Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-04
FARM ISSUE GRAVE
PROBLEM IN WEST
G. 0. P. Finds Matter Drags
Heavily on Hooyer's Drive
in North Dakota.
Ely BYRON PRICE.
Associated Press Stan Writer,

Ely BYRON PRICE.
Associated Press Stan Writer
BISMARCK. N. OAK. october A.
The final month of the presidential
campaign finds the accumulated griev-
ances of agriculture still dragging very
heavily on the wheels of the Hoover
candidacy in the normally Republican
Northwest.
Just as the Democrats have awakened
to the seriousness of the anti-Smith
movement in the South, so the Repub-
licanS here in the Northwestern States
no longer speak of the anti-Hoover
farm movements as a myth. They re-
alize that through Wisconsin. Mime
sofa and the Dakotas they must turn
in and fight, and they are doing it.
North Dakota is one of the States
which both parties are claiming just
now with much earnestneSs. But on
both sides these claims are coupled
with a reminder that much work re-
mains to be done before election day,
and there are leaders among the Re-
publicanS and Democrats alike who
say quite candidly. when they speak
privately, that II the election we're held
today it might very well turn out a
horse race.
Tradition Disturbed.
Thus has tradition become disturbed
in a State which four years ago stood
by Coolidge in the face of the La Fol-
lette crusade and gave Davis only 49,
900 votes out of a total of nearly 200 900.
Gov. Smith has trsversed the State
recently. and his Western filings at the
Republican farm policies we're broad
cast over the Northwest. On his trail
have come swarm of Republican suell-
binders including Senators Brookhart
and Borah, preaching Hoover.
The outstanding State leaders of the
farm organizations. in turn. are re-
doubling their pleas that Hoover be
defeated.
North Dakota farmers and business
men have passed through trying times.
Since November /. 1920. there have
been 307 permanent failures among
the North Dakota State Banks. Land
values have decreased. and the present
wheat prices do not help the Republican
campaign.
Most of the other issues have been
crowded into the shadow. Prohibition
is talked about, but with no great show
Of confidence on either side. The State
is rated normally dry. yet large per-
centage of its country population is
Gernlan ana wet.
Just three months ago. proposal to
repeal the State prohibition amend
! meat was lost, 96,S37 to l03,696.
The difficulties of both parties. from
an organization standpoint. are increas-
ed by the complicated plight of local
politics. The real lines of political di-
vision within the State run crosswise
of the old party lines. The names
Republican and Democrat are preserved
on the ballot, but the prime distinctions
are rather between the Non-Partisan
League on one side, and the "Inde-
pendents" on the other.
State and national politics do not
mix, and State politics is held para
mount by most candidates.
Paradox Parties Formed.
This situation has produced in 1923
| so queer political phenomenon as a
Frazier Maddox headquarters" man.
aging a campaign for the reelection
| of Senator Frazier Non-Partisan
Lacquer, running on the Republican
! ticket, and Gov Maddox, Nom
Partisan Lacquer, seeking the governor
| ship on the Democratic ticket !.
Frazier and his colleague. Senator
Nye, have said they are for Hoover, ale
| though the non-partisan wing of the
Republican State committee refused to
indorse him. Maddox was a guest on
Gov. Smiths train.
Maddocks Republican opponent,
George F. Shafer, is expected to sup
port Hoover but to say little about it.
Gov. Maddox is farmer, who looks
upon himself as typical member of
the farm organizations in revolt against
the Republican nominee. He was elect
ed lieutenant governor two years ago
on the Republican ticket. Last June
he was chairman of the Lowden- pledged
North Dakota delegation to the Kansas
City convention.
Farmers in Co-Operatives.
Asked to describe the unusual situa-
ton of this section of the country, in
his slow-spoken, even-tempered way, the
governor explained that IS per cent of
the industries of North Dakota are
directly interested In agriculture. that
the farmers are 95 per cent affiliated
with cooperative organizations, that
these organized farmers had built up
splendid industries. including a high
class education system, and that they
do not now propose to go on operating
at an economic loss.
Agriculture has been going through
period here that we consider in
Jolerable, that cannot be permitted to
continue" he said.
The one man whom we felt was most
antagonistic to agriculture was nomi-
mated at the Kansas City convention
and the agricultural plank demanded by
us was not written into the platform.
Asked whether the farm organization
of which he was member was not
supporting Smith in this State, he re-
piled, 1T seemed to us at the Kansas
City convention that it was impossible
for Mr.. Hoover to carry North Dakota
The farmer organizations were very
much opposed to him then. and have
seen on change in attitude since"