Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-19
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
OMAHA, Nebr., September 19.--In an
address prepared for delivery here last
night and devoted entirely to the farm
problem. Gov. Smith said:
This is my first speech Of the cam
paign. It is. however. not new ex-
perience to me. In the State OF New
York I have led the Democratic party
in five State campaigns.
New York for the major part of the
time for the past 30 years was strong
Republican State. That in four of those
campaigns l led to victory Is in no small
part due to the fact that I talked
frankly to the people of that State in
/ very plain and understandable language
| Beginning here tonight and continuing
throughout the national campaign ]
| propose to continue that policy.
The function of political party IS
! to ascertain the popular will on the
subjects pressing the country for solu-
! ton. It is the expression of that popu-
| lar will as it Is understood by the par
| ties which brings about the adoption 81
a platform which. aside from defining
| fundamental issues is promise that If
| intrusted with power the party will at
| tempt the solution of these problems
| along the lines laid down by the
declaration
IF we accept that as true. and as a
! sound doctrine. then this battle for the
presidency of the United States demands
consideration of the issues set forth in
the platforms of the two great parties.
In the discussion of these issues it is
fair to look back over the years and
compare performance with promise, to
the end that the people may have be-
fore them the record. and be able ID
sppraise the sincerity of the platform
and the party in its true light
Quotes Hoover Statement.
THE Republican candidate for Presi-
dent in his speech of acceptance. refer
ring to the Republican administration.
said:
THE record of these seven and one
half years constitutes period OF rare
courage and leadership and constructive
action. Never has political party been
able to look back upon similar PERIOD
with more satisfaction.
Here in Omaha tonight, in the center
of one of the great farming regions OF
this country, I propose to discuss that
Republican record of over seven years
and a half on the important question
of farm relief
II challenge the statement that there
has been courage or leadership or con-
structive action on farm relief. l as
sert that there is not the slightest basis
upon which the Republican party can
indulge in any degree OF self-satistac-
ton in looking back over its record OF
seven and a half years on the question
of agriculture.
ION the contrary. charge that they
violated their platform promises, that
they deceived the farmer, that they did
nothing whatever to contribute In the
slightest degree to relieve the distress
or promote the welfare of the farmers
of this country. Posing for decades as
the friends of the farmer the Repub-
lican leaders have by their betrayal OF
the confidence which the farmers I'M
posed ins them forfeited every right TO
the allegiance or support OF the agrl-
culturalists of this country.
They have sown the wind and
should reap the whirlwind.
I'm the 1920 platform. aside from
some general statements known to the
children in all public schools, no def
mite promise was made to the agrlcul-
tural interests of the country. But. inn
mediately following the advent of the
Republican administration the farm
problem became acute and was recog-
nized in the Republican platform Of
1924. which said:
Cites G. O. p. 1924 Platform.
"'We recognize that agricultural &C
tivities are still struggling with adverse
conditions that have brought deep dis
tress; we pledge the party to take what
ever steps are necessary to bring back.
a balanced condition between agricdl-
ture. industry and labor
"By the language of the 1924 plat
form, the Republican party recognized
the deep distress of the agricultural
interests of the country. They further
recognized the necessity Of bringing
back a balanced condition between
agriculture and industry, and made
definite pledge as follows:
1.-The Republican party pledges itself
to the development and enactment Of
measures which will place the agricul-
tural interests of America on basis
of economic equality with other indus
try to insure its prosperity and sue
cess
so that if today we have in this
tinuance of that distress 1t cannot be
said, after a reading of the 1924 plat
form, that the Republican party and the
Republican administration at WASH
ington were without knowledge Of the
actual conditions.
After seven and half years of
promise and no performance, it Is sig
nificant to note the Republican plat
form of 1928 which reads:
1.-The general depression in great
basic industry inevitably reacts upon
the condition in the country as a whole
and cannot be ignored
Here We have definitely, at least.
after all these years the confession that
there is a general depression in the
great basic industry, and that it re-
acts upon conditions in the country as
a whole, and that it cannot be ignored,
although that is the treatment, accord
ing to the record, it has received in the
last four years.
Later on I shall deal with what
their 1929 platform specifically recon-
mends, but at this point it would be
interesting to read the last paragraph
of the plank devoted to agriculture:
1.-The Republican party pledges itself
to the development and enactment of
measures which will place the agri-
cultural interests of America on basis
of economic equality with other in
dustrieS to assure It's prosperity ana
success
Compares Platforms.
II call your attention to the fact
that this is identical with the language
of the 1924 platform. What became
of that promise in the 1924 platform
if it has to be repeated. word for word
| in 1928? What attention should be
paid to the 1928 promise if nothing was
done under the 1924 promise?
Il can imagine myself in the eXecu-
tive session of the Republican commit
tee on platform at the recent conven-
ton in Kansas City and I can picture
for myself one delegate asking what has
been done in the last four years to
make good the platform of 1924 Meet
ing as he must with the reply that the
previous platforms pledges remain I'M
redeemed he suggests that thew he re-