The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-04-03
MIR. HOOVER MAKES PRO
GRESS IN POLITICS.

In his first public utterance
relative to the action OF his ad7
mirers in grooming him for the
presidency, Mr.. Hoover entered
an emphatic disclaimer to the
slandcrous allegation that he IS
III any sense candidate.
Assuming quite a lofty, digni-
fled air, Mr. Hoover, made it per-
fectIy plain that no party had
any strings attached to him; ne
was absolutely a free lance IN
politics, reserving the light to
support the party the platform OF
which suited him after it had OF
ficially spoken. In other words,
Mahomet had no idea OF going to
the mountain and hence it was
up to the mountain to come to
him.
Now the national conventions
of both of the great parties are
still some two months in the fu-
ture and hence neither has for
mulated a declaration of policies
but Mr.. Hoover, i'll an amended
answer to his friends, has let 1T
be known that he is willing to
accept the Republican nomlna-
ton, provided a progressive plat
form is adopted. The effect OF
his most recent pronouncement IS
to leave no doubt as to his party
allegiance and it may also be re-
garded as eliminating him from
The list of mere passive candl-
dates, putting him in the class OF
those who are actively seeking
the nomination.
We believe it was Mr.. Shakes
peare who made one of his char
acters intimate that GER
tain gentleman "protesteth too
much. There is not little of
deep psychology in this thing OF
protesting too much and Mr..
Hoover's studied gesture in way
ing the profered crown aside, a
la j. Caesar, might well have
aroused the suspicion that he
had his fingers crossed at the
time. 1t often happens that lofty
ambition screens itself beneath a
cloak of apparent modesty and
assumed reluctance to achieve its
object. If there was method in
the madness = of Mr.. Hamlet,
perhaps we are justified i'll draw
ing the inference that there was
more or less method" in the
modesty of Mr.. Hoover.
However, to be perfectly fair,
it ism t absolutely necessary to
assume that Mr.. Hoover was
grand-standing when he assumed
his original attitude of indiffer-
ence. 1t is perfectly possible
that his political education has
been making rapid progress since
he gave out his first announce
ment and that his letter to the
California Republican club meas
urcs the extent of his progress.
Mr.. Hoover is a bright man and
he could learn lot in the course
OF month or more. If he keeps
on picking up, we are inclined to
guess that little Herbert may
stand at the head of his class
within another month, proudly
crowding past the boys who
make politics a profession.
Further evidence of Mr.. Hoo
ver's progress is seen in the fact
that his views on the burning
issues are still in a uebulous
state, if we are to judge from
his public utterances. 1t is true
that he declares that he stands
for league of nations and in his |
own mind, this seems TO distin- |
guish his candidacy from that of |
certain other ambitious Republi-
cans who are out for the presi-
dency, but he leaves us wholly |
in the dark as to the precise ma
lure of the league. he favors. For
all the public knows it might be
he same sort of league that Gen.
Wood, Gov. Lowden or Senator
Lodge stands for. If Mr.. Hoo
ver's mind were of the strictly
independent, non-partisan cast
hat he manifested nj the first
of his attitude TO-