Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-27
Possible Opposition in Middle
West insufficient to Jeop-
ardize denomination.
STILL APPEARS AS MOST
AVAILABLE CANDIDATE
Immediate Reaction Is That Presi.
dent Has Gained More Than He
Has Lost by Action.
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

BY GOULD LlNCUkAN.
President Coolidge has hit the
McNary-Hauge farm relief bill and
those organizations supporting 1t
solar plexus blow. Nor does it appear
his opponents in the farm States VIII
be able to counter strongly.
Since everything in this country
sooner or later resolves itself into
matter of politics, the political effect
Of the veto of the farm bill will be.
and even now is being, scanned care,
fully.
The immediate reaction is that the
President Is far stronger politically
than if he had signed the bill. II he
has lost strength in some States of
the Middle and Northwest, he has not
lost enough to jeopardiZe either his
denomination or his reelection, If he
finally decides to become a candidate.
Lowden Boom An Example.
Here and there a shout for Lowden
for President in 1928 has been raised
in Iowa, for example, where Gov.
Hammill has declared that in the next
Republican national convention a
strong effort would be made to name
candidate friendly to the West.
But former Gov. Frank o. Lowden of
Illinois Is not going to ride into the
nomination or the White House
either on the strength of his support
Of the McNary-Haugen bill. Nor is
any one else, unless, indeed, conditions
in this country should within the next
twelve months become financially
bad, with business as well as agricul-
tural depression.
For some time 1t has been clear that
the States Of the Northwest and some
of the Middle West canno tot them
selves pick the next candidate of the
Republican party for President on a
McNary -Haugen farm relief platform.
They would be showed under in the
national convention by an avalanche
Of votes from the East and the South,
with some from the West thrown in
for good measure.
It Is possible that some of the State
delegations to the next Republican
national convention viii be anti Cool
idge. This may be true Of the Iowa
delegation. The State legislature has
by large vote condemned the Presi-
dents veto of the farm bill. 1t may
be true of the Dakotas and of Ne
braska. though there is some doubt.
Illinois Seems for Coolidge.
Although Gov. Lowden and Vice
President Dawes are both "favorite
sons" of Illinois, 1t is doubtful that
the Illinois delegation would support
either of them if President Coolidge
should be a candidate for nomination.
Wisconsin has for years been antago-
nistic to the regular wing of the Re-
publican party. There is every rea-
son to believe 1t will send delegation
opposed to the President. But In Kan
sas and Missouri. in Indiana and
Ohio, the Coolidge sentiment is strong,
and, veto or no veto. the prospects
are for Coolidge delegates.
The Presidents veto message Is di-
rected particularly to the farmers
themselves. It was written for farm
consumption, not city. 1t will be
widely read by the farmers. He has
argued that the McNary- -Haugen bill
is hurtful to the farmer, and if the
farmers view the matter in the same
light, he will gain strength actually.
rather than lose 1t. 1t is too early to
say just what the effect of the Presi-
dents arguments will be.
Everywhere the President has been
hailed as courageous because Of his
veto of the farm bill. 1t was we'll un.
derstood that the only real point of
attack against the administration lay
in dissatisfied agriculture. He will be
respected for his stand even in locali.
ties where he Is criticised for it.
Democrats Hope for Reaction.
The Democrats are hoping that the
veto of the farm bill react in their
favor. They see in it the possibility
Of a serious rift between the Repub.
licans Of the East and the Repub.
licans of the West.
But that the Republicans Of the
West and Middle West will turn to
Democratic nominee for President
is not yet on the cards. Nor will
they, unless there are serious troubles
in this country, causing distress.
What Democrat prominently men
toned for the nomination next year
could hope to win in the Western
States? Gov. AL Smith Of the side
walks Of New York; makes no great
appeal to the parties. His wetness
and his church affiliations both make
| him unavailable in those sections.
Gov. Ritchie Of Maryland and Gov
Donahey Of Ohio are not known In
the West. Senator James A. Reed OF
Missouri probably would have greater
strength in the West than any other
Democrat now prominently put for
ward. unless it We're William Gibbs
McAdoo, and McAdoo Is an impossi.
bility because of the opposition to him
| in the East. But while Senator Reed
is popular in Kansas, for example, it
is difficult to visualize that Sahara
of the States supporting a liberal II
he is not an out-and-out wet. Further.
more, Senator Reed, like President
Coolidge. opposed the McNary Haugen
farm relief bill.
Coolidge Still Stands First.
President Coolidge. despite his veto
Of the farm bill, today still appears
the most available candidate for the
Republican nomination in 1928. This
is admitted privately even by men in
congress who rallied most strongly ia
the support of the farm bill. They
do not see how he can be denied the
| nomination If he wants it. and they
! believe he can be reelected. To
many of the politicians and leaders
the fact that he can be reelected Is
| the essence of his availability.
It is a far cry from Washington tt
the corn belt. The Farm Bureau
Federation and other organizations
which have supported the McNary
Haugen bill will doubtless prove the
centers around which opposition tt
President Coolidge and support o.
some other candidate for Presiden
will rally in the next few months