Evening star., 1928-10-20

Lowden who was a formidable con-
tender for the Republican nomination
for the presidency, and who, have NJ
doubt, read the guarantee that I to.
night quoted from the platform, wher
he sent this message to the convention
Il have stated publicly that L did moi
want the nomination unless the Re
publican party was prepared to meet
fully and fairly the agricultural problem
have waited upon no particular rem.
edy, but 1 have stated at all times il
there was better method than the so.
called equalization, / would gladly ac.
cept it. 1 have urged, however, that il
is the duty of the Republican party tr
ind some way to rescue agriculture
from the ruins that threaten it. This
in my Judgment, the convention bv it's
platform just adopted. has failed to do
I, therefore, authorize the withdrawal
of my name from before the conven.
ton
Gov. Lowden's knowledge of this sub
ject is broad enough to suggest to him
as it does to me, that when the buyinp
power of those engaged in the pursuit
of agriculture is paralyzed, not onIy
does agriculture suffer but business stlf
ferS. A paralysis of the buying power
of the American farmer is reflected in
all the rest of the business that is con-
Quoted in this country. Poverty on the
farm is disastrous to the Storekeeper
the merchant, the manufacturer and to
the laborer engaged in industry.
II the platform of the Republican
party was not good enough for Gov.
Lowden to run on, what must the Amer
ican farmer think about it. because he
was devoted to their interests first. last
and all the time?
The difference between Senator Borah
and Gov. Lowden is the difference be-
tween a politician seeking success at
the polls and statesman devoted to a
principle. The American public can
distinguish between the two men. /
hold that Gov. Lowden is the statesman
Promises Farm Relief.
II the records of the last seven and a
half years is a guaranty of what the
farmer may expect in the next four
in the event of Republican victory
then let us look forward to more bank
failures in the farm districts, millions
more of men leaving the farm for the
cities and, as Gov. Lowden predicted.
the realization of the ruin that threat
ems agriculture.
The Republican party, with the full
knowledge of the record in full possess
sion OF all the facts, says In unmistak-
able language to the American farmer
The record of which you so bitterly and
so justly complain is the Republican
guaranty of what you may expect in
the next four years
On the other hand, the Democratic
party, in clear-cut, concise and def
mite platform plank, recognizes the great
underlying and fundamental difficulty
confronting agriculture, and promises
solution of the problem with
a constructive program for its relief.
stand hard and fast by that plat
form, and I promise you that if 1 am
elected President of the United States
1t viii be entirely unnecessary for me to
seek excuses for non-performance in the
carrying out OF that pledge, because ]
shall make good that promise, and ]
shall not be scurrying around the
United Stats to look for words to build
up the reason why it was not done.
Let us look into the record for a
minute and see If we can find a reason
why the platform builders of the Re
publican national convention desired to
confine themselves to the present ad-
as against the last seven
and half years. There is no doubt
in my mind that they were endeavoring
to get away from the black, disgraceful
record of public corruption disclosed in
connection with the oil reserves of the
country. the administration of the Vet
eranS' Bureau and the Office of the
alien property custodian. The Repub-
lican candidate. however, was not in ac-
cord with the purpose of the platform
builders, because he said that the party
could look back with satisfaction on
the record of the last seven and a half
years.
Reviews Oil Scandal.
1t is true that certain operations with
regard to the oil scandal were before
the American people in 1924. The Re-
publican party in that year was success
full in inducing the electorate to believe
that the guilt was personal and that the
responsibility for it should fall upon
unfaithful members of the party in
trusted with high public Office. How
ever, since the last presidential election
Senator Walsh of Montana has brought
to the public attention the fact that q
large part of the money growing out of
the oil scandal found its way into the
treasury of the Republican national
committee and Liberty bonds coming
from the oil operators were exchanged
with prominent members of the party
for their checks as a contribution to
meet the deficit in the Republican CAM
paign chest. The effect of this testi-
mony was to bring the responsibility
right to the leaders Of the party. The
bonds were offered by no less a person
than the chairman of the Republican
national committee.
Here we have Senator Borah again
assuming one attitude in the Spring OF
the year and an entirely different one
in the Fall of the year. Last Winter
during the session of the United States
Senate, the Senator borrowed halo and
a pair of wings and, standing on the
floor of the Senate, said:
mo political party is responsible as
party for the wrongful transaction OF
individual members who in secret betray
it. But when the transaction becomes
known to the party, it must necessarily
become responsible if it fails to repudi-
ate the transaction and return the fruit:
thereof"
I have been fairly close student oi
what took place. have no recollection
that the President or the candidate fol
President, or any prominent official Of
the Republican party, used any Ian
guage to repudiate the transaction, ant
certainly they have not returned the
fruits of it. Senator Borah himself Sug.
gested conscience fund and ventureC
the opinion that there were plenty Of
Republicans who would be glad to con.
tribute from dollar up in order tc
clear their party of this humiliatine
stigma. T refer to it as a conscience
fund. The amount required to remove
the stigma from the Republican party
was $260,000.
$1.36 for Conscience Fund.
When it came to the conscience fund
widely heralded by the winged apostl,
OF reform. 10, the mountain labored ane
brought forth a mouse. Instead O
$3.50, 900, they got $1.36
That apparently satisfied the Sen
ator, because he is now ON the stuml
vigorously advocating the retention il
power of the Republican party, stigm'
or 10 stigma.
DR.. Work, chairman of the Republican
national committee, only yesterda.
said