
in an hour full of radical menace
Events may shape. in other words. so
that Mr.. Harding's captivating per-
sonality, plus an invincible conserva-
tism, will be the factors to tell in his
favor and triumphantly re-elect him
Copyright 1929