The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-07-09

great sums or money, while revealing
nothing beyond the incapacity of re-
publican politicians to cope with the
problems. Demanding that the pres
ident, from his place at the peace ia
Bile, call the congress into extraordi-
nary session for imperative purposes
of Eeadjustmehi. the congress when
convened spent thirteen , months in
partisan pursuits, failing to repeal a
single war statute which -harrassed
business or to initiate a single con-
structive measure to help business.
1t busted itself making pre- election
record of pretended thrift having not
one particle OF substantial existence
in fact.
1t ragged against profiteers and the
nigh cost Of living without enacting a
single statute to make the former
afraid or doing a single act to bring
the latter within limitations.
The SIMPLE truth is that the high
cos Of living can only be remedied by
increased production, strict govern
mental economy and a relentless pur-
suit OF those who take advantage of
post war conditions and are determin-
Ing and receiving outrageous profits.
We pledge the democratic party to
a policy of strict economy in govern
ment expenditures to the enactment
and enforcement Of such legislation
is made required to bring profiteers
before the bar Of criminal Justice.
Favor Budget System.
The Tariff: We reaffirm the ira
ditional policy of the democratic
party in favor Of tariff for revenue
only and confirm the policy of basing
tarln revisions upon the intelligent
research Of non partisan commits
sion rather than upon the demands of
selfish interests temporarily held in
allegiance.
Budget: In the interest of economy
and good administration, we favor the
creation of an effective budget system
that will function in accord with the
principles of the constitution.
Agriculture interests: To the great
agricultural interests of the country
the democratic party does not find it
necessary to make promises. 1t al
ready is rich in its record of things
half century of republican rule not
sentence was written into the fed
era! statutes affording one dollar of
Dank credits to the farmers interests
OF America. In the first term of this
democratic administration the nation
al Dank act was so altered as to au-
thorize loans of five years maturity
on improved farm lands. Later was
estaollshed system of farm loan
banks, from which the borrowings
already exceed $500, 100000 OF dol
lars and under which the interest
rate to farmers has been so material
ly reduced as to drive out of business
the loan shanks who formally sub
sisted by extortion upon the great ag-
rlcultural interests Of the country.
Aid For Farmers.
Thus it was a democratic congress
in the administration of a democrats
president which enabled the farmers
Of America for the first time to OBJ
tain credit upon reasonable terms
and insured their opportunity for flu
ture developments of the nations
agricultural resources.
We pledge prompt and consistent
support of sound and effective meas
ures to sustain, amplify and perfect
the rural credit statutes and thus to
check and reduce the growth and
course Of farm tenancy.
The democratic party has vastly
improved the rural mail system and
mas built up the parcel post system
10 such an extent as to render its
activities and its practical service in
dlspensable to the farming community.
lt was this wise announcement and
this effective concern of the demo-
cratic party for the farmers of the
interest to render such essential sery
interest o render such essential serv-
ice In feeding the armies Of America
and the allied nations of the war and
succoring starving populations since
armistice day. Meanwhile the repub-
lican leaders at WASHINGTON have
failed utterly to propose one single
measure to make rural life more toll
cradle.
Rap Labor Stand.
They have signaliZed their fifteen
months of congressional power by
urging schemes which would strip the
farms of labor; by assailing the
principles Of the farm loan system and
seeking to impair it's efficiency; by
covertly attempting to destroy the
great nitrogen plant at Muscle Shoals
upon which the government has exz
pended $70,000.000 to supply Ameri :
can farmers with fertilizers at rea-
sonable. cost; by ruthlessly Gripping
nearly every branch of agricultural
endeavor, literally crippling the pro-
ductive mediums through which the
people must be fed.
We favor such legislation as will
confirm to the primary producers of
the nation the rest of collective bar
gaining and the rest of cooperative
handling and marketing Of the pro-
ducts Of the workshop and the farm
and such legislation as will facilitate
the expectation Of our farm products.
We favor comprehensive studies of
farm production costs and the uncen-
sored publication Of facts found in
such studies.
Labor and Industry: The democratic
rarity is now, as ever, the basis.
n = Of Labor.
Labor and Industry: The demo-
cratic party is now, as ever, the firm
friend of honest labor and the pro-
moter of progressive industry. 1t es-
tablished the department of labor at
Washington and democratic presi-
dent called to his official council
board the first practical working
man who ever held cabinet port
folio. Under this administration
have been established employment
bureaus. to bring the man and the
job together; have been peaceable
determined many bitter disputes be-
tween capital and labor; were pass
ed the child labor act, the working
mans compensation act, the extern
sion of which we advocate so as to
include laborers engaged in loading
and unloading ships and interstate
commerce: the eight hour law. the
act for vocational training and a
code of other wholesome laws affect
ing the liberties and lettering the
conditions Of the laboring classes.