THE SAGE OF TISHIMINGO

It was during the middle of last summer that strange rumbles emanating from the Oklahoma oil-fields caught the national ear. At first casually identified as the eruptions of another wildcat oil-well, they were later traced to a new and unique figure who has appeared on the American scene, Alfalfa Bill Murray. The latest of a long line of politicians representing the common people, he possesses the homely manners and pithy wisdom that have become an American tradition.

The presence of "Alfalfa Bill" in Washington during the past few days astutely looking over the political situation, focusses attention on the dynamic character, who not long ago employed such belligerent methods to raise the price of oil in Oklahoma. Whatever his political qualifications, Governor Murray undoubtedly possesses personal characteristics of a type calculated to raise him in popular esteem. His vigorous denunciation of international banking may lack some of the elements of sound criticism, but it goes straight to the heart of the average man who is bewildered and a bit suspicious about where his money goes. The farmer, always seeking for a champion, sees in "Alfalfa Bill" the product of a western agricultural state who is instinctively hostile to the urban plutocracy of the East. The fact that during the past summer in Oklahoma he invariably wore a white cotton suit was not lost on a population suffering from a sharp drop in the price of cotton.

In recent years America has been especially rich in demagogues, from Mayor Thompson to the magnificent Huey Long of Louisiana, but none of them surpass "Alfalfa Bill" in the hearty buffoonery which is a large part of their appeal. His refusal to shave his moustache on the ground that doing so is injurious to the eyes deserves to be a classic of Americana. The obliging habit of standing on his head for reporters as proof that advanced ago has not destroyed his vigor is likewise a masterpiece of publicity hunting. With the Democratic convention approaching, his efforts for prominence will doubtless be increased. It is an open secret that he is a potential candidate for the presidency. And however remote the prospect of his getting it may be, it should be remembered that the unexpected is traditionally the most likely event in American politics.