Cleveland County herald., 1920-07-15

aid Of law and appropriation neees- sary 10 full and effective operation. valued privilege can be afforded a,t1e to an a American citizen than to pee9InGit }Tpited freeholder in the soil of the ocd onlevT ovI States, and to that end we pieo9se ee4 oai party to the enactment of soldleI sst dement's and home aid leslsldlltpi which will afford to the men "o to fought for America the opportuhi,,,oo ,,odep ar become land and home owners .' uhael conditions affordlng genuine goVei|h IT. ment assistance unincumpefea 1S needless difficulties of red tape or ao- vance financial investment
 The Railroads.
 The railroads were subjected to reo eral control as a war measure WlIr4ooS other idea than the swift transport U. troops, munitions and supplies. not human life and national hopes W5a5ad W9[S @' stake, profits could not be consldertu' and were not. Federal operation. now nov ever. was marked by an lntelllsenoSS and efficiency that minimized loss a1lu resulted in many and marked ieIoi t ill2t The equipment taken over was not only grossly inadequate. but shaine fully outWorn. Unificaton pracllce59 overcame these initial handicaps anu provided additions. betterments anu improvements. Economies enapleu pp eration without the rate ralses ma lnaf private control would would Ina nave treated lgtt.d with an exact justice that secured Ing @ enthusiastic cooperation that VteeotS 4ze.l.9 demanded. The fundamental Purp9}SSe of federal control was achieved lullS and splendidly and at far less @ cost to the taxpayer than would ndVe been the case under private operaIloyi.lo, Investments in railroad properties Mele rot only saved by government operaeoIti but government management fetufAeo these properties vastly improved ln eV- cry physical and executive detail. A great task was greatly discharged.
 The presidents recommendation or re- turn to private ownership gave the ite- publican majority fult year III MiiGu Mi, to enact the necessary legislation. 1!e house took six months to formulate its ideas and another six months was con stunned by the Republican senate In equaI- ly vague debate. As d consequence! tne Esch-C Cunmins bill went to the pfeSIueHt in the closing hours of congress, md he was forced to a choice between the chaos of veto and acqulescence in the meas ure submitted, however grave may nave been his objections to it.
 There should be fair and compete test of the law until careful and mature action by congress may cure US de1ect9 and insure q thorouSHly eIectlEe ,,,1a.T- tIanS- portaton system under private owner ship without government subsidy at the expense of tEe taxpayers of the country,
 Improved Highways.
 Improved roads are of vital importance not only to commerce and Industry but also to agricultural life. The federal road act of 1916, enacted by Democratic con gress, represented the ffrst systematic et- fort of tue government t9 insure the building of an adequate system Of roads in this country. The act, as amended, mas resulted in placing the movement for lm- proved highways In a progressive ana substantial basis in every stata in the Union and in bringing under actual con struction more than 5000 miles of roads suited to the traffic needs )f the com munites In which they are located.
 We favor a continuance of the present federal aid plan under existing federal and state agencies, amended so as to in- clude as one of the elements in deter ming the ratio in which tic several states states shall be entitled to share in the fund.- the area of public lands therein
 Rural Free Delivery.
 Inasmuch as the postal service has been extended by the Democratic party to the door of practically every producer and every consumer in the country (rural free delivery alone having been provided for 600o,O00 additional patrons within the past eight years without material added cost, we declare that this instrumentallty can and will be used to the maXirlum of it's capacity to improve the erffcIency of dis triDution and reduce the cost of living to consumers and increasing the profitable operations of producers
 Merchant Marine.
 We desire to congratulate the American people upon the rebirth of our merchant marine which once more maintains its former place in the world. It was under 0 Democratic administration that this was accomplished after seventy years of indifference and neglect, 13,OD,0OO tons having been constructed since the act was passed in 1916. We pledge the policy of our party to the continued growth of our merchant marine under proper iegls- lation so that American products will be carried to all ports of the world by ves- sels built in American yards, flying the American flag
 Inland Waterways.
 We cat attention to the failure Of the Mi tn nize in any way the rapid deVG4opment of barge transportation on our inland Wa terways, which development is the result of the constructive policies of the Demo- selves to the farther development of ade- quate transportation facilities on our riv- CTS and to the further Improvement of our inland waterways, and we recognize the importance of connecting the Great Lakes with the sea by way of the Mis- sissippi river and it's tributaries, as well as by the St. Lawrence river.
 Transportation remains an increasingly vital problem i1 the continued develop ment and prosperity of the nation. Our present facilities for distribution by rail transportation by water is imperative. We therafore favor a liberal and compre henatve policy for the development anj utilization of our harbors and intenor
 F,eod Control.
 We com!uend the Democratic congress for the redemption of t pledge contained in our last platform by the passage of tn. flood contol act of March l. l9l7 and point to the successful Gontr0l of the floods of the Mississippi rive1 and the Sac ramento river. California, under the pol icy of that law, for it's complete justtica- tiCn. We favor the extension of this pol icy to other flood control problems wher- ever the federal interest Involved justi- fes the expenditure required.
 Reclamation Of Arid Lands.
 By wise legislation and progressive ad- ministration, we have transformed the government reclamation projects repre- senting an investment of S100 0l0, ,00O from a condition of impending failure and loss of confidence in the ability O. the govern ment to carry through such large enter prises to condition of demonstrated sue cess, whereby formerly arid and wholly unproductive lands now sustain z0 0O0 pros porous families and have an annual crop uroduction of over $70000,000 not including the crops grown on million acres out side the projects supplied with storage water from government works.
 We favor ample appropriations for the continuation and extension of this great work of home building and internal in- prove1nent along the same general lines to the end that all practical projects shall be built and waters now running to waste shall he made to provide homes and add to the food supply, power resources and taxable property, with the government ul tirnately reimbursed for the entire ont