The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-06-26
DAWES As THE FARMERS
CANDIDATE

Nothing could be more sign1h-
cant of the nature OF the coming
campaign than the announcement
that General Dawes will open his
speaking tour with an address at
Lincoln, Neb.
Lincoln is the capital OF Ne
braska, and Nebraska is in the
very heart Of the great northwest
ern farming territory. The state Is
I represented in the upper house ny
Senators Norris and Howell--radl-
Gals both.
AS matters stand, then. Nebraska
may we'll be called radical state.
Yet it is Nebraska which General
Dawes has chosen as the scene OF
the opening OF his campaign. He
is marching into the enemy's ter
ritory. He Is challenging LaFol-
lctte and LaFolletteism. And he
will be challenging it in place
where he once lived, and among a
people whom he has long known.
For in 1887 Charles G. Dawes. at
the age of 90. moved from his
Ohio home and began practising
law in Lincoln, Neb. He practised
there for seven years. before busl-
ress interests drew him to Evans
ton. where he has since lived. In
that period. from 1887 to 1894. he
formed host of acquaintance
who to this day retain a fresh
memory of the razor-keenness OF
his intellect. the fire of his spirit.
and the warmness of his humanity.
And in that period young Dawes.
among those pioneer farmers. came
to know the needs. the desires and
the hardships of agriculture in the
northwest. He lived in Nebraska
in the terrible time of the nine
ties. when the farmer was certain
lv as distressed as now, and when
the cry Of free coinage of silver at
a RATIO of 16 to filled the air; but
despite the economic heresy all
around him. the young lawyer
stood fast, knowing we'll that Is to
/ was not the party which would
lead the farmer out of the wilder
ness.
The sophistries of the day found
an eloquent prophet in young
Dawes fellow -townsmen. William
Jennings Bryan. In 1896, when
B-yan was nominated on 16 to l
platform. Dawes had been two
years an Illinoisan. Early in that
year he volunteered in the fight 10
nominate Mckinley.
Young Dawes was new and Ell
fective force in Illinois politics.
Largely as a result Of his tireless
efforts, Mckinley was nominated.
During the ensuing campaign the
21-year-old Evanstonian was
member of the executive committee
of the Republican National COM
mittee. That campaign was
clean-cut fight between the forces
of sanity and the forces of hysteri-
cal radicalsm: and by tremendous
efforts the forces of sanity won.
Nineteen twenty-four is another
such year. Time has mellowed
Bryan. 1t has soured LaFollette.
He is the Bryan of 1924. The agri-
cultural distress OF today parallels
that of the nineties. And again on
the side Of sanity, fighting for the
real advantage of the farmer and
against the iysteria Of the moment,
is Charles G. Dawes.
The Republican delegates from
the farming states recognized that
at the national convention. De-
spite the desires of the radical
senators, Norris and Howell. Ne
brask nominated Dawes and gave
him her full 10 votes on each of
the three ballots. Never once did
Dawes old state waver On the
final ballot, he got the votes OF
nearly all the western farming
states except those which voted for
favorite sons. He was supported
by Colorado. Idaho, Illinois, Kan
sas, Michigan. Minnesota. Nebras-
ka. Nevada and Wyoming.
1t was the strength of the agri-
cultural states which gave him his
victory. These states were for
Dawes because they believed in his
absolute sincerity, in mis- courage
to state his beliefs to the farmer
and to anyone else, in his funda-
mental knowledge of business and
his detailed knowledge Of farming
problems, and in the tremendous
value of the Dawes reparation re
port to American farmers, who need
export markets.
| For these reasons the agricul'
tural states favored Dawes as the
farmers candidate. While officia
duties keep President Coolidge II
Washington, General Dawes viii
be making a whirlwind campaign
against the economic heresies O
LaFollette, as fallacious and a!
dangerous as the 16 to ] doctrine
in 1896-Chicago Journal Of Com
merce. I