Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-18
{. I. MEREDITH,
Once CABINET
MEMBER, dies
Head of Agriculture
Department Under
Wilson Was Ill For
Many Months

DIS MONIES, Ia. June ls.-lP-
Edwin T. Meredith, secretary Of az
f~iculture in the Wilson cabinet, died
last night. The end of a long illness
slept.
At the bedside of the ~51-year-old
farm publisher and democratic pres
idential candidate were Mrs. Mere
oith; his mother, Mrs. NJ. j. Meredith
OF Los Angeles; a son, a daughter,
lou brothers and a sister.
Heart failure resulting from high
blood pressure was given as the
cause of death. Mr.. Meredith had
been Ill for several months, but the
illness did not take a critical turn
until a month ago, shortly after he
mad returned from John Hopkins
hospital, baltimore, where he had
gone for observation.
funeral services will be held from
the Meredith home Wednesday after
noon at 2 o'clock.
Despite his illness, Mr.. Meredith
Permitted the use of his name against
Gov. Al Smith of New York in the re-
cent Iowa democratic presidential
preference primary. which Gov.
Smith o Mr.. Meredith always had
been known as a progressive dry
n he was an o~utspoken opponent Of
the New York governors views on
prohibition.
Besides his political activities, Mr..
Meredith was widely known as the
publisher of farm papers.
An inherited love OF the soil and
general interest in the welfare Of
farmers lifted Edwin T. Meredith
from youthful obscurity to national
prominence and a place in President
Wilson's cabinet.
He started in boyhood as a real
dirt" farmer. the occupation Of his
father and his grandfather. A high
school education and one year at col
lege weaned him away from actual
work on the farm. but tended to in
crease his interest in the lot OF those
who till the soil.
Mr.. Meredith's grandfather, in adj
dition to his agricultural interests,
was the publisher Of a farm weekly.
The Farmers Tribune. 1t was devot-
ed to P~opularism and met with finan-
cial difficulties when that movement
died out.
Having completed a year in High
land Park College, Des Moines, Young
Meredith, then 20 years of age, bor-
rowed $500 with which he pur-
chased his grandfather's publication.
Through six years it brought him
much hard work and little success.
The Farmers Tribune was discon-
tinued and in its place Mr.. Meredith
established Successful Farming as a
monthly periodical.
That proved the foundation Of the
successful Meredith Publications. the
name of NJ. Meredith's business. 10
which eventually were added Better
Homes and Gardens" and The Dairy
Farmer" the three having a COM
bined circulation Of more than g.
O00. 200.
Through his publications and re-
cognition as business leader IN Des
Moines, the growth of Mr.. Meredith's
Influence was . natural sequence,
and led him into politics. In 1914
he was the democratic candidate for
governor of that state. He was de-
feated on both occasions.
In 1917, William G.. McAdoc. then
secretary o fthe treasury, appointed
Mr.. Meredith to the Board Of Excess
Profits Advisers. Two years later
President Wilson named him a mem
Der Of the Industrial Conference
Commission and in January, 1920. Sc
lected him for the post Of secretary
of agriculture TO succeed David F.
Houston.
Continuing his interest in public
affairs. Mr.. Meredith became one Of
the leaders of the progressive dry
element Of the democratic party.
Although not an active candidate for
the democratic nomination for presi-
dent in 1924. his name was presented
to the convention and he received