The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
esty In Government Is First Pledge n Democratic Pafor

the American farmer has changed from comfort to bankruptcy, with all it's at- tendant miseries. The chief causes for l this are:
 (a) The republican party policy of isolation in international affairs has prevented Europe from getting back to its normal balance, and by leaving un- solved the economic problems abroad has driven the European city popula- tion from industrial activities to the soil in large numbers in order to earn the mere necessaries of life. This has deprived the American farmer of his normal export trade.
 lb) The republican policy of a pro- hibitive tariff, exempIified in the Fordney Met Cumber law, which has forced the American farmer, with his export market debilitated to buy manu- factured goods at sustained high do- nestle levels thereby making him the victim of the profiteer.
 (c) The republican policy of high transportation rates, both rail and water, which has made it impossible for the farmer to ship his produce to mar ket at even living profit.
 | The Remedy
 To, offset these policies and their disastrous results, and to restore the farmer again to economic equality with other industrialists, we pledge our selves: . (a) To adopt an international policy of such cooperation, by direct official instead of indirect and evasive unoffi- cial means as will re-establish the farm ers' export market by restorying the in- dustrial balance in Europe and the nor nal flow of international trade with the settlement of Europe's economic problems.
 tb) To adjust the tariff 50 that the farmer and all other classes can buy again in competitive manufacturers market.
 (c) To readjust and lower rail and water rates, which will make our mar kets, both for the buyer and the seller, natiopal and international, instead of regional and local.
 .td) To bring about the early com pletion of internal waterway systems for transportation and to develop our water powers for cheaper fertilizer and use on our farms.
 (e) To stimulate by every proper governmental activity the progress of CO., operative marketing movement and the establishment of an export marketing corporation or commission in order that the exportable surplus may not estab- fish the price of the whole crop. l f) To secure for the farmer credits suitable for his needs.
 (g) By the establishment of these policies and others naturally supple mentary thereto, to reduce the margin l hof fItn z Ills products and the consumer has to pay for his supplies, to the end that we secure an equality for agriculture.
 RAILROADS
 The sponsors for the Esch- -Cummins transportation act of 1920 at the time of it's presentation to Congress, stated that it had for it's purposes the reduc. tion of the cost of transportation, the improvement of service, the bettering of labor conditions, the promotion of peaceful cooperation between employer and emp1oye, and, at the same time, the assurance of a fair and just re- turn to the railroads upon their in. vestment.
 We are in accord with these an. nounced purposes, but contend that the act has failed to accomplish them. It has failed to reduce the cost of trans portation. The promised improvement in service has not been realized. The labor provisions of the act have proven unsatisfactory in settling difference be- tween employer and employe. M Has Proved Futile | The so-called recapture clause has worked out ito the advantage of the strong and has been of no benefit to the weak. The procurement in the act for the development of both rail and water transportation has proven futile. Water transportation on our inland waterways has not been encouraged and limitation of our coastwise trade is | threatened by the administration of the act. It has unnecessarily interfered with the power of the states to regulate purely intrastate transportation. It must, therefore, be so rewritten that the high purposes which the public well fare demands may be accomplished.
 Railroad freight. rates should be so readjusted as to give the bulky basic, low priced raw. commodities, such as agricultural products, coal and ores, the lowest rates placing the higher rates upon more valuable and less bulky manufactured products. MUSCLE SHOALS AND FERTHI.
 ZERS
 We reaffirm and pledge the fulfill. ment of the policy, with reference to Muscle Shoals, as declared and passed by the democratic majority of the Six | ty-f0urth Congress in the national de- fense act of 1916, "for the production of nitrates or other products needed for munitions of war and useful in the manufacture of fertilizers"
 We hold that the production of cheaper and high-grade fertilizers is essential to agricultural prosperity, We demand prompt action by Congress for the operation of the Muscle Shoals plants to maximum capacity in the production, distribution and sale of commercial fertilizers to the farmers of the country and we oppose any legis- lation that limits the production of fertilizers at Muscle Shoals by limiting the amount of power to be used in their manufacture.
 CONTRACTION OF CREDIT AND
 CURRENCY
 We denounce the recent cruel and unjust contraction of legitimate and necessary credit and currency which was directly due to the so-called defla- tion policy of the republican party as declared in it's national platform of June, 1920, and in the speech of ac: ceptance of it's candidate for the presi- dency. Within eighteen months after the election of 1920 this policy resulted in withdrawing bank loans and dis counts by over billion of dollars and in contracting our currency by over fif- teen hundred millions of dollars.
 This contraction bankrupted hun dreds of thousands of farmers and stock growers in America and resulted in widespread industrial depression and unemployment. We demand that the federal reserve system be so adminis- l Annnd kn niun uAn hilsAr. An s..I.nnA..-.