PresidentialPositionsIssuesReceptionTimelineDocuments

Work in progress — cycles are added one at a time. Every quote is machine-verified against an archived source; follow the links to read it.

1936

William Lemke vs Earl Browder

IssueWilliam LemkeEarl Browder
Public control of the central bank and money creation
'Drive the money changers out of the temple': public control of money and credit, further inflation of the currency vague_gesturenot_applicable
The Union Party's founding program as Coughlin stated it -- take money creation from private banks; go 'much further in the inflationists' direction' than the Thomas amendment and silver purchase.
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Minimum wages
A 'living annual wage' -- $1,800 for a family of five -- by federal law and a constitutional amendment if necessary specific_pledgenot_applicable
Coughlin's plank for the Union candidate: amend the Constitution so 'free unbridled competition must submit to reasonable Federal laws' guaranteeing a fair annual wage to every willing worker.
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Farm and home mortgage relief
Refinance farm mortgages through the Frazier-Lemke plan (government-issued credit at low interest) specific_pledgenot_applicable
The 'inflationary farm mortgage bill' Lemke authored: federal refinancing of farm debt with currency issued for the purpose, blocked by the administration and the House in 1936.
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Old-age pensions and social insurance
The Townsend $200-a-month pension as a plank of the Union coalition vague_gesturenot_applicable
Absorb the Townsend clubs into the Union ticket; Dr. Townsend endorsed Lemke at Cleveland in August.
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Communism, radicalism and "alien isms" as a political issue —
Popular Front: nominal opposition to Roosevelt, real opposition to Landon and 'fascism' vague_gesturenot_applicable
Run a Communist ticket while treating the defeat of the Republican-Liberty League right as the objective.