Evening star., 1963-05-26
BY MARY McGRORY
Star Staff Writer


Secretary Of Agriculture Free
man could very well be a bitter
man today. When he took his
impossible job, 1t was with the
avowed intention of making the
American farmer a stepchild
of the Eisenhower administra-
ton, feel loved and wanted in
the national family.
Farmers responded well to
his early messages of under
standing and sympathy. None
of the unkind adjectives di-
rected at his predecessor, Ezra
Taft Benson, came his way.
Congress was generally re-
ceptive to him and his pro-
grams.
After six months in office,
he said there was more good
feeling among the American
farmers than there had been
for 10 years past.
Kicked Over the Traces
But last Tuesday, the Ameri-
can farmer kicked over the
traces and told the Secretary
of Agriculture to take his wheat
program and get off the land
The Secretary took 1t very
we'll. He has been too long in
politics to expect gratitude, and
he has always known that the
farmer, regarded by some of
his city cousins as neurotic, is
an unpredictable creature. The
city dweller in the White
House was philosophical, too,
at this latest manifestation of
a mentality that has always
baffled him.
The farmers rejection of |
rigid controls and high prices,
has been interpreted as a VIC
tory for freedom, and already |
there are Republican cries for
the Secretary's resignation.
Called Reputation
House Minority Leader Hal
leck said the vote, which fell
about 20 per cent short of the |
two-thirds necessary to carry
the referendum, was a lepudi-
alton Of Secretary Freeman |
and proved he had outlived his
usefulness. Senate Minority |
Leader Dirksen said 1t was a
vote "for freedom and against |
Freeman" Senator Aiken, Re-
publican of Vermont, called it
"A Concord and Lexington of |
the farmers"
Secretary Freeman has not
taken 1t personally.
II think they we're mistaken,
but hope I am wrong" he
says. II hope income will be
up and I say God bless you
without any rancor."
The Secretary feels that the
full force of the conservative
movement was brought to
bear on the vote. The John |
Birch Society, the National As
sociation of Manufacturers, The
American Medical Association,
and the ti-Government or
ganizations all participated,
either directly or financially.
Farm Bureau Leads /
The leader in the fight was
the American Farm Bureau.
which conducted q virtual
farm-to-farm campaign against
the referendum.
The farmers voted 597,776
to 547,151 against the tightest |
controls and highest fixed price
in agricultural history. i
But does the farmer really |
want to rule Uncle Sam off the
farm entirely2 The answer Is
no. He wants help and even |
will accept some control, but |
apparently he wants 1t to be
Republican rather than DEM
ocratic.
Here, for instance, Is a pas
sage from a Farm Bureau anti
referendum program: Calling
the choice one between death
by hanging and death by a
firing squad" the Farm Bureau
says, there is lone hope OF
salvation-Congress, still in
session. will be watching the
outcome of the wheat vote. A
number Of legislators of both
parties have announced that
a defeat of the wheat control
program would be followed by
the introduction Of bills to
relieve the wheat situation"
Shuman's Statement
And Charles Shuman, the
head Of the Farm Bureau, the
morning after victory. said he
was confident that Congress
will re-enlist some transition
program to move gradually
from fixed prices to the free
market place"
The prospects for legislation
although Representative
Quie, Republican of Minnesota.
has already introduced a bill
for voluntary controls"-seem