Evening star., 1924-09-28
Seen as '@H0ss Race"
Between e.. q. p. and La Toilette
Republicans Fear OuercOnfidence o,,
Part of Campaign Chiefs Biggest
Obstacle to Success IL, State.


to some extent to n better balancing
OF farming operations Minnesota has
reduced her wheat acreage in the last
Is years from 3.276.000 down to 1877
900 acres. Corn acreage has more
than doubled. while oats and flax
have nearly doubled. Potatoes have
increased from 223. 900 acres To ss'.-
000"
Minnesota farms now average only
11S acres OF pIowed land: In Illinois
the average is 115 acres. Small farms
mean intensive farming, which re
Quires intensive agricultural knoWl-
edge. Large farms mean Expansive
farm:ng-mainly one-crup agricul-
ture. gambling with the weather and
holding 1t and the Government re-
sponshle when crops fail.
1t was in North Dakota where the
Non-partisan League began in 1915,
under c. A. Townley's guidance, to
socialize the State. with a State bank,
State flour mill, State packing plant
and State elevators. and with Sena-
tors Ladd and Frazier. representing
farmers If SovietiSm ever arrives in
this country. North Dakota will be
its Plymouth Rock. There the farms
have increased in size, for the farm
ers are expansive and socialisticslly
optimistic, though most of their State
This year they are happy with good
crops and good prices and the less
said about the Republican oppres-
sion" of agriculture. the better for
the speaker, since those farmers still
have a keen sense of humor.
Average Firm Size Grows.
Their average farm Of 373 acres has
grown in fifteen years to 49S acres of
plowed land. When wheat strikes
fire" on a Dakota farm. it fairly
blazes in glory. And SO it happens
now, in spite of the terrible" pro-
tective tariff inflicted by the former
Senator from North Dakota, Porter
]. McCumber. How they punished him
for it! And how the weather and the
republican administration have
laughed with the joke of huge crop
and good prices In spite of the Nc
Cumber tariff! 1t is awful Yet Sena-
tor La Toilette is conceded the State
next November without his having to
utter a single wall over its dire plight
no longer existing.
THE results of this years opera
tionS in agriculture unquestfonably
justify great rejoicing" said Banker
Mitchell. governor of the Federal Re-
serve Bank. but he was boosting the
McNary Haugen bill when he added
since the "Oriu ITHFket price LOT
wheat controls our domestic price, so
long as a surplus is produced in this
country-and in all probability a sur
plus will be produced for many years
to come-I venture to ask: Is 1t not
possible to provide some means by
which the disposition of the surplus
production will not establish the price
for the entire CROP"
This word of approval of the plan
which Congress has already rebuked
as Government socialism, coming Is
does the approval from the mouth of
the chief of the Federal Reserve Bank,
is of special significance. indicating
how deeply rooted in the Northwest
Is the socialistic idea of overriding
the commercial law of natural sup
ply and demand, with special Co
operative" control over markets.
When the federal reserve banker thus
approaches artificial control of sup
ply and demand, is It surprising that
the spirit of socialistic unrest and
discomfort perneates the farmers and
wage earners to such a degree that
the leading Northwestern supporters Of
the administration fear for the out
come of the pending campaign?
The "bolshiveeky" are in the saddle
and its a hoss race between La
Toilette and Coolidge.
Many Forget to Register.
In the late contest for Senator
Frank B. Kellogg's reelection to
beaten by Senator Shipstead-Mr.
Kellogg was visited by an i'm
posing body of representative busi
ness men," They called to assure
him Of their cordial good will and
support. They were ready to do any
thing he could suggest in the inter-
est Of his election. They preferred
the distinguished lawyer who had
liancy. They would be distressed if
he were beaten by a dentist. The
very thought made their teeth ache
What should they do?
Senator Kellogg's first question
was How many Of you gentlemen
have registered"
The question was a thunderbolt
out OF clear sky. All looked shame
facedly at each other. Not one of
that party of willing workers had
taken the trouble to register, and all,
therefore, were ineligible to vote.
to cast their ballots.
At the last session Of tho Mime
sofa Legislature a law was passed
requiring personal reregistration of
all voters In cities or the hrSt-ciaSs.
Once reregistenng now will be
"permanent registration" but none
can vote unless he does register this
year. This law disQualifies all mail
voters'-all the patriots in Govern
ment serviec-unless they make the
trip to Minnesota to register, provid-
ing their Minnesota residence is in
one Of the cities Of the first class 1t
does not apply to farmers or villag-
ers in whose ranks are most of the
"bolsheviki." 1t will sacrifice absen-
tee voters Of Minneapolis, st. Paul.
Winona and Duluth and perhaps one
or two other cities. 1t will affect the
class usually counted on for Repub-
lican absentee votes, rather than the
"bolshiveeky," who will vote for Sen
ator La Toilette. Maybe that will
help make the -hoss race" interesting.
Copyright. 1924, by P. v. Collins.)
MREEllIEn HnESv cAllSE