Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-15

they could bear lie. TO their minds. is
the man raised up for the present
crisis. They are quoting TO themselves
the medieval proverb. whose truth has
been demonstrated in every great ma
tho tale Of bricks i doubled Moses
comes.
Til" tale Of bricks has been doubled
not only for the workers in the United
States. but for every one involved in
any way in the war. The old line poll
ticians arc not thinking much about
acting as delivcrcr>. Their interest is
in keeping puitiral conditions uu-
changed 50 that they may continue TO
thrive. The thing to bN desired above
ell others. in their opinion, is to keep
their organization intact and to pre-
vent "outSidorS from taking the rcins
from their hands
Hundreds of thousands Of voters.
however. are looking to Mr.. Hoover as
the Moses to lead the nation into tho
promised land. They are thinking of
issues and not OF party machinery.
The progressive spirit which eliminated
in 1912 has rcappCarcd. The Same kind
Of dissatisfaction which found expires
sion then is making itself VOCAL now.
The same desire for the injection of
moral ideals and business efficiency into
government is stirring the hopes Of tho
nation. 1t is not confined TO men Of
either Of the great parties. nor to any
section Of the country.
The nation j. at the crossing Of the
ways in foreign and domestic issues.
and 50 much depends on choosing the
right course that there is confident be-
lief in many quarters that if tn" Re
publican convention is allowed to rep
resent the wishes Of the voters who live
in the present and look to the future
Mr.. Hoover will be nominated by ac-
clamation
But presidential candidates are not
nominated by Spontaneous uprisinsS of
the voters. They arc nominated by
delegates Sclcrtpd in tho first place, by
the professional politicians and elected
in the states whore the primary system
prevails by those voters who take the
trouble 10 60 10 thc pol>.
Til" nominating machinery is con-
trolled by the politicians. This is why
men like Senator PeuroSc do not take
the Hoover movement seriously. They
cannot b" induced 10 take a different
view until other men skilled in political
methods begin 10 organize sentiment and
to bring pressure to bear upon the reg
uIar party workers TO convince them Of
VI. .,f q.
undoubted popular demand
Mr.. Hoover cannot be nominated
solely by ineXpcrt men even though rhcv
are earnest and sincere.
ltoO>clrIt was wiser in his day and
generation than these children of light
Of the year 1920. When othis astutc
and practical idcalist landed from Cuba
after tn" Spanish War be was met at
Montauk Point by a delegation of re-
formers who offered 10 him the nomina
tlon TO the gOyernorship of New York.
lio talked pleasantly with the dplcga
tj"n. hUt gave them no comfort. for he
knew that il be tied himself up irrevo.
"aD!y with that outfit it would be easier
10 max" him ear Of Russia than TO
elect him to the sovernorship. And
when Platt offered the nomination 10
MIN because he was convinced that he
was the only Republican who could win,
the Rough Rider accepted on his own
terms. The rest is history.
What is needed in tho Hoover camp
today is a little of the practical politi-
cal wisdom Of Roosevelt which faced
the facts and dealt with conditions as
they were,
Men familiar with political methods
must b" allowed 10 direct the canvass
from now on II it is to succeed. Such
men know that with tho number Of
iavoritc sons in the field il is possible to
put Hoover over a. the second choice
in many states. TO be voted for when il
becomes apparent that the favoritc son
mas no chance. Personal interviews
with the state leaders will accomplish
much more than II lot of hullabaloo by
eif.COustituted committees in th.
various communities made up of men
and women as familiar with the ways
Of nominating conventions as with the
etiquette OF approaching the Grand
Lama of Thibet
Tho odd Guard is saying in public
that Mr., Hoover is n negligible guam
,.ry, But in private they are talking
about the sentiment behind him and
they are anxiously watching its devel.
opmcnt. II they shall be convinced by
events of the next seven weeks that be
is the man who can be elected more
easily than any other candidate. they
will be in the mood to repeat the tactics
Of Plat in New York when he accepted
Roosevelt with wry face, for victory
is what they are after,
The Hoover agitation by amateurs is
all very well in its way 1t serves to
keep up the discussion. But it is not
the sort of thing that induces delegates
10 rasf Ihnir Nnfn fnr a cnndidntn a..