The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-05-16
REFUSE TOCONSlDER
LIQUOR MEASURE
Democrats Of Congress Have Written
Into Law Their Views on Some of
the Most Important Problems.
BATHRlCK DESERVES CREDIT
Is Largely Responsible for Reporting
of Rural Credit Bill Out of Commit.
tee-Will Create Bond Market.
(By r. F. WILSON,

Washington, May 16.-Voters, no
matter ther position may be
on the prohibition question, should
applaud the courage of the Demo.
cratic caucus Of the house fore
fusing to take up the constitutional
amendment for complete prohibition
ait this session of Congress.
The Democratic Congress has writ
ten into law it's views on some of the
most important economic problems of
the last ten years. It should go be-
fore the people on this record alone,
in order to give the people an op-
portunity to approve or disapprove
the Democratic policies of tariff, cur
rency reform and trust regulation.
Were the liquor question to be voted
upon by Congress, it would mean
that the principal issue raised in
each congressional district would be
whether the congressman voted wet
or dry.
This would blind the voters to the
tariff and other achievements of the
Democratic party and prevent a fair
expression of opinion on the legisla-
ton that has been passed. The party
has earned the right to be judged by
these great legislative measures. The
liquor problem should wait until a
later campaign.
Credit for Farm Bank Bill.
Representative E. r. Bathrick, of
Ohio, is largely responsible for the
fact that in the rural credit bill re-
Gently reported from the committee,
the proposition of federal financial
aid for the farmers appears. The
Ohio congressman is not a member
of the committee, but he single-hand-
ed began a fight for government aid
at a time when it seemed Gas was the
actual condition at the time) that
the two Banking and Currency COM
mittees were opposed to the govern
ment aid proposition
Bathrick did this by making a
thorough study of the European
forms of rural credit. When the
hearings began before the two COM
mittees of congress, he knew more
about rural credit than any other
man in congress. Bathrick's own
bill on the subject, provided for a
straight system of government bond
issues, the money from the sale of
the bonds to be reloaned to the farm
ers.
Bathrick's argument before the
joint committee opened the eyes of
the members to- many points they
would not have seen but for him.
The two largest farmers organiza-
tions-the National Grange and the
Farmers Union-as we'll as the Am
erican Federation of Labor, got be-
hind this bill.
He won his fight when he convinc-
ed his colleague. from Ohio, Represen-
tative Buckley, chairman of the
house committee, that government
aid is practicable.
The bill is fair compromise with
the Bathrick plan, which Bathrick
is willing to accept. 1t is probable
that the farmers organizations will
follow iBathrick's lead in supporting
the new measure, which provides for
farm bonds to be bought by the ma
tional government at the rate of
$50,000,000 year.
Buckley contends that this provi-
sion of the bill will create such a
market for the farm bonds that the
success of the new system will be
assured from the state.