Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-07-08


gress which invalidated by plain consti-
tutional defects and defaced by consid-
erations of patronage. the President was
| obliged to veto The House altered the
bill to meet the executive objection. We
| condemn the Republican Senate for adj
| journing without passing the amended
measure, whereby devoting an hour or
two more to this urgent public business
! budget system could have been provided
TAX REVISION
We condemn the failure of the present
Congress to respond to the oft-repeated
demand of the President and the secre-
taries of the treasury to revise the exist
| ing tax laws. The continuance in force
| in peace times If taxes devils ed under pres
sure of imperative necessity to produce
a revenue for war purposes is indofensible
and can only result In lasting injury to
tho people. The Republican Congress per-
sistcntly failed, through sheer political
cowardcc. to make a single move toward
! n rcadjustment Of tax Jaws which 4. de-
| nouncc1 before tho last election and was
afraid to revise before the next election.
We advocate tax reform and Z searching
revision OF 'hc war revenue acts 20 81
peace conditions so that the wealth c.
She nation may not bc withdrawn from
productive enterprise aud diverted 10
/ wnLstefu! or non productive expenditure.
Wo demond prompt action by the next
Congress FOR complete survcy Of exist
ing taxes and their modification and sim
plificstion with view 10 secure greater
equity and justice in tax burden and i'm
provcment in administration
SENATE RULES
We favor such alteration Of the rules OF
procedure Of the Senate of the United
c.,+o 1,-tt 10
ton Of the nations legislative business
| AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS
To the great agricultural interests of the
country the Democratic party does not
find 1t necessary to make promises. It
already is rich in its record Of things ac-
tually accomplished for nearly half a CEN
fury of Republican rule. not a sentence
was written into the federal statutes af-
fordinE one dollar to hank credits to the
farming interests Of America In the first
term of this Democratic administration
the national hank act was altered as
to authorize loans of five years maturity
on improved farm lands. Later es-
tablished a system of farm loan banks
from which the borrowing already exceeds
$500, o0o and under which the interest
rate to farmers has been materially
reduced as TO drive out of business the
by extortion upon the great agricultural
interests Of the country.
Thus it was a Democratic Congress in
the administration Of a Democratic pres
ident which enabled the farmers of Amer
lea for the first time to obtain credit up
on reasonable terms and insured their OPP
portunity for the future development of
the nations agricultural resources. Tied
up in Supreme Court proceedings. in 4
suit by hostile interests, the federal farm
, loan system. originally opposed by the
Republican candidate for the preside ncy
appealed in vain to a Republican Con-
gress for adequate financial assistance to
, tide over the interim between the begin
| ming and the ending of the current year
, awaiting final decision Of the highest
court on the validity of the contested act.
: We pledge prompt and consistent support
of sound and effective measures to sus-
! tain. amplfy and perfect the rural cred
, its statutes and thus to check and re-
duce the growth and course of farm,
tenancy.
Not only did the Democratic party put
into effect a great farm loan system o'
, land mortgage banks. but it passed the
Smith-Lever agricultural act, carrying tt
every farmer in every section of the coun
try, through the medium of trained ey-
perts and by demonstration farms, the
practical knowledge acquired by the fed
f eral agricultural department in all things
. relating to agriculture. horticulture anc
. animal life: it established the bureau OF
, markets, the bureau of farm management
, and passed the cotton futures act the
E grain grades bill. the cooperative farm
. administration act. and the federal ware
house act.
The Democratic party has vastly improv
cd tho rural mail system and has built ur
the parcel post system to such an extern
as to render its activities and its practica
service indispensable to the farming com
= munity. 1t this wise Encouragement
g and this effective concern of the Demo
= cratic party for the farmers OF the Uni
@ ted States that enabled this great interes
e to render such essential service in feed
# ing the armies of America and the allied
= nations Of the war and succoring starv
e ing populations since armistce day
Meanwhile the Republican leaders a
r Was hington have failed utterly to pro
q pose one single measure to make rura
= life more tolerable. They have signalze,
a their IL months of congressional power b,
Il urging schemes which would strip tn
n farms of labor; by asailing the principle
of the farm loan system and seeking 4
:, impair it's efficiency; by covertly attempt
:. ing to destroy the great nitrogen plan
4 at Muscle Shoals upon which the govern
:, ment has expended S70.0O.000 to suppl,
- American farmers with fertilizers at rea
sonable cost; by ruthlessly Gripping near
q iy every branch of agricultural endeavor
literally Gripping the productive medium
> through which the people must be fed
We favor such legislation as will con
:, firm to the primary producers OF the ma
ton the right of collective bargainin
. and tho right Of cooperative handling an
= marketing Of tho products OF the wor
: shops and the farm and such Legislation
10 as will facilitate the expectation OF gu
farm products.
We favor comprehensive strdjcG OF fdfr
10 production costs and the uncenso:ed pub
- LEGATION Of eacts found IN suLh studies
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
J. The Democratic party is now. as eve
'e the firm friend of honest labor and tn
promoter of progressive industry.
established the department OF labor a
u Washington and a Democratic Presider
VI called to his official council board the frs
- practical working man who ever held
70 cabinet portfolio Under this admins
'e tration have been established employment
. bureaus to bring the man and the job to
~ gether; have been peaceably determine
many bitter disputes between capital an
- labor; were passed the child labor aG
80 tho workingman's compensation act 9TH
extension Of which we advocate 30 as I
u include laborers engaged in loading an
: unloading ships and in interstate com
y merce the eight hour law), the act TO
vocational training and a code of othe
81. No. xfa, ~,