New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-04
Contest Echoed
Public Voice.
Readers Assert
Voters Praise The Tribune
for the Wide Interest 1t
Has Created in the Issues
of the National Campaign
Awoke People, Says One
Planks Contributed by the
Thousand Speak for All
Sections of United States

Readers of The Tribune--if one may
Judge by the volume of commendatory
Ietters--are of one opinion in their esti-
mate Of the value TO accrue to the Re.
publican party and to the nation from
the Platform Contest, which closed last
Friday night. Those who have written
have spoken in high terms
The contest was devised to gather
the views of the man at the pillow
and the man in the shop, the business
and professional man and the women
voters in the North, South, East and
West, and to have them enable The
Tribune to frame model platform,
in concise form. No section of the coun-
try failed to contribute a just proper
tion of the thousands of letters ard
planks received, and the result of the
analysis will be seen in the ten planks
to be published in The Tribune next
Sunday.
Every phase of governmental thought
has been touched upon by contributors
in the contest, from the least important
labor. which readers of The Tribune
appear to have selected as the foremost
issue OF the campaign.
In view of the fact that The Trib-
une's model platform may be called
peoples platform, some of the opin-
ions of those who are contestants may
be printed as in a measure voicing
the judgment of the whole on the gen.
eral accomplishment.
A Boston contributor writes: "Your
platform page has excited such wide
and genuine interest that its alue &c
the American voter cannot be overes-
timated, and the many evidences of
the broad and humanitarian policy
which has characterized The Tribune
under the guidance of long line of
distinguished editors are not unappre-
ciated by your host of American
readers"
Two New Haven, Conn, men are
signers of the following: Nothing has
turned the thoughts of the public to
the heart of the issues at stake so
effectively and to the necessary quail
fcations of the leader so thoroughly
as has the platform contest. Such
thought is absolutely essential in gov
eminent by the people"
when you asked for platform sug-
gestions you risked either Babel or
states a Johnstown, Pa, contestant.
"The result proves you judged rightly.
and also shows the saneness of going
to the people for light when great
things impend. By the same token,
the soundness of the American heart
is disclosed. stanch and sturdy and
true, though some of the burdens
have been heavy"
In some instances letters of common
dation have come from voters who
were seeking light" and who say they
have found it in the columns Of the
platform page. One of these is Bronx
man, who writes: "The platform con-
test has proved very educational to
me- 1t has awakened in me greater
interest in the affairs and welfare of
my country. l feel it has made me a
better citizen"
There also are indications that the
public feels it has not had enough;
that The Tribune might have gone even
a little further in its poll of popular
sentiment. A Brooklyn man says: 81
hope that arrangements will be made
to continue in some form the service
that this contest has given to the
public Of all parties"
Some of the readers of The Tribune
have been impre by the fullness