Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-02-02
GOV. FRANK
@. LOWDEN
Something of Man Who is Promi-
nent Candidate for President;
Says There is a Real Farm Prob
lem and Wants Solution

Illinois, has written sketch of Mr..
Lowden, covering almost all of his
life, his business and political ac-
tivities. In part Mr.. Fox writes:
Frank o. Lowden, whose person
ality and whose record of achieve
ment as governor of Illinois have
stamped him as of presidential tim
ber since 1920, is going to make a
determined bid for the Republican
nomination this year. He has pledg-
ed himself to his nationwide army
of supporters and will not let his
personal disinclination to press his
candidacy for public office stand in
the way. He is in the fight to stay.
| visited with Lowden at his Sim
nissippi farm in Illinois last week
and checked up on the many and va
ried reports which have been circu-
lated with respect to his present at
titude, his views on national affairs,
his daily routine, his political activi-
ties at this stage of the pre-conven-
ton campaign.
There are some things which can
be said for publication with Low
den's permission, and other things
which must be said without asking
Lowden's consent. 1t is only fair to
say, however, that the governor, as
every one calls him, is reluctant to
become personally involved in any
of the advance pre-convention skir-
mishes which of necessity concern
his own candidacy and the purposes,
plans and intrigues of those who are
opposed to him.
When the Dawes followers see re-
ports that Hoover is forging ahead
and that Lowden is suffering from
i'll health and advancing years, the
natural impulse of the Dawes people
is to inquire why Lowden does not
step aside and let Dawes make the
race against Hoover. This, at least,
is the way some of the Lowden peo-
pie put it. Lowden himself will not
discuss these matters, but it may be
said that if he believed any of these
! reports circulated about him, if he
thought himself unequal physically
to undertake the burdens of the
presidential office, he would not
hesitate a moment to step aside. ?
He can not, in fact, understand
! how any man in his right mind
would think of undertaking the tre-
mendous responsibilities of the pres
idential office if he thought himself
| physically unequal to the task. But
as Lowden knows more about his
own physical fitness than those who
/ have any interest in circulating
misleading reports" he is natural
ly not disposed to follow the advice
of his "solicitous political enemies, "
as his friends call them.
Besides, Lowden represents an is
sue-the agricultural question. He
believes there is nothing more i'm
portant before the American people
today than the farm or agricultural
problem. He believes, and his fol-
| lowers believe with him, that this
problem must be settled right, not
only in the interest of the American
farmer but in the interest of the
ing is more important from the ma
tiOnal standpoint, Lowden believes,
than to face the agricultural prob
lem courageously now before it is
too late. In short, Lowden has be-
come the leader in the movement
for practical farm relief, which
movement admittedly has become
more and more deep rooted in agri-
cultural centers throughout the
country.
There are those who disagree with
Lowden's conception of how the
agricultural problem should be dealt
with, but few deny that he has de-
voted his mind and energy to this
question with thoroughness and in
tense interest that command respect
from all classes. 1t is not whim of
the moment OF fad with Lowden,
it's the all-absorbing, time-consum-
ing life work of Frank o. Lowden at
the present period of his eventful
/, and colorful career. No amount of
research work or investigation is too
exacting a task for Lowden to un-
dertake in his tireless efforts along
this line.
In the spring of 1926, Lowden
decided to go to Sweden and Den
mark for the purpose of studying
the cooperative movement and 9TH
er farm development at first hand
He brought back wealth of first
hand information which he COM
municated to the agricultural inter-
ests Of this country in three articles
written by him and published in The
Farmer, farm paper of the North
west.
1t is to the advantage of society
as whole to stabilize prices of farm
products, Lowden contends.
Lowden apparently does not care
who assumes the lead or what the
method is to be with respect to farm
Continued on Pare Eighty