Evening star., 1936-06-25
HOURS AND WAGES
.RUL|NCS ASSA|LED
Recovery Is Held Retarded
by InvaIidation of New
Deal Laws.
Hy the Associated Press.

Hy the Associated Press.
:, PHILADELPHIA, June 24.-The
text of the address to the Democratic
National Convention by Senator Jo-
seph T. Robinson of Arkansas, the
permanent chairman, follows:
National campaigns heretofore usu-
ally have involved sharply defined
Issues on which political discussions
have centered. The principal con-
Germ of the recent Republican con-
vention at Cleveland was to reconcile
its candidate for the presidency with
the declarations embraced in its plat
form. 1t was not the first time in our
history that a nominee, IN advance
Of accepting the nomination, has
placed his Interpretation on the Ian
guage employed, but 1t is the first
instance in which a candidate by
keeping silent on national public ques-
tions and after maneuvering himself
into a position assuring his selection,
has indicated disposition to bolt on
five or more subjects on which his
party had spoken. 1t is also the first
case in which the Platform Commit
tee and convention have anticipated
the purpose of prospective nominee
to break away in direction opposite
to their movement by declaring that
II would constitute breach OF public
faith and of private honor should he
fail or refuse to conform to the poll
cies laid down for his guidance.
Republican leaders lately have
shown tender, If too long delayed, ap-
probation for the platform on which
the Democrats won the election Of
1882.
Their speakers enter this campaign
declaring that We have betrayed the
country by failing to carry out the
promises which at first they regarded
as repugnant but which are now dear
to the hearts of our opponents.
Departure from Pianks
Attributed to Changes.
The Roosevelt administration has
faithfully complied with the spirit OF
the Chicago platform promises. If
there has been partial departure as
to the letter of the planks in that
platform relating to economy and
balancing the budget that failure IS
attributable to the constantly chang
ing conditions and necessities, and to
the guerilla warfare of the Repub-
Ican party.
Because of the policies OF three
Republican administrations extending
over a period OF IL years, condition
existed March 4, 1888, which canno'
be adequately described. Breakdown
was threatened in the government Of
many States as we'll as in that of the
Nation. Millions of laborers were out
of work The specter of poverty cas-.
its appalling shadow over the land.
Credit sources were dried up. financial
institutions were bankrupt; factories
were closed down: agriculture was
profitless; the savings of cities were
being swept away; business was at a
standstill; our foreign commerce had
almost disappeared, and boarding was
general.
Z These conditions had resulted in
slarge part from governmental policies,
economic isolation, riotous speculation,
promotion of monopolies and the con-
traction of credits for the private
profits Of market manipulators.
You have not forgotten-can you
ever forget the gloom, the sorrow ami
the distress which clouded the hopes
and hampered the activities of all Of
our people?
President Hoover seemed powerless
to suggest any method by which the
sengulflng tides Of adversely might be
tmpeded or turned back All he could
do. apparently, was to boast refracted
vision which he claimed enabled him
to see prosperity around corners Hav-
ing employed the Army to drive from
sthe Capital thousands of hungry war
veterans, he retired to the cloister of
the White House and indulged in
crystal gazing to predict the quick re
turn of better times which never began
to return until after he had been re-
tired to the sun-baked gardens of
5Palo Alto to give place to the new
Header of the Nation, President Roose-
svelt.
Need for Drastic Changes
Seen by Democrats.
The Democratic leadership recogniz-
led that drastic changes In govern
mental policies were necessary to bring
back courage and confidence and to
restore financial stability.
Feeble and ordinary processes had
been tried and had failed. New and
decisive methods and measures were
demanded and required. They were
necessarily formulated with haste. 1t
is not surprising that difficulties were
encountered or that mistakes were
made. To have awaited then the
slow working out and execution of
plans for recovery would have been
fatal. No one is wise enough, even
with post-vision, to know what would
have happened if extraordinary
Legislation had not been speedily
-enacted and put into effect.
The banking laws were revised; in
ssurance for bank deposits was pro-
sv1ded; runs on banks were stopped
sand the national credit was employed
to prevent bankruptcy and ruin of
thanking institutions, of railways and
sof key industries.
For IL years before March 4, 1888.
sRepublican administrations had grap-
gpled with the farm problem. The
gonly important measure they enacted,
1.-The farm marketing act" had cost
the Federal Treasury $500, 900, 900 and
Fhad left agriculture in a worse con-
Sdition.
The Democratic administration
screated a system for co-ordinating
sproduction with consumption, and for
the payment Of benefits to farmers
(which quickly restored agricultural
.prices to an approximate level with
.the prices of industrial products
Indebtedness, under which farm homes
were being foreclosed, was refinanced
sat reduced interest rates. Fore
closures were suspended. Quickly
there appeared better conditions with
respect to both agriculture and in