Show Wh Why Tennessee Tenness e went Republican By Mark Sullivan I There is one aspect of presen present con con- and especially of cO conditio Uti during the recent change so 80 who some and satisfying that it no no no become history without being dehn r recorded corded and brought to tho pi t of the largest number jf tf f pee veo Pie plc v During the p past pst st t three r mon ono l ia y d. d during the the IA hp Tt urr cm ta a amount am u 1 of f pressure on Secret Secretary ry Houston of the treasury and on onn the federal r reserve serve board This press pressure re came and still comes from a large variety of individuals and I During September and o October October Octo Octo- i ber it came came conspicuously from delegations delegations dele dele- of farmers led by their local politicians The object was to press press the secretary of bf the treasury and the federal reserve board Int Into taking some action beneficial to those who exert the pressure It should be said that on some occasions this pressure took took and still takes almost the form and vehemence vehemence vehemence ence ence of an attempt at Intimidation intimidation That praise would h hardly be too strong An election was pending The The fhe party in power was was on trial ana votes votes could be bewon won by or lost by refusal That the secretary of the treasury I and the federal board refused to I take any of the various actions demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de is a matter of record That I Ithe the Democratic party being the party par par- par par-j parity ty in power suffered by this refusal is also a matter of record Acquiescence Acqui ACqUI 1 by the treasury would not have won the election for the Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- but that their refusal to do a a. athing athing thing which had been specifically demanded de dc by cotton farmers in Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Ten Ten- and wheat and cotton farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers in Tennessee and wheat ant and cot cotton cotton I ton farmers In Oklahoma was wasI- wasI a large largo part of the cause of normally normany nor nor- nor nor-I mally many Democratic states ol-ij ol 1 n Re JIG JIG- publican is easily proved Th Tha oleo elec election i tion Uon of a a. Republican senator fro from Oklahoma is said to have been duo due directly to resentment on the part par of or orthe I the cotton raisers I Whether tho the action demanded b byi by I I these politicians and 11 farmers was or I was not sound Bound nuance and aud whether u the refusal by th the secretary of Jf the we treasury and the federal reserve from board was or was not Justified is ts not Jilot the point The point is that the president and a federal reserve board who hold their office omee t by OY y appoint appoint appoint ap ap- point from front the president knowingly spade the choice and took the position poll pod lion tion which everybody knew was bound to lose loee votes rotes for the party whOle o leader loader had had put thorn ein In This U ix so 0 wholesome a thing that it S. S good to record It at a moment when confidence in government is ie being be be- being ing impaired by revelations of scandal scand scan- scan d dal dal t in another n department It is so 10 nie a a thing thins that cynicism I pr preceding the event would have reI re- re rS' rS I r. r tiiU t.- t. U ii v t f 7 t fused ed to beU believe It When When the crean crea- crea n 1 o of t the fe federal eral reserve board was rider Jt the discussion in one the chief objections was that the would always be pout pout- l an land and hat the board would yield of s stress ress to political pres- pres reo re rhe e episode in fact recalls a sped sped- 2 C Uon ln in in which I President reside t Ils oh participated r-I r i t Jit the e when J M ei I l r erYe c x a as lr r c I board would become the pr prey y of politicians poll poll- and would yield to political or or r sectional or class press was press was made to President Wilson He replied that this was not necessarily necessarily to be feared He said that there are always some offices which can be kept sacred from political pressure He cited within his own experience the higher r courts of New Jersey and pointed out that no matter matter matter mat mat- ter how low the levIs to which politics politics poli- poli tics in that state from time to time the higher courts were kept I immune He said that it would be bep p possible to achieve the same immunity immunity 1 from politics from frolD the federal reserve board and that one way of ot achieving it he could himself attend I to by making the first appointments I Imen men of such high reputation that they would create for the office a dignity dignity dignity dig dig- abo above e reproach and of such high l character that no one could coerce them The resIstance which this federal reserve board and Se Secretary Houston of the treasury both appointed by Mr Wilson made to a clamor from politicians of the presidents president's own party who in some cases made their their plea In formal delegations led by senators from Democratic states isone is isone isone one of the very large entries to be beset beset beset set down on the credit side of Mr Wilsons Wilson's administration If It Is followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed as a precedent by future presIdents presidents presidents pres pres- and future reserve boards President Wilson in this case calC along with some other more obvious cases will bo be entitled to credit for giving one ne of the country's a permanent impetus In the right di dI- dI Whether the demands made mado on the I treasury were proper or Improper whether thor was wise or orIn Unwise unwise Un un- wise from the point of view of or sOU sound economics as well as sound lound morals dOM does not matter mattor There will be plenty plen plen- ty of occasions to discuss that later on fore for the clamor for treasury sury aid continues O s and and nd the larger aspects of i this kind of ot thing will be bo bethe the burden burden burden bur bur- den of our domestic politics for yeara years to come I happen to think that the refusal was soun sound and that no assent nt could h have ve been m made de to the plea of the tho farmers and oU other r for treasury aid aidIn aidin aidin in holding their goods goods' for higher prices without violation of both eco ceo and morals This belief boiler was shared bared by man many of the very politicIans politicians clans whom ado ade the pleas Private Private- Continued on Correspondence page WILSONS WU ADU ADMINISTRATION Continued from Page One ly Iy they said frankly that they did not believe bellev believe in In ln what the constituents were asking but that they had to go through the motions for political reasons The belief was also shared by some farmers Just after Secretary Houston Issued this formal statement statement statement state state- ment giving his reasons or Sor his re refusal refusal re re- to do what certain cotton raisers had bad demanded he should do the following letter was written to him by a cotton farmer who lives near the little town of Forney Texas Mr Secretary I beg just one minute of your time to express to yo you my appreciation appreciation tion of your answer to the farmers' farmers as per clipping I 1 am a farmer farmer I I have never been anything else nor else nor have I any interest Interest interest inter Inter- est in anything else I came here from Appomattox and rode the old horse that General Grant in the kindness o of his heart gave m me With Witha a scooter plow I opened a furrow and ld- ld my wife sowed the seed with the the springs spring's winds whipping her skirts We made a crop and have been boon at it ever since This year we I always include my children have gathered over 1000 bales of cotton I think I know something of this business I think I know all the ups and downs of farming and I want to say to you rou this I had rather sell seIl my cotton at five cents as I have havee often done than I to have my government bankrupted by any such foolish schemes The trouble with the farmers is mainly extravagance I can live on what some of my neighbors pay for gasoline We need only to cut down expenses and to work and not de depend depend depend de- de pend so BO much on on having it done Sincerely |