Evening star., 1925-07-22
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln

II flItfnR tnS IdFHcT 1HtO lfc c,o
nomic scheme of today is the task
which politicians and statesmen alike
have undertaken in this country
though for rather different reasons.
Secretary Jardine of the Department
Of Agriculture, a practical farmer as
we'll as a theorist, has just completed
a swing through the great agricul-
turaI States of the Middle West and
the West and is in a good position to
advise President Coolidge on the ad-
ministration's program with regard to
the farmer.
In many of the States the farmer
fs in far better position today than ne
was two years ago, or year ago. In
some there is still much distress, ac-
cording to the reports brought back to
Washington by observers. There is
still a disparity between the farmers
dollar, SO called. and that OF the In
dustrial worker and the city man.
The hub of the farm problem is the
export Surplus-the production OF the
farms over and above the domestic
needs and home consumption. The
farmer must have markets for this
surplus in foreign countries, and 1t
seems to be some ones job to see that
he has those markets, or to see that
the surplus is taken care OF and not
dumped on the domestic market, with
disastrous effects on prices of food
stuffs. The surplus, in measure, is
the safety valve Of the American con-
sumner as well as of the other coun-
tries of the world which depend in
part on imports of their foodstuffs.
To seek to produce, therefore, only
just enough food for the people of
the United States might result some
times in a serious shortage.
Some of the members Of Congress
have felt that the government should
take steps to handle this export sur
plus through an export corporation.
The McNaryHaugen bill. put forward
during the last Congress, sought to
care for the export surplus. But 1t was
frowned upon as entirely too pater
nalistic and as an effort to put the
Government into business. But II
seems certain that unless some other
plan can be devised this measure, in
a modified form perhaps, will be re-
vived during the next session of Con
gress.
The farmer is politically powerful
in a great number of of the States
Next year an entire new House Of
Representatives is TO be elected and
one-third of the Senate. The admin
istration so far has given its attention
principally to a campaign of educa-
ton, seeking to persuade the farmers
to diversity their crops and not to
plant too great an acreage. The CO.
operative marketing of farm produce
also is being urged as a remedy, and
threats have been made TO deal dras-
tically with the grain exchanges un-
less they mind their Ps and Qs and
prevent gamblers from manipulating
the prices of the food staples.
There are Senators to be elected in
many of the agricultural States: for
Missouri. Illinois, Ohio, Indiana Okla
homa, California. North Dakota. 1t
happens that in practically every such
case the incumbent is a Republican.
1t behooves the administration. there
Tore, 10 stir its stumps in regard TO
the farmer and his problem. 1t is
expected that the President in his an
nual message to Congress will have
not little to say with regard to the
farmer.
The industrial producer and worker
are protected today by the tariff and
by the immigration laws The farmer
Is getting some benefit from the tariff.
though not sufficient to make il pos.
slbte Tor him to sell his produce on
a parity with the clothing and tools
which he must purchase. and which
are protected by the tariff. The
Democrats are seeking TO make the
farmer believe that the way to benefit
himself is to kick the whole pro-
tective tariff overheard and get on
the tariff for revenue only wagon of
the Democratic party. But the farmer
Is not inclined to this course-yet.
He might come TO IL as a last resort.
but II is not likely he will reach that
pass by the time of the campaign
next year. But some plan must be
devised to care for his export sur
plus in the opinion of many, if there
is to be real stability in agriculture
The count of the ballots in the
election OF a Senator in Iowa last
Fall is at last under way, with the
Democratic candidate. Steck, contest
ing the election OF Senator Brookhart.
the Republican insurgent, who with
the late Senators La Toilette of Wis
consin, Ladd of North Dakota and
Frazier of North Dakota, was read
out of party councils by the regulars
at the last session of Congress. The
regular Republicans on the committee
which is investigating the election
naturally do not feel particularly
kindly to the man who denounced the
Republican national ticket during the
campaign while running himself as
Republican. But if they fail to lean
backward to give Mr.. Brookhart a
square deal in this contest. there will
be an outcry that the conservatives
are using strong arm methods to rid
themselves of insurgents, and Brook
hart will become a martyr. In addi-
tion to this, II would be of little real
help to the conservative wing of the
Republican party to dump Mr.. Brook
hart out of the Senate merely to sub
stitue a Democrat, who would vote
always with the opposition.
AS a matter of fact. it is likely that
the recount in the end will show
Senator Brookhart with larger
ma ajority than the seven or eight
hundred votes now accorded him, If
the reports from Iowa are to be
credited. He had the advantage of
running as a Republican and thou
sands of voters voted the ticket
straight" who might have been
opposed to Brookhart himself.
1t will be interesting to observe at
the coming session of Congress just to
what extent the So-called insurgents
will buck the administration in the
Senate and House. 1t is possible that,
in view of the overwhelming vote of
the people for President Coolidge, the
insurgents will not care to be quite so
obstreperous as they were in the last
Congress. The so-called regulars, also.
will watch their steps more carefully.
The President had many Of the regu-
lars lined up against him on a number
of important matters a year or two
ago, including the soldiers bonus and
the postal pay bill.
u X
If Gov. Ritchie of Maryland jumps