Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-06-01

By his second veto Of farm legislation,
President Coolidge has again served notice
on agriculture that it cannot hope to at
tain parity with the highly protected manu-
featuring industry Of Pennsylvania and
other Eastern sections so long as the Re-
publican party under Coolidge Mellon
Hoover leadership continues in control.
The farm bill which President Coolidge
vetoed for the second time was passed by
the votes Of Democrats and Independent
Republicans who refused 10 follow the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES leadership. The
Presidents action throws the farm issue
into the 1928 Presidential campaign, and
already there are loud rumbIings of a re-
volt in the farm States against the Repub-
lican party under its present leadership
that will place number Of those States in
the Democratic column in the nationaI
election next November.
While the consistency of the President
in his stand against equality for agricul-
ture is not to be denied, he is open to the
charge OF inconsistency, because every
argument he employed in his veto mes
sage against farm legislation applies with
equal force to his pet theory of high pro-
lection for industry, and might have been
applied with equal force against the sub
sidy for shipping which the President ap-
proved.
In nutshell, the farm bill was intended
10 use the Government as an agency for
aiding the farmer in obtaining bette,
prices for his products, prices which would
enable him to make fair profit on the
operation Of his farm. The President de-
feated this end. although the purpose is
Identical with that of the high protective
tariff duties he approves, which prevent
the foreign manufacturers from marketing
their goods in the American markets and
permit the domestic manufacturers to fix
whatever prices on their products they
think the traffic will stand.
1t will not be forgotten that year ago
when President Coolidge first vetoed farm
legislation. on almost the same day he
issued an executive order raising the tariff
on pig iron by so per cent. This was a
subsidy to the steel corporation, already
making enormous profits. The farmers
pay much of the increased prices Of steel
resulting from this tariff boost.
This year, at almost the same time he
refused to approve the farm bill, he signed
measure making $250,0OO. 900 o Gov
eminent funds available for ship. building,
amounting to a subsidy. He was willing TO
give the Steel Corporation a subsidy and TO
approve subsidy for shipping interests.
but unwilling to have the Government help
agriculture.
Farm organizations throughout the coun-
try are denOuncing the Presidents action.
The Republican Governor of Nebraska has
issued call for one hundred thousand
farmers to 90 to Kansas City and demand
OF the G. o. p. convention square deal
for agriculture, both in the platform adopted
and the candidate nominated. Farmers in
Indiana, Illinois and elsewhere are Joining
In the protest against the Coolidge admin
istrations population Of its promise Of a
square deal for agriculture.
The effect Of the Presidents slap at the
farmers will unquestionably be far-reach-
ing. II the G. o. p. national convention
endorses the Coolidge administration. il
cannot write plank into its national plat
form that will be satisfactory to the farm
ers nor can it nominate candidate who
Is IN favor of parity for agriculture. II /,
dominates a candidate who stands for the
Coolidge policies, as Secretary Hoover does,
II is being freely predicted that millions of
farmers in such agricultural States as In
diana, Illinois, Nebraska, the Dekotas and
other States in the farm belt will quit the
Republican party and make certain DEM
ocraiic victory in the November election
The administrators stand against the
farmer has convinced the latter that only
through the Democratic party can he ex-
pect a square deal.