The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-07
Opinion VARIES
ON SENTIMENT
IN WEST
Correspondents Sees Little
Benefit TO G. Q. P. In
Wheat Price Income
NV o. M. KILE.

CHICAGO, Aug. TEN dollar
hogs have covered La Folletteism
so deep in Illinois and Indiana
that it will not be much Of a factor
In the coming election" Thus
am assured by the editor OF a
prominent farm paper that circu-
lates widely in the States men,
tioned-an editor, by the way. who
ordinarily votes the Republican
ticket but expects to vote for Mr..
Davis this fall.
THE farmers out our way are
not fooled by present high prices
for grain and will not permit this
to dissuade them from casting a
protest vote for La Toilette, the
editor Of farm paper published in
Iowa tells me.
In For a Surprise.
MY next informant, an editor
from Minnesota, said: IF the lead
ers of the two old parties think the
present rise in grain makes 1t un'
necessary for them to fight La Fol
lette in the Northwest, they are in
for one of the greatest surprises OF
their lives. Magnus Johnson Will
be reelected by large majority"
From all of which it may be
inferred that opinion varies among
those in the best positions to sense
the mid-western and northwestern
farmers political reaction to the
rise in grain and live stock prices
. All are agreed, however, thai
the average farmer fully appre
ciates that the present administra
ton had nothing whatever to dc
with the rise in wheat prices. AL
recognize this as merely a wind
fall due to the combination of g
short wheat crop outside the
United. States and good croI
within our own borders. There Is
no disposition to- give any politica
party credit for this.
The prospect Of a little more
cash this year and a little less
onerous living. conditions on the
farm simply removes part OF
the. incentive to rush to the polls
and roll up a big protest vote.
Geography Factor.
Geography has much to do with
the differences in sentiment ex
pressed by the editors quoted above
Different States have profited ir
very different degrees by the bet
ter prices. Kansas wheat growers
have raised a bumper crop and are
rushing it to market. They are
actually cashing in on the situa
ton. One good crop at a gooC
price is all the dry land grain
gambler. of western Kansas needs
to wipe out his debts and put hin
in good shape and good humor
The Iowa farmer, on the other
hand, is still merely hoping fol
better times. He grows little wheat
and his corn and |hog sales for the
season are still largely in the fu
ture.
The prospects for a corn CROP
were never worse than at present
The Illinois and Indiana farmer ID
in much the same boat as the Iowa
farmer, except that he seems ia
have had more old corn and more
hogs on hand to sell during the
past month or so.
The northwestern farmer has not
cut his wheat yet: in fact there il
still danger from rust. Then it will
take more than the one crop to
pay his accumulated debts. Life
for him still lacks considerable OF
being rosy.
While the high wheat price to q
certain extent has taken the keen
edge off of the demand for the
McNary-Haughen bill, yet the or
ganization of farm groups formed
in st. Paul in July to wage a sys
tematic campaign to pass this bill
at the coming session of Congress-
Is going steadily ahead with its
plans, under the leadership OF
George N. Peek, former president
of the Moline Plow Company.
Still a Factor.
They point out that the present
price situation in no way changes
the basic principle on which they
demand the enactment of this price
equalizing measure. They point out
furthermore, that even with ruling
prices the farmers purchasing
power is only 70 per cent of normal
and that there is every prospect
of early increases in the prices of
many articles the farmer has to
buy.
Farmers have not forgotten the
treatment they received last spring
in connection with their efforts to
secure the enactment Of the Nc.
Nary-Haughen bill, and this may
prove to be a deciding factor in
the CamOaiun