The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-07-04

/ ney- Mccumber law. which has forced
the American farmer, with his export
market debilitated, to buy manufactured
1 goods at sustained high domestic 'rvels
| thereby making him the victim Of the
| profiteer.
1 (c) The Republican policy Of high
| transportation rates, both rail and water.
| which has made II impossible for the
| farmer to ship his produce to market at
even living profit.
| To offset these policies and their dis
| astrous results, and to restore the farmer
| again to economic equality with other
| industrialists, we pledge ourselves:
(a) To adopt an international policy
| of such cooperation, by direct official
| instead Of indirect and evasive unoff1cial
| means as will re-establish the farmers
export market by restoring the Industrial
balance in Europe and the normal f1ow
| of international trade with the settle
ment of Europe's economic problems
I'D To adjust the tariff SO that the
| farmer and all other classes can ouy
again in a competitive manufacturers
| market
(c) To readjust and lower rail and wa
| ter rates. which will make our markets.
| both for the buyer and the seller, ma
tional and international instead OF re-
| gional and local
| I'd, To bring about the early compile
| ton of internal waterway systems for
| transportation, and to develop our wa
! ter powers for cheaper fertilizer and use
| on our farms
| (e) To stimulate by every proper gov
ernmental activity the progress OF the CO.
| operative marketing movement and the
| establishment of an export marketing
| corporation or commission in order that
| he 70 la
| the price of the whole crop.
Il To secure for the farmer credits
| suitable for his needs.
| (g) BY the establishment Of these poll
| cies and others naturally supplementary
thereto, to reduce the margin between
what the producer receives for his PROD
| ucts and the consumer has to pay Tor ms
| supplies, to the end that we sccure 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 purpose the reduction
| of the cost Of transportation, the inn
| provement of service, the promotion OF
| peaceful cooperation between employer
| and employee, and, at the same time, the
assurance of a fair and just return to
:. the railroads upon their investment
We are in accord with these announced
| purposes, but contend that the act has
| failed to accomplish them. 1t has failed
| to reduce the cost Of transportation. The
| promised improvement IN service has not
been realized. The labor provisions OF
| the act have proven unsatisfactory In
settling differences between employer and
employees. The so-called recapture clause
has worked to the advantage of the strong
| and has been Of no benefit to the weak.
The pronouncement In the act for the
| development of both rail and water trans
portation has proved futile. Water trans
| portation upon our inland waterways has
| not been encouraged, and limitation Of
our coastwise trade is threatened by the
| administration Of the act. 1t has I'M
| necessarily interfered with the power OF
| the states to regulate purely intrastate
transportation. 1t must, therefore, be
SO rewritten that the high purposes which
the public welfare demands may be ac-
| complished.
| Railroad freight rates should be 20 re-
adjusted as to give the bulky, basic, low
| priced raw commodities such as agricul-
tural products, coal and ores, the lowest
rates, placing the higher rates upon more
| valuable and less bulky manufactured
| products.
| Muscle Shoal and Fertilizers
We reaffirm and pledge the fulfilment
| of the policy, with reference to Muscle
Shoals, as declared and passed by the
| Democratic majority of the Sixty-fourth
Congress in the National Defense act of
1915, for the products of nitrates or
other products needed for munitions Of
war and useful in the manufacture of fer.
| tilizers."
We hold that the production of cheaper
and higher grade fertilizers is essential
to agricultural prosperity. We demand
| prompt action by Congress for the opera
| ton of 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 legislation that limits the production
| Of fertilizers at Muscle Shoals by limiting
the amount Of power to be used in their
| manufacture.
Republican Contraction of Credit and
Currency
| We denounce the recent cruel and un-
just contraction of legitimate and neces-
| sary credit and currency, which was di-
rectly due to the so-called de1ation poll
icy Of the Republican Party rs declared
in its national platform of June, 1890,
| and In the speech Of acceptance Of it's
candidate for the Presidency.
/ Within eighteen months after the cleo
ton of 1920 this policy resulted in with
drawing bank loans and discounts by over
five billions Of dollars and in contracting
| our currency by over fifteen hundred mil
lions Of dollars. This contraction bank
rupted hundreds of thousands Of farmers
and stock growers in America and re-
| suited in widespread Industrial depres-
sion and unemployment.
We demand that the Federal Reserve
system be so administered as to give
stability to industry, commerce and IL
nance. as was intended by the Democratic
party, which gave the Federal Reserve
system to the nation.
Reclamation
The Democratic party was foremost In
urging reclamation for the immediate
arid and semi-arid lands of the West.
These lands are located in the public
land states and. therefore, it is the duty
of the government to utilize their re.
| sources by reclamation.
Homestead enjoyment under reclama-
ton projects have suffered from the ex
travagant inefficiencies and mistakes of
| the Federal government.
The reclamation act of 1924 recon-
mended by the Fact Finding Commission
and added as an amendment to the seq
ond deficiency appropriation bill at the
last session of Congress, was eliminate
from that bill by the Republican con-