The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-03-19
OUT OF THEIR ELEMENT.

OUT OF THEIR ELEMENT.
AS the Washington Post says, j
seems that the wisdom of sticking t.
ones last is difficult to learn. 1t ii
a common failing of humans who
have won fame to attempt to shin,
from some other fact than that will
which they have attracted the public
eye. Those who, by scientific attain
ments and inventions, have won the
worlds admiration and whose light
est words on those subjects carry
conviction are too often prone to lay
aside their lasts and run after econ
omic subjects. Industrial magnates
who by achievements have reached
high place and whose utterances on
their own speciality are listened to
with closest attention appear unwilI-
ing to let it go at that and persist
in talking on political subjects with
pathetic results.
While some persons have strayed
with good effect, from the fields in
which they won distinction, they are
the. exceptions that prove the rule.
Paderewski successfully negotiated
the. shift from piano stool to chair
of state in Poland. Some others have
shown themselves worthy of atten-
ton and respect for accom> lishments
outside of their life work and have
spoken with authority on other sub
jects than their specialties. But their
names do not make long list. Gen
orally those who stray out of their
own fields merely weaken their hold
on. public esteem.
- "a -
WHERE THE FARMER IS STUCK.
DR.. Gephart, dean of the College of |
Commerce and Finance of Washington |
university, has life contract on his
hands if he expects to make the far J,
mers believe that the rising price of |
land is the chief cause of their
troubles, says the st. Louis Star,
which, nevertheless, declares that the
professors contention is the unques-
tionable truth. The farmers would
have come through the period of de-
preston with no more trouble than
any other business man if prosperity
had not inflated land values, says the
Star.
,EEaar1y in the war, when wheat
scared to So bushel and other
crops went up correspondingly, 500
an acre farms began to sell for $3.50
Or $780, In some of the richest tracts
Of the corn belt 5000 land went as
high as $500 an acre. Farms were
sold right and left. The owner of a
quarter section would buy another 100 :
acres from his neighbor and mortgage
he 500 acres for more than the en- ,
ire purchase price of it before the
,oom
But this inflated capitalization was
Justified only by inflated prices
When prices came down the
stayed up-it was held I
Up by the mortgage. The farmer I
ound that $4,000 farm was mort
ragged for $4,000 and he had moth
ng to do in life but to pay interest =
n it. :
The rise in price of farm lands is :
cry sweet, for the land owner who :
ellis in time, but it is slavery or !
ankruptcy for the fellow who gets (
tuck with the land when prices be-
in to fall
~ ~ ~
1t is finally announced, from sources =
hitch cannot be questioned, that .
resident Harding will be a candi- .
ate to succeed himself AS a matter 4
fact that is the only thing the &
resident could do. He must stand J
: fall on his record, which has prob
ply been as good, under the condi- =
ons, as any other man could have -
ade. He was confronted with stag e
,ring problems. Some have been e
lived satisfactorily, and some haven't x
ZEN solved. In some cases the judg- :
ent of the president and his adj Z
sors was not backed up by congress
Itch occasioned embarrassment for -
e executive. II the republican party -
MT put Harding across it would be -
possible to put anyone else across. 4.
is the reconstruction president and :
all depends upon whether the peo-
stop to consider the problems
ich have confronted him, and the -
,gress made toward solving them, -
just vote blindly with the idea that -
, sort of change will wipe out =.