Evening star., 1948-09-28
The Political Mill r
Job Is Underway To Sell
Dewey to North Midwest
Farmers in Area Are Prosperous and
Don't Want Boat Rocked
Bv Gould Lincoln
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

HELENA, Mont, Sept. 28.-The great NORTH
Midwest, with its prairies, its grain ana ia
cattle, is the country In which Gov. Thoras
E. Dewey Of New York has to be sold as the
farmers candidate if he is to capture the
presidential electoral votes Of its States These
people are prosperous as they have never been
before notwithstanding high prices they pay
for what they need, Their production Is enor-
nous and the prices they receive out Of the
world. It's a boat they don't want rocked.
If they can help it.
The job is underway. Dewey, the Governor
who has done much for the farmers Of his
own State; Dewey, the farmer himself with his
300-acre dairy farm, his only real home, the
sole bit Of land he owns, is being spread before
the eyes of the farmers of Minnesota. Alfred
D. Stedman, associate editor Of the st. Paul
Pioneer Press, after visit to Gov. Dewey at
his Pawling, IN. W farm, writes In his news
paper:
Dewey turned to farming as natural sup
plement to his public career. Such overlapping
of interest Of leaders between public service and
agriculture has profoundly affected United
States history" Mr.. Stedman predicts that,
with Gov. Dewey in the White House, 1t will
again.
Knows Food Problems.
"The Pawling farm affords Dewey personal
contacts that are priceless" He continues.
'The Nations and the worlds all-inportant
food problems are brought home to him on his
own farm. Dewey's farm experience (he has
had the farm for ten years. bulks large in his
presidential background. Others who had farms
in their backgrounds have turned out to bs
great Presidents. Why not Dewey"
This midwest farm territory and its people
have had Republicanism in their bones-and
when the pendulum started swinging away
from the New Deal in 1898 and 1910, it was the
first to move over. 1t was the section Of the
country which gave Gov. Dewey nearly all the
so electoral votes he captured in 1914.
Minnesota was hold out 1t voted for the
fourth time for the late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt 1t Is still battle-ground into which
Gov. Dewey and his running mate, Governor
Warren of California, its own former Governor
Stassen and other big guns OF the Republican
party will carry the Republican fight The
public opinion polls so far published still give
President Truman the edge-but they are by
no means conclusive, showing Mr.. Truman with
only 81 per cent of the vote in the samples
taken Mr.. Roosevelt carried the State four
years ago with 52.8 per cent Of the major party
vote cast-a margin of $4,000 votes in a total
of upwards of 100000. Similar polls have
placed Senator Ball, Republican and par
ticular hate of organized labor leaders, behind
Mayor Hubert Humphrey Of Minneapolis, the
Democrat Farmer Labor candidate. The signs
are, however, that both Gov. Dewey and Sem
ator Ball are coming up. 1t will be unlikely
that Minnesota stands out like a Democratic
sore thumb after the election If Gov. Dewey
goes over with bang in the other great agri-
cultural states.
Labor Leaders In Fight.
In Minnesota, however, the labor leader allies
of Mr.. Truman are exerting all their efforts
to defeat Gov. Dewey and Senator Ball, mostly
because of their hatred Of the Taft-Hartley
Act, which Senator Ball helped to write. They
have promised, it Is reported, to spend $250,000
In the Minnesota campaign, and are relying
on the labor vote in the twin cities and Duluth
and the iron range plus scads OF antt-Dewey
propaganda passed out to the farmers
Minnesota is tremendously interested In a
suggestion that her Senator Thye and former
Governor be made Secretary of Agriculture in
the Dewey cabinet. It Is known that some Of
the most important leaders Of the farm organ
izations are interested in such an appointment.
Representative Clifford Hope Of Kansas, chair
man of the House Agriculture Committee has
been most in position third man who is
said to be under consideration is Milton Eisen-
hover, president of q Kansas college and
brother of Gen. like" Eisenhower. Any assur-
ance that Senator Thye who was greatly pop
ular as Governor, would run the federal De.
partnent Of Agriculture, would have its affect
on Minnesota beyond doubt.