East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-10-14
Remarks in Acceptance Speech
Quoted to Show Position of
unfriendlineSS Toward Far
merS of the West.
COURAGEOUS DEFLATION'
WAS CANDIDATES SLOGAN
Local Man Suggests That Pro-
duCers Consult Self Interest
First and Ignore Partisan
Features Involved.

Senator Harding In his acceptance
speech talked strongly for defla'ioi
and II through the deflation process
now being carried on by the banki
farmers are suffering they are gcttint
what Senator Harding advised, point
out C. p. Strain, county assessor and
chairman of the democratic count,
central committee.
Mr.. Strain today explains the situa'
fion In the following letter to the Eas
Oregonian:
Pendieton. Oregon. Oct. II.
Editor East Oregonian:
In a Portland morning daily OF the
18th inst. noticed on the front page
the startling headlines; FARM CRASH
FEARED; ASKS WILSON'S AID. In
your own evening iE o.. same date,
front page. appeared these headlines:
FARMERS SEEK RELIE6 IN CRISIS
OF PRICE SLIDE
The gist of the dispatches Is that tho
farmers and the cotongrowers face ru-
in. according 10 statements Of a con-
ference OF organized farmers now be-
ing held in Washington city. and that
they attribute their financial difficult
ties to defiation Of credit brought
about by the action of tho Federal
Reserve Board.
Their claim is that the cotton grow
ers OF the South have lost five hum
dred million dollars and that wheat
growers OF the west are facing similar
losses due to the fall in prices of pro-
ducts that we're and. are 70 be produc-
ed with high priced labor.
Harding's Position shown
Relative to this matter. candor re-
quires that II be said that II is most
fortunate for these farmers and CO.
ton growers that they do not have to
appeal to a president holding the views
of Senator Harding. Those having
Senator Harding's speech of accept
ance as published in pamphlet form
by tho Republican National Commit
tee, may read on page IL thereof
what Senator Harding has to say on
the subject Of deflation. Notice this;
1--WE will attempt intelligent and
courageous deflation and strike al gov
ernment borrowing with every energy
and facility which attend Republican
capacity
In this sentence Senator Harding
says that we (meanlnG himselfi VIZ
try 70 defIate and that he will be cou-
ragcous about 1t. To be courageous
means that he will stick to his pur-
pose in the face Of strong opposition.
He says that his deflation VIII be
intelligent. But when he is to be judge
of what Is intelligent we can only guess
what the word means to him In TINS
His record Indicates that
he would not consider It intelligent TO
use the credit of the United states toI
the benefi, of the farmers. on April
2e 1915, / am advised that he opposed
the farm loan act In the senate.
What McAdoo Did.
A few years ago during this admin
istration there was a threatened snort
age of money for moving the crops,
Secretary McAdoo took one hundred
million dollars out OF the federal treas
ury and sent II forth to relieve the sit
uation with the promise that there was
moro to- follow, If necded.
TO tho farmers who are now begging |
The president for relief and to those
vet to be affected by further decline OF
prices the words OF Senator Harding |
herein quoted may come to have sim
Ister Significance after the fourth OF
next March.
Self Interest FIRST
Men and women facing bankruptcy
due to falling prices can not afford 10
place party above country and self IN
lerest. They dare not ignore the rec
ord and the bias of the respective can
didates. For the government OF the
United States and of all countries Is
an instrument susceptible of wide
range of action and 1t is pretty sure
10 serve the particular class or classes
in control of 1t.
The producers of the West and
south can not tell when other millions
of Federal funds may be needed to
move their crops and they cannot af-
ford TO let the federal. reserve system |
fall into unfriendly hands or TO take
chances on losing the farm loan act
and ether friendly government inter-
yentions to protect them from design
ing Shylocks.
The election of November second
looms as something Immensely bigger
than o question of whether republicans
or democrats are to enjoy the salaries
and the cmolumcnts of office, or as to
which side is to exhult in the pride OF
partisan Victory.
Respectfully
c. L. STRAIN.