The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-05-10

gressional committee
to satisfy all sections of the country
in an announcement made by the COM
mittee respecting its organization. l
can conceive of no better way to tell
the story than to quote opening para
graphs from four statements issued
simultaneously by the committee on
the subject mentioned. The paragraphs
which follow are taken from state
ments which were delivered to my Of
fee in one envelope:
1.-The West will play an impor-
tant part in the direction of the cam
paign of the Democratic national con-
gressional committee, now being or
ganized by Chairman P. II. Drewry of
Virginia. Representative Abe Murdoch
of Beaver, Utah, has been selected as
a vice chairman of this committee, and,
under plans proposed, will have gen.
eral supervision over the campaign in
the West"
Pin the organization on for the
coming campaign of the Democratic ma
tiOnal congressional committee the
South will play very important part.
Not only is Congressman P. H. Drew
ry of Virginia chairman of this COM
mittee, but he has selected other south
ern congressman to aid him. Repre-
sentative Virgil Chapman of the Sixth
Kentucky district has been chosen as
chairman of the very important execu-
tive committee. His is what is histo-
rically known as the Henry Clay dis
trict, and has been a political battle
ground of the nation for considerably
more than one hundred years"
Sunless all signs fail, the Middle
West will be an important battle
ground in the congressional elections
of next year. Representative P. II.
Drewry of Virginia has recognized this
when, as chairman of the Democratic
national congressional committee, he
aided In the selection of Congressman
Eugene B. Grove of the Ninth Indiana
district, as first vice chairman of the
Democratic national congressional
committee. Representative Grove will
have general supervision over Demo-
cratic campaign activities of congress
sional candidates throughout the GEN.
trail part of the country. His jurisdic-
ton will extend from the Ohio to the
Great Lakes. Practically every nation
al election for the last one-half GEN.
fury or more has been won or lost in
the states comprising this district"
4E"In the reorganization of the
Democratic national congressional
committee Chairman P. 81. Drewry of
Virginia has sought to give additional
prominence to members from the East.
Representative William ]. Granfield of
Massachusetts, has been selected as one
of the vice chairmen and will have
general supervision over campaign ac-
tivities throughout the North and
East. Associated with him will be Rep
resentative William N. Rogers of New
Hampshire, who has been named a
member of the executive committee.
Congressman Rogers represents the
district which boasts of Daniel Web
ster, the great orator of one hundred
years ago"
OF course, 1t was intended that the
statements should be distributed to
tons of the country so that western
newspapers would have been told how
important their section was and east
ern newspapers would have had infor-
nation to the effect that the eastern
section was all important. 1t was not
an unusual procedure but it happened
that the statements were distributed
together and that afforded the butt of
the joke.
Senator Bankhead (Dem., Ala.). of
cotton production control fame. has
=, :, another idea for leg
Bankheads islation. This time
Idea the senator is seek
ing to make it pos
sible, he says, for every tenant farmer
to become land owner. He has leg
islation pending in congress to carry
out his program and 1t appears now
that it may go through.
Undoubtedly, the senator's bill has
merit in some ways. In others, accord
ing to the discussion l hear from
among members of the house and SEN
ate, the proposal is likely to create
some very bad spots if enacted into
law.
1t is proposed to create another gov
ernment-owned corporation which would
have power to issue one and a half
billion dollars worth of governments
guaranteed bonds. These bonds could
be sold by the corporation and the
proceeds used to buy land for present
landless farmers. They would become
owners in name and would have the
milestone of that debt around their
necks for twenty years If they sue
ceeded in earning enough income 70
pay off the debt in that time. IT is
true the measure would open the way
for land ownership and would make
the terms of ownership about as easy
as Is possible when one borrows an
others money. Those facts, however,
do not remove the conditions which a
good many observers hold are bad.
For instance, it is difficult to see
how the tenant can make a living and
sufficient profit to pay off the debt to
the government if he has been unable
to accomplish that same purpose with
money borrowed commercially. II is
being said freely that such legislation
will serve only the purpose of reliey-
ing present owners of land which
they do not want by its transfer
through the government to others who
may not be able to pay for it. In 9TH
er words. 1t is another bill to put
more people in debt. Lastly, 1t occurs
to me that states will oppose such leg
islation because while the title of the