Evening star., 1928-10-20

life to the country the right to cast his
ballot in the coming election.
Let me say word to you about
water power. The country's water
power possibilities are practically the
very last of our great natural re-
sources that have not fallen into the
hands OF private monopoly. 1t is the
contention of the Democratic party as
outlined in its platform and in my
speech of acceptance that these great
God-given resources belong to the
people and should never be alienated.
and should be developed under public
ownership and under public control. to
the end that public agency, whether
State or Federal, may be in a position
by supplying the energy under contract
to fix the rates to the ultimate con-
sumer, and also to provide for its Just
and equitable distribution.
The Democratic party has taken the
Dig, broad, progressive view of devel-
oping electrical energy from water
power. The Republican party, on the
other hand, boWing in obedience before
the power trust, evades the subject,
offers no definite program, and the
Republican candidate in his speech of
acceptance refers to it so vaguely that
nobody understands his position When
recently speaking at Elizabethton in the
state OF Tennessee, he made some men,
lion or dangerous and destructive doc
trines in relation to this problem. T
can spell nothing from his language
except opposition to public development
and public control. BY their very
action they have aligned themselves
With the great interests that seek to
Wrest this last resource from the hands
or the people themselves. That thew
lend moral support to the propaganda
OF the lighting companies, spread
broadcast through the country to dis
courage public ownership and control
tnere can be no question.
Raps Vests Appointment.
No satisfactory explanation can ever
oe made OF the appointment of Row q
west as Secretary of the Interior. in
Wnlch position he is ex-oficio a mem
per OF the Federal Power Commission
IN view OF his long history of connec-
ZION with private power companies
nou!der Dam, with its great possibili-
Ties or electrical energy. remains nm
developed. Muscle Shoals. constructed
Win Government funds during the war
ana capable of building up a. large sec
tlon OF the country by the production
OF eiectrlcal energy at reasonable prices
Is standing idle. A bill for it's further
oeVelopment and its operation under
governmental control met with a veto
at Inc hands of President Coolidge. and
ne repuked the Congress for Spending
50 much time talking about it. on the
Cneory, as he himself said, that it was
LoS worm any more than the price of
one nrst-class battleship.
At the end of seven and a. half vaarS
puol1C oevelopment has not only been
arrested, but there is every sign On the
Republican political horizon that these
great natural resources will. if left tn
the Republican party, finally find their
way INTO The hands of private individ-
ua!s and private corporations for private
gam and for private profit
rms is the record of the present ad.
mlnlStratlon as far as water power is
concerned, and that record is offered tC
ti!e american people as the guaranty oI
wnat they can expect in the next fou1
years in the event of Republican success
Development of our inland waterways
Is promised every four years by the Re.
publican party. and 1928 sees us with
OUT even plan, not to speak of a de-
Velopment, and so far as these arteries
OF trade and commerce are concerned
the record of the present administrator
Is the guaranty of what we may expect
from another Republican admins
tration
In my speech at Louisville last Sats,r.
day night offered from the record ah.
solute proof that the Republican ad.
mlnlstration paralyzed the Tariff Com.
mission recommended by President Taft
2O years ago and later by President Will
son. Inc purpose, and only purpose. OF
the Tariff Commission is to Law before
congress the facts and figures from
Wnlch an intelligent and understandable
tariff bill can be drawn.
Immediately following my speech the
Republican candidate entirely distorted
my remarks and attempted to make the
american public believe that I desired
70 transfer the law-making power from
Congress to Tariff Commission, when
no such suggestion came from me. ]
merely asked that there be made ef-
1ectlve and that there be strengthened
tne Thought and the idea of a fact
nndlng Tariff Commission originally an
nounced by President Taft. / read from
the record and I showed how President
Coolidge did his full share 10 paralvgf
the Tariff Commission and render Il
useless.
Attacks Dry Record.
This is the record as far as the Tariff
commission is concerned. and 1t consti-
tutes the Republican guaranty of what
may be expected in the next four wears
In the event of Republican success.
1t is a matter of common knowledge
throughout the length and breadth Of
this land that the Republican party
IN the last seven and half years has
entirely closed Its eyes to the problem
OF prohibition. Its record is one Of
double dealing and double crossing. i
has attempted the impossible by tryine
to carry water on both shoulders. II
has tried to be dry among the dry,
and wet among the vets. I have the
testimony Of a Republican official thai
it was used for Republican patronage
purposes.
The long record of corruption con.
nected with its attempted enfocement
indicates that men paid from the
pockets Of the taxpayers to sustain the
law exacted payment from those whs
were permitted to wink at it. AS to tht
fundamentals of the problem, the Re.
publican administration, like tht
ostrich, has buried its head In the
sand and has assumed that everything
Is all right.
The Republican candidate says il
must be worked out conStructively
What he means by that no living person
can tell. It is a matter of record, how.
ever. that no attempt has been made
by the Republican administration ovel
seven and a half years to work it ou
In any fashion. While referring to II
as a noble experiment, the Republican
candidate speaks Of the grave abuse:
that have crept into its administration
There is nothing on the record thai
indicates that the Republican party ha.
done a single thing in the last sever
and half years to eradicate these
abuses. If they did anything, they help.
ed to promote them by the character
of the men that they insisted, for pat.
ronage purposes, be charged with the
enforcement of this law.
Seeks Dry Amendment.
This is the record and they cannot