Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
URGES REPUBLICAN
FARMERS TO BOLT
Hirth Claims Midwest and
South Should Combine in
Mutual Cause.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special lhsnAtCN 10 Inc star.
KANSAS CITY. Mo, July 2l.-The
factional conflict in the Missouri
Farmers Association due to q differ
encs among the leaders on political
policies came to the surface again this
week. The executive committee, headed
by AL Crawford of Atlanta. passed a
resolution opposing the giving OF an
Endorsement to either presidential
nominee. and adding that after care
iul consideration each voter should use
his own best Judgment"
This action Is at variance with the
one favored by William Hirth, also
member Of the executive committee and
chairman OF the corn belt committee.
which a few days before at meeting
n Dcs Moines. Iowa. denounced Herbert
Hoover and the Republican farm pro-
gram. Hirth was one of the leaders
in the fight for the McNary- Haugen
farm relief bill. and an active supporter
of Frank 0. Lowden tor the Republican
presidential nomination.
Hirth's leadership in the Missouri
Farmers Association has been chal-
lenged for some time. At the annual
meeting next month in Sedalia,
show down will be demanded with the
warning leaders on the executive COM
mittec Although q member of the
committee. Hirth has failed to attend.
He edits the Missouri Farmer, which
this week called on the farmers to turn
the Democratic party into farmers
party
Interests Held Mutual.
Ever since the Civil War the
farmers of the Midwestern States and
the South have voted against eacn
other-in other words they have voted
as their fathers shot, and yet during
all these years there has not neen
single hour when their interests were
not mutual and when they should not
have fought their political battles
from behind the same breastworks.
But nov II the Republican farmers
of the corn belt will place political
partisansi1ip behind them, and II thus
they will assure the crushing defeat OF
Hoover in November We have, as have
said. a chance to make the Democratic
party the farmers party. and thus, for
the first time since Thomas Jefferson
overthrow Alexander Hamilton. in
stead of agriculture being compelled
to beg on Bonded knee for common
Justice at the hands of the industrial
East, the situation will be reversed. 1t
will be the industrial East that will be
compelled to do the begging.
Truly. it Is tremendous oppor-
tunity and one Of which I trust the
Republican farmers of Missouri will
take advantage to the fullest. If we
do. then brushing aside matters OF re-
lieious doctrine and similar side issues.
we will assure overwhelming victory on
the Democratic national ticket in Mo-
vember, we will launch and intrench
The first farmers party since the regime
of Jefferson"
Does Not Name Smith.
In his plea to Republican farmers to
bolt Hoover the Missouri farm leader,
who in former years has been an
avowed Democrat, does not mention
Gov. Alfred Z. Smith by name. He
ignores also the fact that Smith AND
the control of the Democratic national
organization Is now held by the East
The Missouri Farmers Association Is
the only farm organization which has
dipped into presidential politics TINS
year.
Preliminary surveys made OF the
State show the farm hostility for
Hoover has not entirely subsided-that
many Republicans will refuse to vote
this wear, as Democratic farmers viii
refuse to vote for Smith. Present IN.
dications. however, are that smith VIII
lose much more in the farming oistrlcts
than Hoover No effort has been MADE
TO popularize Smith among the Missouri
farmers. The rural democracy OF this
state is dry" and strongly Protestant.
T. c. Afford.