Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-28
BY the Associated Press.

night, as prepared for delivery, fol
lows:
Aside from his constitutional dutie
in connection with the operation of tn,
Government. my idea of the President
position is that of leader of though
of the American peoples. And if 1 wer'
asked today what in my opinion wa
the fundamental weakness of the las
two Republican administrations,
would be compelled to say it was lacl
of such leadership It is not sufficient
in my opinion, for the President to state
his views on great public questions In
his annual message to the Congress OF
in rare formal addresses. believe thai
the duty rests upon him of talking to
the American people and laying before
them the facts. to the end that when
they make their determination on big
problems of the Nation they may be
in a position TO act intelligently and
to have their representatives in the
Senate and in the House express their
we'll reasoned opinion.
suggest this following my expert
ence as governor of my own State; 1t
would have been impossible for me to
have secured the governmental reforms
that fought for in the State of New
York unless carried the problems di-
rectly to the people themselves.
Airs His Accomplishments.
Reorganization of the State govern
ment: the shortening of the ballot;
drastic reform in the manner and
method of appropriating public money;
rehabilitation Of the department of
health; the establishment of a system
of State parks and parkways: legislation
in the interest of men, women and chill
dren working in factories; salutary
amendments to the factory code for
the protection of their health and well
being-all came into existence in the
State of New York only after a long
and vigorous campaign in the course of
which I spoke in practically every city
in the State, carrying the message
directly to the people themselves, who
assisted me in wringing these govern
mental reforms from a hostile Legisla-
ture opposing my proposals only for
political reasons
Because of lack of such leadership in
the national administration not one
large. constructive achievement can be
pointed to in the record of the last
seven and half years; and If the
American people will search back
through their minds they can see this
in sharp contrast with the Wilson and
Roosevelt administrations. Wilson and
Roosevelt were leaders.
Hints at Hidden Control.
The whole history of the last two
Republican administrations suggests
that some hidden control, strongly re-
dictionary in its tendencies towards the
great questions of the Government, has
been in position to dictate party
policy from behind the scenes and delay
the progress of great public develop
ments which interfered with its plans or
program. For that reason prominent
members of the Republican party have
walked out of its ranks and openly de-
clared hostility to their party and dis
agreement with its reactionary
tendencies.
It was that hidden reactionary con-
troll that drove the elder Senator La
Toilette to the creation of a new party
for the purpose of giving expression to
the progressive views of the State that
he represented and the States in SYM
pathy with his point of view on great
public questions.
1t was revolt against the same re-
dictionary tendencies of the hidden con-
troll which drove Theodore Roosevelt
from the ranks of the party that hon.
ored him with public Office from youth
to well past middle age and when he
had closed long public career as Presi-
dent OF the United States after nomina-
ton by the Republican party.
Scores Lack of Farm Plan.
What more glaring exhibition of lack
OF leadership could be found in the Re-
publican administration that its ham
ding of the farm relief problem? That
it is critical problem they have adj
mitted in their platform this year, and
they recognized it also in the platform
four years ago.
Shortly after the advent of the Re-
publican administration in 1921 the
question of relief to agriculture became
acute, and from that period down to
and including today the Republican
party has been houndering around,
with neither the President nor the Re-
publican candidate as his chief adviser
on agriculture even able to devise a
policy, not to speak of executing one
The Congress of the United States.
speaking for all the people, offered a
program. The President vetoed it, but
offered nothing in its place.
II there was any division of opinion
In the United States with regard to the
policy of putting agriculture on an eco
nomic equality with industry, it was the
duty of the President of the United
States to iron out that difficulty This
feel could have been accomplished by
taking this question to the people them
selves and bringing to their attention
the cold facts and figures which show
that the men engaged in the business of
taking from the land the necessities of
life are compelled to sell their crops at
less than the cost of production.
Asks Many Questions.
How many people in this country
would deny justice to the farmer If
they knew the real facts? Agricultural
depression unquestionably reduces SUBJ
stantially the farmers power of pur-
chase. How long would the business
man, the manufacturer and the store
keeper resist governmental aid to agri-
culture if it were brought to their at
tention that that depression is inter-
fering with their business prosperity?
Organized labor was quick TO realize
that agricultural depression drove men
from the farms to the cities to take up
new lines of endeavor in competition
with industrial workers and therefore
approved the principle of agricultural
equality.
How many people in the United
States are familiar with the bank and
commercial failures directly due to the
agricultural depression? And how long
would it take the business men of the
country to realize that these failures
are threatening the whole economic
structure?
How many people in the United
States today realize that according to
the Department of Agriculture it costs
the farmer from ST. to $1.72 in the
United States to produce a bushel OF
wheat which he is compelled to sell
today at much less than a dollar?
Says Canadian Wheat Higher.
1t should be brought home to the
people that commodities like wheat
really bring higher price, as rule,
in the Canadian unprotected market
than they do in the United States,
where the farmer has been deceived