The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-09-20
IMMEDIATE FARM
RELIEF PROMISED
Gov. Al Smith Endorses the
McNary Bill He Formerly
Repudiated
ATTACKS REPUBLICANS
Large Audience Hears Demo-
cratic Candidate at First
Meeting

Omaha, Neb,, Sept. lS-LeVell-
ing an attack on the Republican
party, President Coolidge, and his
opponent, Herbert Hoover, for
their stand on farm relief, Govern
or Smith, in the heart of the grain
belt to open his speech-making
campaign for the presidency, de-
clared last night that he stood for
the "principle" of the McNary-
Haugen bill, twice vetoed by Pres
ident Coolidge.
"What remains of the McNary-
Haugen bill is a mere matter of
method" the Democratic nominee
asserted in an address prepared for
delivery in the auditorium here,
land l do not limit myself to the
exact mechanics and method en-
bodied in that bill" r.
"I pledge to the farmers and to
the people of this country" he adj
ded, "that no stone will be left un-
turned to give immediate and ade-
quate farm relief by legislation
carrying into practice this definite
principle for which my party and
1 stand"
In his prepared text the Demo-
cratic candidate made no direct ref
erence to the equalization fee pro-
vision of the McNary-Haugen bill,
which President Coolidge branded
unconstitutional.
Governor Smith charged that the
Republicans had violated their plat
form promise, had deceived the
farmer, and had done nothing
whatever to contribute in the
slightest degree to relieve the dis
tress or promote the welfare of the
farmers"
Gas far as the President HIM
self is concerned" he said, Senat-
or Norris Republican independent
of Nebraska) sums it all up in a
few words: He stood against con-
gress in the measures that they
/ offered, but made no constructive
suggestions himself even after the
exhaustive study he claims the adj
ministration gave the subject
"He might well have added"
Governor Smith went on, "that Mr..
Hoover as chief advisor of the
last two administrations upon the
tsubject Of agriculture, assumed
direct responsibility for the hostil-
ity and inaction of the administra-
ton, and continues to assume that
responsibility by his fulsome in
dorsement of the record of the
Coolidge policies"
The doors to the auditorium were.
opened two hours before Smith
was to start speaking. The crowd.
many of whom had been waiting
in the streets outside for several
hours fiocked in and in a short time
the hall which those in charge of
arrangements said could accommo-
date 5000 was damned. Hundreds
standing up lined the walls; 9th
ers blocked the aisles and thous-
ands, unable to squeeze into the
auditorium were massed in the
streets adjacent to the hall where
they could listen in through loud
speakers. l;4s
While Governor Smith was hav-
ing dinner with members of his
family in the main dining room of
his hotel speechmaking got under
way with Ed P. Smith once elect
ed mayor of Omaha on reform
ticket, presiding. He was introduc-
ed by Arthur Mullen, Nebraska's
member on the Democratic nation
al committee. Richard L. Met
calfe, Democratic senatorial nomi-
nee, made a speech and he was fol-
lowed by Harry B. Fieharty, the
party's candidate for congress in
the Omaha district. Both were
cheered as they paid tribute to
Continued on Page Four)