Conservative Manifesto

The Conservative Manifesto, officially titled An Address to the People of the United States, was a political position statement issued in December 1937 by a bipartisan coalition of conservative members of Congress in the United States. The document was drafted primarily under the leadership of Senator Josiah Bailey (D‑North Carolina) and reflected the opposition of both Republican and Democratic legislators to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal policies.

Background
During the early 1930s, the New Deal—a series of federal programs and reforms intended to address the economic devastation of the Great Depression—generated significant controversy among legislators who feared that its expansive government intervention threatened private enterprise, fiscal stability, and states’ rights. By 1937, a group of conservatives from both parties organized a coordinated response known as the “Conservative coalition,” which sought to articulate an alternative vision for American economic and social policy.

Drafting and Publication
The manifesto was prepared in late 1937 and publicly released on 19 December 1937 through a New York Times leak. While several members of the coalition denied direct involvement, Senator Bailey openly acknowledged his role and presented the document to the Senate. The text was simultaneously circulated as a public address, intended to influence both public opinion and congressional debate.

Key Provisions
The manifesto outlined ten principal policy recommendations:

1. Tax Reform: Immediate reduction of taxes on capital gains and undistributed corporate profits to free investment funds.
2. Balanced Budget: Cuts in federal expenditures aimed at achieving a balanced budget without deterring business expansion.
3. Labor Relations: End to coercion and violence in employer‑employee relations, promoting voluntary labor agreements.
4. Government Competition: Opposition to unnecessary government competition with private enterprise.
5. Profit Incentive: Recognition that private investment requires a reasonable profit margin.
6. Credit Safeguards: Protection of collateral upon which credit rests.
7. Tax Stability: Commitment to no further tax increases, or reduction where feasible.
8. State and Local Autonomy: Preservation of state rights, home rule, and local self‑government except when clearly inadequate.
9. Relief Measures: Economical, non‑politicized relief for the unemployed, emphasizing maximum local responsibility.
10. American Institutional Values: Reliance on the American form of government and free‑enterprise system.

Impact and Legacy
Although the manifesto did not result in immediate legislative change, it articulated a coherent conservative platform that influenced subsequent Republican policy positions throughout the mid‑20th century. Its emphasis on limited government, fiscal restraint, and protection of private enterprise became recurring themes in later conservative movements, including the post‑World War II anti‑communist era and the resurgence of conservatism in the 1960s and 1970s.

References

• “Conservative Manifesto.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved via r.jina.ai from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Manifesto.
• Bailey, Josiah (1937). An Address to the People of the United States. New York Times (leaked copy).
• Congressional Record, 75th Congress, 2 December 1937, p. 1937‑pt2‑v82‑11 (full text PDF).