Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-17

My program, 10 state IL IN inc SlHlpieSt pOSSlOfe
terms is to widen profitable markets and give farmers
greater freedom. Reasonable price supports are of
value to farmers in orderly marketing.
Some lowering of wartime incentive price supports
was inevitable in the program, SO knew was head
ing into storm from the first my eyes were wide
OPEN The reason stuck to the course was threefold
g. feared that the constant building up of govern
ment SURPRISES could end only in disaster, and pre-
ferred to be accused of being unsympathetic at the
start rather than being called bungler in the end.
e. More important II was convinced that Ameri-
cans can face facts that if problem must be solved
the hard way Americans will sooner or later choose
the hard way and success rather than the soft way and
failure. Today I'm Surer than ever.
. Most important of ALL knew that farmers want to
be free to produce, to market, to compete and, to
whatever extent possible, be free from government
regulation and control.
But there certainly lot of abuse in the begin
ming. Of course, was possibly better prepared for
abuse than the average man because Of my faith in
prayer and my religious training. That may seem
strange statement until you know that served two
years young missionary of the Mormon Church in
Northern England An important part of my work
was preaching in the mining and factory district and
can testify that British mneWorker fresh from the
pub can out-heckle anyone else in the world.
ton hasn't bothered me too much except at point
That was when came into Office early in 1888. /
made my first policy speech in st. Paul. and somehow
everything went wrong. Certain parts of the speech
misinterpreted actually msquoted. Headlines
ared up to the effect that Benson would do nothing
until disaster struck" Some of the newspapers had
fun with an even greater inaccuracy - that was
against price supports except in the of undue dis
aster." They wanted to know what ''dHe disaster"
might be.
All Alone IN Washington
When l returned to Washington after the speech,
admit | was feeling pretty low Farm prices we're
going down and government SURPRISES were going up
policies. l was being attacked almost daily in Con-
greSS by political demagogueS Newsmen and other
insiders" were making bets as to just when I'd be
forced to resign And on top of this was working
literally IS to l8 hours day to reorganze the Depart
ment and do my regular chores.
But think the worst of was having to come home
late each night to empty apartment. My family was
still out West because we didn't want to take the chill
dren out of school before june and also because my
wife had the task of selling house so that we could
buy one in Washington.
: We are particularly cIose-knit family, and am
not being sentimental when ISay that my wife and chill
dren have been truly great support So those days in
the apartment extremely lonesome ones for me.
phoned my wife frequently, and she did her best
to keep my spirits up You mustn't worry she'd
say. The President is still behind you isn't hep 81
hope so said. But after ALL even President reads
the newspapers"
was not joking either felt anxious as to just what
the President thought about the St. Paul speech.
Presently he called me the White House. and was
greatly relieved when he told me he thought everything