Evening star., 1923-08-22
Politics at Large
BY N. o. MESSENGER.


President Coolidge has been In Of
flee three weeks and 1t is interest
ing to observe the Psychology of the
public toward him and the adminis-
tration. 1t is not exact to refer to
new administration" for such 1t is
not, although there Is a new Presi-
dent.
For the first few days after the
death of President Harding the pub
lie was all eagerness to know what
the future would bring in the way or
possible changes in policies, per-
sonnel and administration. Today
the public appears entirely satisfied.
is going about it's business or Its
pleasure and recreation, it's golfng
and its mountain and seashore visit
ing, content to let the capital and
the government going their gait.
Undoubtedly this psychological
condition, which makes for peace and
contentment and which is peculiarly
observable in Washington, where the
daily lives Of, so many thousands are
bound. up in the governmental work,
can be attributed to President Cool
idge's almost instantaneous an
nouncement upon taking up the presi-
doncy that he would carry On with
the Harding policies and would
seek to retain the administrative
personnel.
The whole hearted and sincere ac-
ceptance by the cabinet of the Presi-
dents invitation to remain at their
posts accentuated the general feel
ing of relief. The last one. Secre-
he will stick. The National Capital,
shaken more than any other COM
munity by the death of the Chief
Executive. is resuming its normalcy,
still mourning Mr. Harding. but glad
that the government at Washington
still lives"
Politicians are disposed to believe
that the low price OF wheat, which is
causing genuine distress to the farmers,
will not be made a political issue to be
raised by them against the party in
power, although 1t will be by the
democrats. The farmers are said to
be taking a reasonable view of their
plight. not blaming it upon politics
nor claiming that IL can be cured by
legislation. They are realizing, 1t is
reported, that the effect iSe due to
natural and economic causes. to world
conditions and to an oversupply both
here and abroad.
One of the chief spokesmen in
Congress for the farmerS-Senator
Capper of kansas-has said that the
farmers of his state recognize that
there is no way to relieve their con-
dition by legislation and are attribut-
ing 1t to oversupply
President Coolidge. Immediately
after taking office. evidenced his in
terest in the farmers and their dis
tress and caused it to be known that
he and the administration would do
anything which appeared on the sur
face to be practicable, but did not
see what could be done by either
Legislation or administrative act.
The President is maintaining his
interest in the affairs of the farmers,
and Ii is known that he has closely
questioned many of his callers as to
their views of what can be done to
afford relief One Of his recent call
ers-a prominent republican leader OF
Minnesota-is understood to have
told MIN of the situation in that state
following the massacre of the repub-
licans In the special senatorial cleo
tion last month, representing IL as
showing the farmers to be threshing
out their troubles along philosophical
! lines.
- 4
The democratic national mana gers
taking advantage Of the distress of
the farmers to blan. 1t all on the
tariff. forecasting their expected pol
icy of making the republican protec
tive tariff a leading issue in the
campaign next year; The latest out
put from the publicity bureau of the
democratic national committee COM
mentS in aggressive tone upon the
tariff. seeking to hold it accounta BILE
for all the farmers sufferings. Quot
ing n bulletin from the Department
of Agriculture as saying that the ag-
riCultural depression is due TO the
dispar rity between the prices of farm
products and the prices Of necessaries
the farmer buys, the democratic ma
tional committee says: 1T is not the
function of the Department of Agri-
culture to explain this discrepancy
between the prices the farmer gets
for what he produces and the cost of
what he consumes. There is an ex-
PLANTATION. however, and that is the
profiteerS' tariff
The protection voted to the farm
er was upon agricultural products
which had to be sold in whole or in
part in foreign markets and at prices
fixed by the inexorable law of supply
and demand. While the agricultural
producer was selling under a tariff
that didn't benefit him, he was also
buying certain commodities-food
stuffs. clothing. oil, hardware, i'm
plements, building material. etc,
which were protected by duties run
ming from 10 to $50 per cent. These
duties have been reflected on the
price tags Of all the farmer has
been purchasing for the comfort and
convenience of his nome, for his own
and his familys health, and for the
maintenance and operation of his
farm"
Here is another paragraph from the
democratic national committee s
statement, indicating the prospective
trend OF their utterances in appealing
to the farmers to leave the republican
party: 'It is terrible as republican
leaders see it for farmers to urge
Congress to help agriculture, but it
is wise and patriotic to give special
favors to combines like the steel
trust. the wool trust, the sugar trust
and the shipping trust"
The democrats are out for blood in
the next campaign, they say. and do
not intend to use soft phrases.
y +
The reports coming to Washington
are that while the proposal for legis-
latiye fixing of the price of wheat
still appeals to a proportion of farm
ers, the number Is constantly dimin-
ishing as the farmers read and listen