Evening star., 1948-11-04

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grain storage facilities under the
price support program.
2. The Senate's refusal to ratify
an international wheat agreement
designed to assure growers an ex-
port market at favorable prices for
the next five years.
The main opposition argument
was that the Government should
get out Of the storage and grain ex-
port business.
Aroused Farm Doubts.
Apparently these acts went long
way toward arousing farmer doubts
about what q Republican admins
tration might or might not do to
prevent another farm depression.
And this uneasiness developed de-
spite the fact Gov. Dewey had
pledged support Of New Deal and
war-born programs to protect farm
ers against low prices.
Farm belt confidence In the COP
was not helped by an early cam
paign statement issued by former
Gov. Harold e. Stassen CT Minne-
sofa after q visit with Gov. Dewey.
That statement was interpreted by
many farmers as blaming the Trl-
man administrations farm program
for high food costs.
With their prices already on q
downswing, many growers undoubt-
edly recalled the farm depression of
the 2os and early sos and what the
Republicans s-d Democrats cid
about 1t then.
Republican Presidents Calvin
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover vetoed
farm-aid legislation. This led many
traditionally Republican farmers to
desert their party and vote for
Franklin d. Roosevelt and the Dem
ocrats In 1882.
Reversed Republican Policy.
Reversin gthe Coohdge-Hoo
stand. Mr.. Roosevelt used the pow
ers Of Government to aid farmers.
So In this hour Of new concern
over their future welfare many
farmers apparently decided to stick
with the party which came to their
rescue in their last depression.
Even before the votes were cast
Democratic leaders reported a sharp
swing from Gov. Dewey to Mr.. Tru-
man in the Midwestern farm belt
during the last 10 days of the cam
paign.
This reported switch coincided
largely with the decline in farm
prices below Government support
levels.
In any event. the Democrats must
give some credit to President Tru-
mans freshman Secretary of Agri-
culture-Charles r. Brannan-for
their farm belt victory.
In vigorous campaign tour that
literally took him to the barnyards,
Mr.. Brannan told farmers that the
COP Congress had, in the storage
matter, tied the Governments hands
in carrying out price guarantee
programs.
How can you trust the Repub-
licans, Mr.. Brannan asked, to do
right by you If they get in power?
Republicans Failed to Reply.
Republicans made little effort to
answer. They apparently felt con-
fident OF the farm vote. Since the
congressional election of 1898 there
had been a gradual but substantial
return Of farmers to the party.
Indeed, the Republicans failed to
take advantage of one good argu-
ment at their disposal.
In its closing hourse, the COP
Congress passed a long range farm
bill continuing high wartime price
supports for another year. The Tru-
man administration had recon-
mended lower support to become
effective at the end Of this year.
One Democratic farm leader said
few farmers knew this and that
the Republicans fcd done little to
enlighten them.
Some farmers undoubtedly were
influenced, too, by o fight made
against farmer co-operatives by
some Republican members of Con-
gress two years ago and again last
session. The leader In that fight,
Representative Ploeser, Of Missouri,
had described the farm co-ops as
"communistic." The Democrats, in
their campaign, cautioned that the
fight might be reopened If the Re-
publicans got into control.
Mr.. Ploeser bowed to his Demo-
cratic opponent Tuesday.