Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-10
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

Senator Ladd is an agricultural
chemist. For many years he practiced
his profession of chemistry in the
North Dakota College of Agriculture.
He Is an authority on fertile soils and
pure milk.
During the last few years North
Dakota farmers have given thought
to socialistic schemes to cut out mid
dlemen and make closer connection
between producer and consumer. They
organized the Non-Partisan League
the most partisan party in America
a farm bloc based on single tax and
socialism, which took over the state
government and most of the powers
OF the state and county; started a
state bank to handle all state and
county funds, bought a state mill to
grind wheat, and subsidized a string
or county papers to grind public opin-
ion, and bought or built state eleva-
tors to store grain. There were other
state activities, but practically all
failed, banks went into bankruptcy,
mills ceased to grind at a profit, ele-
Vators elevated costs rather than
grain, farmers taxes were increased
more than public service corporation
taXes-and then Chemist Ladd one of
the prime movers in the state "econo-
mics, was elected to the Senate.
X X X
Now Senator Ladd wants all the
churches of Washington and else
where to reform-quit talking so
much about religion, for that is too
old q story, and take up economics,
which he finds more novel and thrill
ing. Recent converts are often most
jealous
The senator points to the alleged
fact that in Washington 200 churches
are attended on Sunday by a total of
5000 worshipers, while 40 moving pic
to his mind. the failure of the
churches.
Our men in the pulpit" said Sena-
tor Laid, need to put more time and
energy into study of the economic
situation now confronting the nation.
SO as to understand the problems OF
the people to whom they must minis
ter"
1.-THE church will have no just cause
of complaint of lack of attendance
| until it breaches great moral ques-
tons of the day in an intelligent man
| ner," declares the chemist
Presumably, then, when the preach
ers cease to discuss the sickness OF
| the soul and take up diagnosis of the
Ills of statecraft and business and in
ternational diplomacy, they will be
| offering the hungry public the en-
llghtenment it needs. Then, If the
public fails to appreciate it, SO much
| the worse for the ignorant public
The preacher will have done his part
and IL the public, even then, prefers
Jackie Coogan or Douglas Fairbanks
they don't know what's good for them
and well deserve their fate. What
| the public should crave is a puIpi,
lecture on economics-like a Senate
| tariff debate.
IS the way, and few there be thai
1t is suggested that only a man
who has spent years of research and
study in chemistry Is fitted to teach
chemistry. The preparation for the
ministry involves as many years of
devoted study to the fundamentals OF
| religion as does the study of chem
istry. In the final analysis of life
which study Is of greatest weight?
Imagine a preacher going into the
North Dakota Agricultural College
classes that what farmers need is not
| a knowledge of the chemistry of the
soil. or of their growing crops. for
| all that was known of chemistry a
century ago is now cast aside as
error or half-truth. Not until the
college chemist throws out his mortar
and pestle and retort, and gets down