The Washington times., 1936-06-18
ALFALFA BILL
LIKESG. 0. P.
PLATFORM

FOrmer Governor William n.
Alfalfa Bill" Murray, Of Okla
homa, long a picturesque leader
in the Democratic party and a IA
vofite son candidate for the Demo
cratic presidential nomination in
1882, came out in frank praise of
the Republican party's 1896 plat
form and equally frank criticism
of the Roosevelt New Deal" He
said:
"T don't like the Administra-
tiOn's trend away from the
American system Of Govern
ment-
"NOr its economy Of scarcity
when there are hungry mouths
to be fed"
SEES G. o. P. CHANCE
In his colorful homespun man.
ner of speech, Alfalfa Bill" indi-
Gated he believes the Republicans
have a mighty good chance Of de-
feating President Roosevelt and
the New Deal at the polls in No
vember.
Murray preferred not to talk
about Republicans" and Demo
Gratis" This years campaign will
be waged on principles" and the
voters, made serious by years OF
depression, will cast their ballots
for the candidates who stand on
the right principles, he believes.
In discussing the platform Of
the Republican party, Murray in
variably referred to it as the
Cleveland platform" He left no
doubt of his high admiration for
Governor Alfred M. Landon, the
Republican presidential nominee
"Alf" he calls him as do the
masses out this way.
"Alf Did Good Work"
Asked what he thought of Gov
ernor Landon. Murray, without
hesitation, replied:
II have known LandOn for
years, especially in 1881, when
we organized the Oil States Ad-
visOry Committee. ALI did lot
of good work in that fight, help
ing Independent oil companies
and the little fellows get bet
ter deal.
'LandOn has pOiSe. He knows
when he is well advised. He
knows how to get teamwork"
COURSE IN CAMPAIGN
Asked what his course would
be in the present presidential
race, Murray replied:
"Whatever shall be my pO-
liticaI action, it will follow
these principles 1 have been
talking about. I am interested
more in principles now than
the individual candidate.
"One of the worst things
that cOnfrOnts us today is the
fact that many people think
the Government should support
them. We must restore self
dependence. We are supposed
to support the Government
and not to ask it to support
us. It all comes out of the
pockets Of the masses.
"The breaking down Of local
self government, even in the
administration Of relief and in
handling the farm problem, is
not in accord with democratic
principles of our Constitution.
- Sc
than in 1888, because of the
heavy debt burden that has
been piled up and the lower
morale of the people. These
debts must be paid and we will
be long time paying them.
Creation of this extra
bonded debt, which threatens
initiation; the new taxes that
must be put onto our people
they have put us in a position
where it will take q long time
to get out"
LIKES G. O. p. IDEAS
Then alfalfa Bill" turned to
the Cleveland platform" saying:
"T like what the Cleveland
platform says about staying out
of the League of Nations and
its creatures, preservation of the
Constitution and the Supreme
Court, economy in governmental
expenditures, elimination of
mOnOpOlieS and the farm prob
lem.
"Of course, the platform could
not go into the farm problem
at length. It states principles.
It approaches that problem with
a determination to do some
thing for agriculture.
II like the Cleveland declara-
ton for preservation of the Con-
StitutiOn. We cannot survive
as a nation without the prin.
cipIes of our Constitution.
MUST SAVE CONSTITUTION
'I like the principle of the
declaration for amendment to
the Constitution, when the peO-
pie think it should be amended.
I am against trying to destroy
the Constitution by executive
uSurpatiOn of powers that right
fully belong in the executive
and judicial branches Of our
Government.
"As 1 understand the agricuI-
ture plank, which could not be
expressed in complete detail, it
is far better than limiting pro-
ductiOn when there are hungry
mouths tn he fad-lirnifinr nrn.