The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-07-01
HERBERT HOOVER ASKS
SUPPORT FOR HARDING
Declares Platform ON Which Repub-
licans Stand i ConStruCtive-Pro-
gressive-No Question As 10 Where
Former Food Administrator Stands
In Coming Campaign.

uASaklasteO Win senator d3TQ
ing this morning at the Senator
invitation. l presented the views
which believed were held by con,
siderable group OF independent and
progressive Republicans upon various
questions. The Senator stated that
it was his most sincere desire TO be
the instrumentality for bringing the
divergent elements of the party to-
gether; that the Views OF both the
conservative and progressive wings
of the party would be fully represent
&c in the administration that he re-
presented no particular group hut
that he considered II was his first
duty as leader of the party TO con-
solidate all elements into united
front He will, of course, issue no
statement until after the Democratic
convention, and then after consulta-
tion with all sides.
My own position on various issues
is well enough known, and as to the
party situation cannot make it more
clear than the following letter which
| sent to friends in different parts OF
the country two days ago and before
had any communication with Senator
Harding:
Il beg 10 acknowledge the receipt
of your letter. l have received many
hundred other communications from
friends advising various courses with
respect TO the situation that eventual
ted in Chicago, for undoubtedly many
OF the independent and progressive
Republicans like myself are greatly
disappointed over some tendencies
that were apparent at Chicago. The
Chicago platform is not radical; the
greater part OF it is constructive and
progressive; nothing prevents the
compromise planks on labor, the Lea
que, etc, from being given a forward
looking Interpretation; some things
including reorganization OF our
election expenditures and the pri-
maries. are not adequately dealt
with.
In these times when the great pro-
blems and issues created by :ae war
are new and are so complex, We must
expect wide divergence of view
among the members of the party as to
the methods by which they are to be
met. 1t follows, therefore, that if
there was to have been unity in the
convention, there had to be a large
measure of compromise. The COM
promise on the platform and the can
didate are proof that we have not ar
rived at an era of new political and
social tendencies-andf for this same
reason the same divergent groups and
the same attitude Of compromise will
be found in the Democratic conven-
tion.
Nothing could be more disastrous
than the development of several party
organizations representing the com
plexion of every group in the coun-
try. With the legislative and execu-
tive functions more widely separated
than in any other democracy, the
whole process of constructive govern
ment will come to an end if we have
more than two dominant parties. If
we should come to this position, there
will be no possibility of the American
people securing an expression Of the
will of the majority and we shall be
entirely ruled by log rolling minor
tiles or sterile political coalitions.
II am convinced that those of US
and believe they are the majority of
the party-who hold more definite
views, could not, even were we so in
clined, successfully effect the con-
summation of such views outside the
party, and that our duty is to endeay-
or to bring them to realization within
party organization itself as the is
sues on which they bear arise. The
tendencies of the party will gain their
meaning only from actual administra-
tion.
Il am convinced that unity of ac-
tion among the liberal thinkers of the
party, especially if they exert them
selves in the current Of congressional
elections. will insure the country
against legislative reaction.
IF the Republican party is to be
irreyocably split ] cannot conceive
that Senator Harding will for one
moment submit the administrative
side Of the government to the domin-
alton OF any group or coterie. Fur
thermore, we have the possibility OF
having administrative measures and
policies determined by full cabinet re-
sponsibility, and Of having coopera-
tion restored with the legislative side
Of the government. ! need not re-
iterate my conviction that the con-
structive ability so critically needed
for the vigorous business reorganiza-
tion Of the Federal government ard
to meet the many economic issues be-
fore us lies in the Republican party.
For all of these reasons, / believe
that those Of US who look upon party
organization not from the point Of
view OF partisanship but solely from
the point Of view of its usefulness as
an agency OF maximum service to the
country, should support the Republi-
can patty at the polls
Yours faithfully
(signed) HERBERT HOOVER"
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