Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
INDIANA c. O.P. BIDS
FOR FARM BACKING.
Rural Leaders to Confer
With Hoover at Cedar
Rapids August 22.
specIal Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO me Staf'
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug. 4.-The
Republican effort to line up disgruntled
Indiana farmers for Hoover became
more pronounced this week when Eliza
Rogers. G.. o. p state chairman, an
nounccd that he would name a COM
mittee of farmers to confer with Hoover
at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on August %.
Rogers decided on the committee pur-
suant to request from James w.
Good. Republican Western campaign
manager
II is manifest that Rogers will name
agricultural leaders who are In SYM
pathy with Hoover and the Republican
plank of agriculture and that he Will
refrain from making his choice from
within the ranks of the Indiana Fedef-
alton of Farm Bureaus, which Is Dit
terly antagonistc to the G. O. T.
standard bearer. Thus another INK is
forged in the chain whereby the Re-
publican leaders hope to break down
the efficacy Of the Federation support
Of Gov Alfred E. Smith.
Takes Stump for Smith.
w. H. Settle. formerly a Republican
and president of the Federation, has
taken the stump in behalf of Gov.
Smith and the Farm Bureau officials
are following suit. They are holding
township meetings in which they re-
count the tale of their troubles, at Kan
sas City and compare the Republican
and Democratic farm planks and lay
stress on the advantage of the latter.
The Republican campaign strategists
are attempting to drive a wedge be-
tween Settle and his chiefs and the
rank and file of the Federation and 1t
is not unlikely that when Rogers names
his committee the Republicans will
recognize them, rather than Settle. as
the Spokesman of the agricultural in
terests in Indiana.
It is interesting to note that the
farm leaders. dealing with what always
has been regarded AS dry element in
this state. find that their task of rally
ing the farmers. regardless of previous
partisan views TO the Democratic
standard. has been made more difficult
by Gov. Smiths wet views. They say.
however, that most of the local farm
leaders feel that the agricultural ques-
ton overshadows the liquor question
ana LI1sy assert ltldk LIlS
will support Gov. Smith,
Farm leaders relate incidents where
former Khan leader arose in meetings
and urged their neighbors to stand by
Gov. Smith because of his stand on the
farm question. 1t is these things that
are causing the Republican leaders con-
Germ and they have already made II
plain that one of their first tasks is
tn halt the farm revolt
See Khan Influence.
Another incident that has caused the
Republicans some concern Is the ap-
pearance of Walter Dessert, formerly
Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Khan
as speaker at a meeting held by the
Indiana Women's Republican Club
Bossert was invited by the women
leaders to appear and spoke from the
same platform with Rogers and M Bert
Thurman, national committeeman.
This. according to some critics
seemed to nullify the protestations oi
the Republican leaders that they had
thrown the Khan influence out of the
party and that they would refrain from
injecting religious element in the
campaign. Even the Indianapolis Star
a stalwart Republican newspaper. was
moved to criticize the appearance oil
Bossert on the stump and it warned the
Republican leaders that they were
counting disaster II they persisted In
putting on Khan front In the cam
paign
Both the Democratic and the Re-
publican chairmen are busy with the
organization end of the campaign. pre-
paratory to the intensive speaking tours
which viii start about the middle OF
September. The Democrats, TO show that
they have no intention of sighting
Gov. Smith, have prepared a great deal
of publicity which the State organiza-
ton Is sending to friendly newspapers
Speakers recruited by the State head
quarters also are featuring Gov. Smith
This move was thought necessary be-
cause Of criticism directed at the Demo-
Gratis by rabid Smith followers who
thought the New York governor was
being cut out Of the picture
HAROLD C, FEIGHTNER.