The Cordele dispatch., 1920-03-10

clared he was not seeking public Of
Ifice, that his ambition Is to remain
ia common citizen but that he believ
cd he, like every other citizen
should always be ready for service
when really called upon"
Mr.. Hooyer's letter followed the ac
ton of a group of prominent Califor
mans residing in this city in appoint
ing a committee to go to Washington
to ask Mr.. Hoover to make known
pis position.
Asserting that while "such propo-
sails are indeed u great honor l feel
that I cannot alter the attitude that
ave consistently preaerved." Mr.
Hoover's letter continued:
First | am an independent pro
gressive and the issues before the
country transcend partisanship. 1t is
well known that was a progressive
Republican before the war and,
think rightly, a nonpartisan during
my war service. The issues confront
ing US are new and the alignment up
on them has not yet been made by the
great parties. | still object as much tc
the reactionary group in the Republi-
can party as I do to the radical group
in the Democratic party
"Do Not Want Public Office"
Second l am not seeking public
| office, and, onsultingJ h my own per-
l.sonal inclinations. l do not want nub-
lie office. cannot prevent any citizen
or group Of citizens from agitating
that l should take public office, but
l cannot conscieniously participate in
any organization to that end.
81 belong to group which thinks
that the American people should So
lect their own officials at their own
initiative and volition and that resent
and maintenance of great issues forms
chine methods. feel sure that if en-
tered the race for nomination to the
presidency and undertook to solicit
an spend the cost of propaganda and
organization this would be in itself
Hgaticn Of the right American in
ti7ct, because Of the obligations that
it all implies. thoroughly believe
that l, like any other citizen, should
always be ready for service when
really called upon, but to go out and
try to persuade the public to call me
is opposed to my every instinct.
Third, hope to have the affection
of my countrynHn, but my ambition
is to remain a common citizen, ready
to engage in team-play with any or
ganization and leadership that has
for it's objective the consummation
that / believe are to the public interst
Darty organization but it must be for
the promotion of issues, nct Of men
l am not straddler CT any issue,
spend most OF my time agitat'ng for
issues that | believe in. 1t is the pri-
vilege of all of us to hold cur own
views and it IS our duty to express
them when called upon to do so. But
no man can be so arrogant as to as
ume that he can>dictate the issues
to the American people or to the
great parties they support.
Won't Create New Party
Fourth, you and your friends have
urged that l should undertake to or
ganize propaganda for myself as re-
Presenting issues, by entering into
competition for nomination by a
great party aside from those men
t'oned above. This implies entry upon
road of self-seeking. Whereas my
view is that should agitate for the
ssues, not for myself. You rightly
say that joining sheer organization
without issues is simply office-hunt-
| ing without regard to public services.
Finally, l am not so ignorant as
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