The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-27
Ia F0LLETTET TO
Be FACTOR IN
ILLINOIS
Likely to Get Many Farmer
Ballots in Strategic Sector,
Is Claim
By o. M. KILE.
fConYrirhf. 1a2AA


from which to go cunning for
farmers votes-votes which all
admit win play an important part,
perhaps a decisive part, in the
coming elections. All the more
prominent presidential possibilities
have offices or at least publicity
connections here and several others
who merely hope to be prominent
are represented.
Senator LaFollette's recent, entry
In the Chicago list Of campaignerS
- taken to mean not only that he
Is definitely in the presidential race
but that he will make a determined
stand In Illinois. Newton Jenkins,
Farm Bureau Federation who ran
for the Senatorial nomination on a
farmer-labor platform and succeeded
in annexing enough votes to bring
about the defeat Of Senator Nc
Cormick, sees the probability Of a
big LaFollette vote among Illinois
farmers.
Jenkins polled a hundred thous-
/ and votes down state and some
twenty thousand in the city of
Chicago. Jenkins bases his con-
illusions on the idea that since there
Is but little difference between the
programs Of the two old parties,
the protest" vote would go to
LaFollette. This, Jenkins thinks,
will be large next fall.
Houston Boom Is On.
One Of the newer boomlets is
that of the Honorable David Frank
lin Houston, Secretary of Agricul-
ture, and later Secretary of the
Treasury, during the Wilson admin.
iStration. While Mr.. Houston is ex.
pected to appeal to agricultural in.
terests because OF his former con-
nection with and service for agricul-
ture, yet as college president, bank.
er, economist and now a director
Of the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company, his interests are
represented as being sufficiently va.
r1ed to appeal virtually to all
classes.
But Mr.. Houston is not a vote
getter. In agricultural circles he is
remembered chiefly as a cold and
unapproachable proposition, difficult
to deal with. II the boom launched
In Mr.. Houston's behalf is expected
to draw nourishment from the farm
vote, 1t is very likely doomed to an
early death.
When former Congressman James
Good was put in charge of the
Western branch of the Coolidge
campaign at Chicago, it was under
stood that his purpose was to ''selr'
Coolidge to the farmer. Diligent
inquiry in that territory fails, how
ever, to disclose any progress along
that line. The general opinion
among farm leaders is that the
average farmer of the middle West
and West still looks upon Mr..
Coolidge as cold analytical minded
sort OF gentleman who regards the
western farmer and his troubles as
an interesting problem in econo.
mics, but to be viewed purely from
the academic viewpoint.
Uncertain on Coolidge.
They are inclined to look upon
Mr.. Coolidge's New England farm
experience as something of a back
yard garden affair and but poorly
qualifying him to understand and
sympathize with the present desper.
ate struggle SO many western farm
ers find themselves up against.
The idea prevails that Mr.. Coolidge
has never been West.
The above is written without re.
gard to the facts concerning Mr..
Coolidge's real knowledge and un.
derstanding- Of the agricultural sit.
uation. am merely reporting the
average farmers viewpoint and
pointing out that nothing visible
has been done in the Chicago terri.
tory to combat or overcome that
idea.
Perhaps gathering in the dele.
gates for Mr.. Coolidge was Mr..
Goods first job and now that this
has been so thoroughly accomplish.
cd he may soon find time to create
new Calvin Coolidge in the west.
crn rural mind.
Attitude Friendly.
But despite the feeling that Presi
dent Coolidge is a stranger to them
and the problems, there is a very
friendly feeling just now for Mr..
Coolidge on the farm. This comes
as a result of his program of
economy. An Unexpectedly large
number OF farmers were against
the soldier bonus. They like the
Idea of the Presidents "tax reduc.
ton program" without understand
ing the relative merits of the Mel.
lon bill and the Simmons bill any
better than most folks do. They
| are for anything and anyone who
Ii making fight ror economy.
The farmer has himself practiced
econocy so rigidly during the past
Ehree years that he has very
warm feeling for anyone who moi