The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-13
HARD TO GUESS
EITHER PARTY
PLATFORM
Nv EARL GOODWIN

the @. o. P. platform, to say moth
ing of wondering what will be IN
the Democratic declaration OF
principles.
Some idea of the confusion Is
seen in the fact that the RooSe-
welt Administration, having had
the AAA knocked flat, is ap-
parently now building UP the
very same farm policy prescribed
for the country by the Republican
platform of 1882 on which Presi-
dent Hoover ran diSastrously.
And the much famed AAA was
not in the Democratic platform
at all, as far as one can see with
out o microscope.
FavOrS G. o. p. Plan
The Roosevelt Administration
favors q farm policy Of long time
control of acreage by withdrawing
from planting the poorer lands,
planting much Of the present
wheat Land with grass or binding
plants, ETC., Just as the Re
publican platform said.
q. The National welfare
plainly can be served by the &C.
QuisitiOn Of submarginal lands
(meaning poor landsl for water.
shed protection, grazing, for.
estry, public parks and game
preserves"
Much of this is now being done,
and the COP. is taking potshotS
at Prof. Tugwell for doing 1t.
It seems that while the Republi-
cans are lambaSting the Demo
Gratis for not keeping the Demo
cratic platform promises, the
Democrats are keeping some Of
the Republican promises.
will Help Farmers
The Democratic platform, after
the usual platform rhetoric, de-
clared for "the enactment of
every constitutional measure that
viii aid the farmers to receive for
their basic farm commodities
prices in excess of cost" No AAA
there!
The Democrats declared for
"the effective control Of crop sur
pluSeS" It may be that AAA
was hidden therein.
At any rate, farmers wrote
both plankS, professional farm
leaders thronged both party con-
ventions, and will do so again.
It Is odd to realize, too, that
Republicans are now coming forth
with suggestions for farm relief
that were disapproVed by two Re,
publican Presidents; these are the
methods of boosting export sur
pluses, making the crops big. The
Administrations view of this idea
Is that the people who want big
crops all the time are the han.
dlers, transportation men. ship.
pers and warehouse people whose
business prospers with volume.
Will Be Remade
The farm planks Of the next
two platforms are not the only
subjects in the guessing contest,
There is scarcely plank that will
not be remade over and over
again between now and summer
time. The Republicans will not
have so much target to shoot at
if the Supreme Court knocks out
many more Of the alphabetical
agencies: and possibly by that
time the Democrats win be TAX.
ing over the entire Republican
platform. Who knows?
At any rate. the Republicans
seem bent on making Democratic
spending an issue; that will not
change, nor is it possible that the
Republicans will forget the con-
stitutional issue.
Democrats need only to read
recent speeches by the President
and National Committee Chair.
man James Farley to get a line
on the general makeup of the
Democratic cabinet as far as
parts of it are concerned. The
Democrats will claim credit for
restored prosperity, will deal
themselves a lot of praise for so
cial security and old age pen
sions; will claim to have stabi.
lzed business conditions,
Smoothed out credit by reserve
board amendments; will point
with pride toward the good
neighbor" policy (Which Republic
ans say was started by Mr..
Hoover. The Democrats will
praise and defend the relief
measures. including PWA; and
will picture President Roosevelt
as Q second Jackson, protecting
the mass Of people against the
greedy and powerful few.
None Will Predict
50 much foy past perform
ances. No one seems smart
enough to attempt to predict
what the Democrats will prom.
Use for the future, but there is
a whisper among some observers
which would indicate that il
things are bad, the Democrats. in
Philadelphia, cradle of liberty and
birthplace of the Constitution, will
use that same cradle for q new
constitutional idea, the birth of
economic freedom through a
constitutional amendment which
provides a way for all these things
the Supreme Court is now deny.
ing. Rumblings from some of the
labor organizations, disappointed
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