Conservative Manifesto
Encyclopedia
The Conservative Manifesto (officially titled "An Address to the People of the United States" ) was a position statement drafted in 1937 by a bipartisan coalition of conservative politicians. Those involved in its creation included opponents of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal
as well as erstwhile supporters who had come to believe its programs were proving ineffective.
The spring and summer of 1937 saw a return to economic recession (dubbed the "Roosevelt Recession"), a failed attempt by Roosevelt to "pack" the Supreme Court with judges sympathetic to New Deal policies, and a series of sit-down strikes by organized labor. A bipartisan coalition of conservative politicians emerged in light of these political developments, and Senator Josiah W. Bailey (D
-NC
) recognized an opportunity to oppose the New Deal through "bipartisan conservative action." The document's key authors were Bailey and Arthur H. Vandenberg
(R
-MI
), with Bailey acting as "final editor."
Portions of the statement were published prematurely by syndicated columnists Joseph Alsop
and Robert E. Kintner
on 15 December 1937. The New York Times
carried the full text the following day. Although fear of political reprisal kept many politicians from publicly endorsing the document, the statement nonetheless won endorsements from hundreds of Chambers of Commerce and citizens' organizations throughout the nation, while forty to fifty business and manufacturing associations reprinted it in lots up to 100,000. By late February 1938, Bailey estimated that almost two million copies had been circulated, not counting newspaper printings. Senators and congressmen were reportedly deluged with petitions from every state in the Union to uphold the policies stated in the declaration.
The statement called for:
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
as well as erstwhile supporters who had come to believe its programs were proving ineffective.
The spring and summer of 1937 saw a return to economic recession (dubbed the "Roosevelt Recession"), a failed attempt by Roosevelt to "pack" the Supreme Court with judges sympathetic to New Deal policies, and a series of sit-down strikes by organized labor. A bipartisan coalition of conservative politicians emerged in light of these political developments, and Senator Josiah W. Bailey (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-NC
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) recognized an opportunity to oppose the New Deal through "bipartisan conservative action." The document's key authors were Bailey and Arthur H. Vandenberg
Arthur H. Vandenberg
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg was a Republican Senator from the U.S. state of Michigan who participated in the creation of the United Nations.-Early life and family:...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-MI
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
), with Bailey acting as "final editor."
Portions of the statement were published prematurely by syndicated columnists Joseph Alsop
Joseph Alsop
Joseph Wright Alsop V was an American journalist and syndicated newspaper columnist from the 1930s through the 1970s.-Early years:...
and Robert E. Kintner
Robert E. Kintner
Robert E. Kintner was an American journalist and television executive, who served as president of both the National Broadcasting Company and the American Broadcasting Company ....
on 15 December 1937. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
carried the full text the following day. Although fear of political reprisal kept many politicians from publicly endorsing the document, the statement nonetheless won endorsements from hundreds of Chambers of Commerce and citizens' organizations throughout the nation, while forty to fifty business and manufacturing associations reprinted it in lots up to 100,000. By late February 1938, Bailey estimated that almost two million copies had been circulated, not counting newspaper printings. Senators and congressmen were reportedly deluged with petitions from every state in the Union to uphold the policies stated in the declaration.
The statement called for:
- lowering taxes on capital gains and undistributed profits,
- reducing government spending and balancing budgets,
- restoring peace to the relationship between labor and industry,
- resisting government competition with private enterprise,
- recognizing the importance of profit in private enterprise,
- protecting collateral as a prerequisite for credit,
- reducing taxes,
- maintaining states' rights,
- aiding the unemployed in an economical and locally responsible manner, and
- relying on American free enterprise.