Evening star., 1927-10-26
Borall and McMullen.

N''
barrass;ng questions. Said Mr., Borai
to the governor, Would you oppose ;
delegation to the Republican nationa
convention favoring George Norris fol
President" Said Gov. McMul1en Il
Mr.. Rorah. Glow far will you follow
Senator Norris in advocacy of III,
McNary-I IIaugen farm relief hill?'
The Governor of Nebraska in his
repiy TO Senator Borah's question at
tempts to place issues above men. He
Implies that Frank o. Lowden OF
Illinois has better chance for the
nomination than has Senator Norris
But the governor hastens TO say that
he would personally he delighted to
have Senator Norris the presidential
nominee.
When Senator Borah answers the
question of the Governor of Nebraska
it may measure the period of close
harmony among the newly organized
Progressive group of the Senate. II
Mr.. Rorah fails to swallow the Nc
Nary-HauCen farm relief bill-and
there is grave doubt that he will swal.
low it-how can he continue to travel
with its friends?
Gov. McMullen is one of those who
early declared for the nomination of
Mr.. Lowden, because of the latter
support of the McNary. .Haugen bill
He has been disturbed, apparently, by
the backing which the Progressive
group in the Senate is giving to Sen
ator Norris for the presidency.
In an interview the governor at.
tackled the group, and particularly
Mr.. Borah, on the ground that
they were dividing the support of the
agricultural West.
Senator Norris is admittedly the
strongest political figure in Nebraska
today. He is not an aggressive can
didate for the Republican nomination
for President. In fact, he has said
that he is not a candidate. But he
is willing that the Nebraska delega
ton should be instructed for him
Senator Borah's question to the gov
ernor, therefore, is not one that can
be answered lightly.
The fact of the matter is that Gov.
Lowden, Notwithstanding his support
of the McNary -Haugen farm relief bill,
is still not entirely acceptable to the
members of the Progressive group in
the Senate. They are anxious to know
further what his position may be with
regard to freight rates and to the
Federal Reserve System. They feel
that the freight rates on wheat and
other agricultural commodities are
about as important in solution of the
farm problem as is the so-called farm
relief bin. They point to the fact that
the Canadian farmer gets from ten to
fifteen cents more for his wheat per
bushel than does the American farmer
and they attribute this to the fact
that the Canadian farmer pays less
freight on his wheat than does the
American farmer. Furthermore, they
point out that the American farmer is
the only American producer who Is
compelled to pay the freight both or
what he produces and on what he
buys other producers, particularly
the manufacturers. pass the freight
on their products along to the con
sumer The farmer, however. has 1he
freight on his wheat to market Topped
off from his selling price.
The Progressives have no doub
about the attitude of Mr.. Norris re
garding the freight rates on agricul
tural products. They also have M
doubt about his attitude toward the
McNary- Haugen bill and other meas
ures of farm relief, or about his pro
gressiveness" generally.
There seems little doubt. however
that the candidacy of Senator Norri:
can scarcely fail to cut into the grouI
of delegates at the Republican ma
tional convention which may surpor
Mr.. I.owden. The Progressive groul
of Senators are reasonably contiden
that IL the Norris standard is raises
the delegations not only from Ne
braska, but also from North and Soutl
Dakota, from Wisconsin and Mime
sofa, may be counted for the Ne
hraSka0