Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15
Wallace Carries Brunl
Of New Deal Battle
To Win Nebraska
Farmers, Apparently
Leonine TO Other Side,
Require Convincing
BY ROBERT LASCH,
Special Correspondent of The Star.


OMAHA. Nebr.. Sept. 14.-Henry
Agard Wallace came back to Ne
braska this week for another of the
jaunts through rural territory and
small towns which he has made on
several occasions.
Previously his travels were as Sec
rotary of Agriculture and in the in
terest of the administration farm
program This week he came as
Democratic nominee for Vice Presi-
dent. carrying the brunt of the
heavy-duty field campaigning for
President Roosevelt's third-term
STRIVE.
Nebraska's population is more
than so per cent rural in the Census
Bureaus definition of that term as
comprising people on farms or in
towns of less than $500. Only one
city. Omaha, has more than 100, 00C
population, and only one other
Lincoln. is larger than $4,000.
A Per Cent on Farms.
Actually living on farms are about
"A per cent of the population 1t is
easy to understand why politicians
of both parties bend their energies
toward capturing this "barnyard
vote" and why Mr.. Wallace found
it advisable to avoid the cities and
make all his talks in the smaller
towns.
The farmer. because he is most
often busy blowing the south 40 OF
cutting ensilage or looking after the
hogs, gets left out of many straw
votes and polls. He doesn't show up
at rallies and doesn't join campaign
organizations. He stays at home
listens to his radio reads his news
paper, thinks things over in private
way. There is no telling for sure
what he is going to do until No
vember comes around and he climbs
into his car and takes the family in
to vote.
Nebraska farmers are partici-
pating actively in the A. A. A. pro-
gram. the acceptance in most
counties running between 80 and 90
per cent. But that does not mean
they favor continuance of the ad-
ministration in power. Last spring
the first congressional district, which
includes some of the counties where
A. A. A. participation is highest, sent
to Congress at a special election a
Republican who made an issue OF
the A. A. A. and roundly condemned
The New Deal and all its works.
See Democrats as Not Essential.
Most farmers seem to agree on the
need for some farm program to give
them parity with industry. But they
feel that this principle is now safely
established in national life and does
not require Democratic auspices to
remain there.
On the other hand they are def
nitely concerned by some phases of
the New Deal, such as the perpetual
unbalance of the budget and pro-
tracted deficit spending. Mr.. Wallace
recognized this in his Nebraska
speeches by undertaking an elabo-
rate explanation of the mitigating
factors in steadily mounting ma
tional debt. The complexity of this
naturalization of deficit financing
is not likely to convert many rural
minds.
Mr.. Wallace stayed out of Western
Nebraska, the cattle country. and
perhaps it is just as well. Normally
Republican, the cattle counties are
quite dissatisfied with the reciprocal
trade treaty program and other
aspects of the New Deal. They are
counted reasonably safe for the Re-
publicans this year.
AS to the farmers in the more
densely populated eastern sections
nobody can be sure until November
At present they seem to be leaning
away from Mr.. Roosevelt.