Evening star., 1935-09-15
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
.HE strikingly early start of next
years presidential campaign
has brought a deYelonment

IN HE strlklngly early start OF next
years presidential campaign
has brought a development
= which bears strongly on next
years Republican platform, and may
turn out to be q milestone, of one
kind or another, for one Of the aspir-
ants for the Republican presidential
nomination.
On Labor day, Col. Frank Knox,
publisher of the Chicago Daily News,
and decidedly leader among posi-
bilities for the Republican presidential
nomination, made speech. In news
paper reports he was quoted as saying
at costs $1.80 today to buy the same
necessities a dollar would have pur-
chased three years ago at the corner
grocery"
This was getting close to one Of the
issues of next years campaign, an
issue which on one side, the con-
sumner side, Is the high cost Of living,
and on the other side is the matter
Of prices for farm crops.
Reed Challenges Knox.
At once, Midwest Republican
leader, Clyde M. Reed. former Gov
ernor Of Kansas. picked Col. Knox up.
He sent Col. Knox a telegram quoting
what the colonel had said, and added:
"The inference is that farm prices
should be returned to the 1882 relative
basis" "Is it your position" former
Gov. Reed asked Col. Knox, that the
Republican platform Of 1886 should
predicate a campaign on that basis?"
And former Gov. Reed added that II
this Is the case, the Republican party
may as well surrender the farm States
before the campaign opens"
At once Col. Knox replied. Pla-
catingly he said 1t was an imperative
necessity" that farm purchasing power
be restored to parity with other prices.
He added that he is opposed to A. A. A.
because it is policy of scarcity" and
because the processing tax "is direct
sales tax on food" He mentioned, as
q lohg-range remedy for the farmer,
"a determined effort to expand world
trade" Then he stated his immediate
position:
I'm the meantime, as temporary
measure, we must take whatever steps
are necessary to insure to the farmer
the full enjoyment Of his domestic
market on terms entirely equal to those
enjoyed by tariff protected industries.
This means, Of course, some form Of
expert bounty which will assure to each
farmer, no matter whether his prod
ucts go into the domestic market or
are shipped abroad. the enjoyment Of
the domestic prices for the commod-
tiles he raises. No one can agree more
thoroughly than do that the Repub-
lican party must have the support Of
the Middle Western farm States in
the campaign Of 1886"
Favors Export Bounty.
That Is an important utterance. 1t
means that Col. Knox favors, as an
immediate substitute for A. A. A, an
export bounty" on that part of the
American farmers crops that is sold
abroad.
The importance Of this statement
to Col. Knox himself lies in the fact
that he has taken concrete, definite
" decalred position on the farm prob
lem. The present question, politically
vital to Col. Knox. is will the Repub-
lican party platform take just that
position? Unless the party does, it
would seem that Col. Knox will be
seriously handicapped as q possibility
for the psrty's presidential nomina-
ton. Col. Knox's candor Is creditable
to him and wholesome for the coun-
try. But the position in which he
now finds himself illustrates the po-
ltical adage that 1t is dangerous for
q candidate for q presidential nomi-
nation to get ''to far out in front"
at too early q stage.
Let US see what effect Col. Knox's
action has on him In respect to the
Republican presidential nomination.
Presumably he has removed a handi-
cap to him as respects delegates from
the Midwest. But decidedly he has
not made it certain he will have those
delegates. There are other Republic
an presidential possibilities in. the
Midwest-Gov. Alfred M. Landon Of
Kansas, Senator Arthur H. Vanden-
berg Of Michigan. Senator Lester J.
Dickinson Of Iowa. 1t seems fairly
certain that each Of these three will
have the delegates from their respec-
tive States and other delegates from
the Midwest besides. And 1t may be
that Col. Knox, by his emphasis
on one among several questions. may
have slienated from him the delegates
from Eastern States which consume
food and are increasingly irritated by
the high cost Of living.
Artificial Price Demanded.
Many Midwest Republican leaders
and newspapers say two things: First,
that that territory will support no
candidate for the Republican presi-
Dental nomination who does not IA
vor an artificial price for farm crops;
second, that the Midwest will not
vote the Republican ticket unless the
Republican platform declares clearly
and firmly for Q program assuring an
artificial price for farm crops. Gf
Midwest readers or others object to
the phrase artificial price," my reply
and apology Is that use the phrase
as q general term designed to apply
to any and all Of the proposals brought
forward to give the farmer what is
called . parity" price, or any price
other than that which Is determined
by the full operation of supply and
demand and other natural economic