Ke Alakai o Hawaii, Volume IX, Number 26, 8 October 1936 — GOVERNOR GEORGE H. EARLE TELLS PENNSYLVANIA BENEFIT UNDER ROOSEVELT'S NEW DEAL [ARTICLE]
GOVERNOR GEORGE H. EARLE TELLS PENNSYLVANIA BENEFIT UNDER ROOSEVELT'S NEW DEAL
(EDITOR'S E—The speech wiih whieh Oovernor Alf M, Landon of Kansas acc6pted the 1936 presidential nbmihation of the l^epu|blican # party caused such widespread conunent througliout the nalipn that the Democratic National Committee decided tjiat it should b.e discussed in a history-making radio broadcast in whieh six governor& gave their views over a nation-wide hook-up- Because the views of these governors shouīd be one of interest to every American citizen ĪHE DEMOCRAT is printing the series of six gubernatorial addresses in serial form- The second of these, printed herewith, was by Governor Earle of Pennsylvania, whieh the Repubiicans used to eall the "Keystone state" before the Roosevelt lands!ide of 1932. The other four speeches will be printed in succeeding issues.)
As the Governor of the greatest industrial state in the Union, I have a responsibilty for the welfare of t<en million men ? women and children. The common\vealth of Pennsy!vania, whieh has a budget approaching a half billio'n dollars, is larger Ihan any one of ,a dozen European Countries. It pays about ten per cent off ali taxes eolleeted by the Federal Government.
The security and prosperity of this vast industrial empire depettds in great part upon"the man who sits in the White House. That is why I, and hnndreds of thousands of other Pennaylvanians, waited with mingled and fear for the acceptance speech of Aifred Mossan Landon of Kansas as-the Republican nominee for President.
We were deeply concerned with the question of how his principles'and policies, if he were elected, would help Pennsylvania.
"Doing Magnificently Under Roosevelt"
We have been doing magnificently under President Roosevelt. Our state was a land of deserted factories, neglected farms, ruined banks and shattered industries, when he assumed office. Today it is thriving. Its factories are working ful blast. Its farmers are prosperous. īts banks are sound. Evidences of recovery are multiplying on every side. We wondered how Governor Landon could do any better, and we waited for any answer. I want to tell you we were bitterly disappointed. We found vague, far-reaching, indefinite generalities. We in Pennsylvania are skeptical of republican generalities. Our people listened to ihem for forty years, and finaliy gave up hope of ever having republican promises fulfilled. In the same way, when Govcrnor Landon spoke of things that needed to be done, we were forced. to jemember that the repub!ican party was in office for twelve years, under. Harjiug, Coolidge and Hoover, without aecomplishing those reforms it pledged then and pledges today.
With thīs record In min&.'we look for a clear statement of speciific policies whieh were to replace those of President Rooaevelt. We found very little. There was a promiae of reasonable' ! security. But wh.o is to say whāt is -reason,able?" Who is to g"o behmd that evasion and sav what "reasonable" means? Remebering that Goveriior Landon considered $1.08 a week "reasonable" xor a Kansas family on relief, we were worried. We were not impressed by his promise to economize and at the same time to provide adequate relief for the farmer and the worker. We were amazed to find him insiatilig government should be an "umpire" and then exeeuiāng an about-face to say that industrial disputes should not be the eoneem of the president. "FumWmg Witfe Recovery'V? ? ? , We were not impressed by any talk of if f umbling" with xepoyery. No one has argued, as Governor Landon seems to beiieve that recovery is an accomplished fact. No one realizes that morc keen!y than President Roosevelt, and on one is doing more to achieve permanent reeovery. We all know that empioyment has not gamed as rapidly as business and industry. But we also know that the very meāsures Presideht Roosevelt advanced to correct that condition were attacked with almost unbeliievable ferocity byithose same people who are the most ardent suppoi'leia of Governor Landon today. Landon'« Unele Big Steel Lobbyist! Governor Landon holds thha the Federal Government
ha» been unable to solve the problem of unemp!oyment, and the presuinption is that he expects private industry to succeed. Let us cohsider an example, the steel industrj% Gcrvemor Landon may be familiar with that, since hia unee, William T. Moosman, ia the chief lobbyist in Harrisburg for the Pennsylvania Steel-master. The Pennsylvania steel industry is booming today as it has never boomed since the world war. Yet employment lags. Why ? Mecause modern machinery is replacing the workers in the sfceel mills, pust as it is replacing the workers in mine and factory and on our farms. We have eome to a showdown with the maehine age. Presdent Roose\"elt gav*€_ us the soluton when he shortened liours of warloand established minimum wages. Now, as a result of Supreme Court Decisions, we must look for another solution, but no word or deed of G<overnor Landon leads me to believe he bas the solution. 1 | He has given us aome pretty platitudes aboift the righU !of labor. Yet his nearest approacli to a declaration of poliey on any issue is his acceptance of the company union, the most powerful weapon against the rights of labor ever inveai«3d. Any candidale wlio talks of thd- rjights of labor aud still approves the eompaiii' union is in exactl>' the same position as the famous mother who told her littje giri to hang her clothes on a hiekory limb but stai' away from the water. Sw»mmers Must Get Wet You eani go in swim«img without gettang wet, and you can't protevt eompany uaions without destroying the rights of labor. Govcrnt>r Landon, who radiates sweetnc&s and hght and love for all mankina, is a Kansas Dorcki. Whie the oil barons and monoy changers rally their mercenarks U liis standard. and while his lieutenaiite go abroad in the Und kiiuīliiig dark pai«sions and prejudices, he sings a song of Kabied kingdoms yet to eome, luring his fellow men to ihoir iiēstruction ou the rocks of big business greed. Not a pretty pkture f and a sad end for the party I and my foreiat hei*s onee were proud to elaim as our own, a tragic and biiier end for a party that onee had Abraham Lineoin as its standard-bearer, ' Penns,vlvania f whieh through yeara of bitter eperience has leameu the diiference betwoen republkan ,pledge and republican performance, this year will repeat aeUon of 1984 and again c&st an oYerwhelming >ote of coufideace hi Fraīiklliv Poaiio Kocsoyelt