The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-08-08

state and national. certain civic
abuses have flourished and now
threaten to command u social
economic, and moral environment:
And whereas. the results of this
done to check these abuses during
these years by our political leaders
that this period has come to be
known as the 'do-nothing decade":.
And whereas. the result OF this
policy have included increased COM
modify and stock gambling, in
creased dominance of capital over
production and labor through the
extension of the chain bank system,
an increase Of the merger policy in
business to the extinction of personal
initiative, a threatened extension OF
this policy to our agricultural bust
ness in the Northwest and the ma
ton, and an increased unrest among
our people expressed through the
extension Of racketeering and vicious
practices;
And whereas, the continuance OF
such policies in our agricultural Sec
tons means the sinking of our peo-
pie to the level of a peasantry, the
incubation of subversive doctrines.
the elimination of the individual
businessman and the progressive
farmer, and the growth or monopoly
and greed;
It is hereby resolved: that the at
tention of the people Of North Da-
kota be, and is, directed to these
abuses, and they r urged through
the exercise Of their franchise ia
meet and defeat the existing stu
alton, and to restore u state and
nation to a state of progression, in
the place Of the present policy of de-
preston and repression;
Therefore, the Democratic party
Of the state of North Dakota in con-
vention assembled. now calls the at
tention of the electorate to the fol-
lowing basic principles:
Seek Economic Betterment
The betterment of the economic
conditions of the people of North
Dakota is a universal enterprise. 1t
is a task which requires the Coop
Grafton of all, meeting on a common
ground Of understanding. Realizing
this fact. it is the common duty of
all u citizens to lay aside partisan
politics, and to support leaders who
are willing to seek some solution for
present ills.
We know the present situation to
be the result of depressed prices for
food products, to an over-burdening
of u producers and businessmen
by taxes. to al expensive admins
tration of state affairs, to an under
development of state resources and
to-an ignoring Of certain other basic
principles in our body polite.
We believe that there should be
an equalization Of opportunity be-
tween the industrial east and the
agrarian west, as we'll as between
our local, intra-state industries and
agriculture; therefore we stand for:
First. we condemn the Smoot-
Hawley- Grundy tariff bill as the
most outrageous fraud ever put over
on the American people and we call
the attention of the voters to the
painful effects already in evidence
in the high tariff walls being erected
by Canada and foreign countries ia
bar American products and in the
fact that in North Dakota our farm.
n are paying ten dollars for every
dollars worth of protection they re.
ceive under this Grundy measure.
And we further call the attention OF
the voters to the fact that the three
congressman from North Dakota,
Messrs. Burtness, Hall and Sinclair,
voted favorable on every phase of
this measure and at every %opportun-
lty given them. By the retention of
the present congressman our people
achieve Misrepresentation instead of
representation.
Second, we commend the members
OF the farm board and organizations
Tor the earnest, honest efforts to aid
agriculture through the farm board
organization. However. we are con-
WINGED that decided improvement
cannot be made until such time as
the present Agriculture Marketing
Act is strengthened and supplement-
ed by the enactment of additional
legislation to bring about the parity
OF agriculture with industry. In
order that this may be made effec-
tive we demand that additional leg
lslation be enacted and which shall
retain the equalization fee principle
OF the Haugen bill to the
end that the annual temporary sur
plus may be segregated, the Ameri-
can farmer control the domestic
market, and that he may receive for
his products the cost of production
plus fair profits. We emphasize the
declaration that unless agriculture is
soon made prosperous disaster
awaits commerce and industry.
We recognize that with such a
policy in effect for agriculture that
the organized farmer would be the
first to profit. Therefore we urge
the continuance of the cooperative
campaign in our state, to the end
that the large-scale co~-operatives
may be ready to do their part in
carrying out this enlarged policy of
agricultural relief to the betterment
OF the individual farmer-member of
such organizations and through him
to the prosperity of his community
and town.
Want Tax Adjustment
Third. we seek for a readjustment
OF the essential basis of taxation
from the excessive burden now borne
by land through a process which
shall eventually shift the burden to