Evening star., 1935-12-16
TALMADGE OFFERS
BIBLE PROGRAM"
Would Have SabbaticaI Year
for AgricuIture-Sees
Roosevelt Defeat.
BY BLAIR BOLLRS.


1887, Eugene Talmadge, Jeffersonian
Democratic Governor Of Georgia, yes
terday predicted the downfall Of
President Roosevelt and offered his
own answer to the New Deal in
platform he found in the Bible.
The Messiah of the deep South.
his square jaw jutting and his black
forelock falling over his big tortoise
shell spectacles, greeted the press in
his Willard Hotel suite and con-
demned the administration as COM
munistic, denounced the Townsend
old-age pension plan as the summit
Of hypocrisy and foretold the end OF
all economic woe in the establishment
of a sabbatical year for agriculture
along the lines recorded by Moses in
the Book Of Genesis.
The leader of the Southern anti
Roosevelts intimated he would be
candidate for the Democratic nomi-
nation in 1886 in the Georgia pri-
mary If Georgia has a primary.
Before he settled to the business
of explaining his politics, the color
full Talmadge ordered an ice bucket
filled with bottles of Georgia's native
drink, Coca Cola, and shok hands
warmly with his dark-haired daugh-
ter and two Of her pretty college
friends.
Frowns on Third Party.
Then he sat down on a Louis XIV
sofa and poured forth a stream OF
homely phrases in answer to bar
rage Of questions. The man who re-
fused to attend the ceremonies at
tendant to Mr.. Roosevelt's speech in
Atlanta, Talmadge's capital city, be-
cause he "dislikes hypocrisy" de-
clared, among other things:
wen be all through this foolish
ness after 1886.
Il don't think third party will
solve real issues. I hope the Demo-
Gratis will do the courageous thing by
refusing to renominate Roosevelt and
rewrite the platform of 1882 and pick
out the Democratic candidates that
could carry it.
I'm for the country first, but I like
to see the Democrats In power.
I'm opposed to any pension but q
soldiers pension.
There is more hypocrisy in the
Townsend plan than anything ever
put before the American people.
Il think Huey and I were driving
for the same results, but we we're
going down different sides Of the
mountain"
Would he run for the presidency?
He replied:
Don't you think any sane man
would consent to run? Did you ever
hear of one who wouldn't? But the
job is bigger than any fellows per-
sonal wishes. 1t Is pretty big
sized job to stop the Communistic
trends of this country. We have the
worst elements of communism. There
are some pretty good elements in
Russia, but they haven't crossed the
ocean yet"
Stands by Party.
Would he vote Republican II Roose-
velt were renominated?
"A party is declaration Of princi-
pies and adherence to those principles.
1t is not composed of one individual
or several individuals. I'm a Jeffer-
sonian Democrat. I'm hoping our
party will return to that"
To insure the return. Talmadge an
nounced he and John Henry Kirby Of
Houston. Tex, have called a conven-
ton Of the Southern Jeffersonian De-
mocracy. known officially as the
Southern Committee to Uphold the
Constitution, for Atlanta the last week
| in January. Kirby is chairman of the
| group.
I'VE are going to ask the delegates
to return home and work to send as
many anti-New Deal delegates to the
convention as poI sible," Talmadge de-
clared. "Our appeal is to the true
Democrats Of this country. regardless
! of geography. And let Mr.. Farley
continue to whistle in the dark"
TIE Governor, best known and per-
haps the most colorful politician in
the South since the assassination of
Huey Long, came to Washington Sat-
urday for the Gridiron dinner. Yes
terday he chuckled at the skits rib
bing the New Deal, terming them
marvellous. He suggested filming
them for the benefit of the country at
large.
Lawyers to Argue Case.
He tore the administrations agri-
cultural program to shreds during the
interview, but said he would let his
lawyers argue the case brought to the
Supreme Court by Talmadge in the
name Of the State Of Georgia against
the Bankhead act, which levies g.
cent-a-pound tax on all cotton ginned
in excess of a Government-set quota.
About all the A. A. A. was started
for was to get taxes" he said. 81 think
Wallace Is after something new now,
manufacturers tax. But we'll be
all through that foolishness after '36.
I've got substitute for the A. A.
A. 1t comes from the Bible. It's
the sabbatical year-a holiday on
cotton. No cotton at all every seven
years The plan would work for all
major products. 1t would teach the
people to be provident, to look out
for the rainy day, and it would be the
death of Townsend plans, old-age
pensions, relief, dole, most troubles.
The matter with American people
today is they are inprovident; they
make $500 and spend $500. My plan
would keep the barns full. The Bible
says If this plan Is followed the people