The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-03-10
HOOVER WILL NOT
ENTER CONTEST
FOR PRESIDENCY
Does Not Believe in Personal
Scramble for High Office
ISSUES MORE THAN PARTY
Says He Is Now a Progressive Repub-
Ican but Will Participate in No
Party Organization

Replying yesterday to series of
questions by severs. California Repub-
licans in New York boosting him for
the Presidency Herbert C. Hoover de-
fined his political position regarding
parties and issues for the first time.
Mr.. Hoover said he is now an ''indepen
dent progressive" so far as the present
issues are concerned; that he was a
progressive Republican" before the
war.
Mr.. Hoover made it clear he be-
lieves in party organization, but only
for the promotion of issues, not of men
He said he was not straddler on any
issue; that 1t is the privilege of all to
hold his or her own views, and that
mo man can be so arrogant as to as
sumo that he can dictate the issues to
the American people or to the great
parties they support" While he hoped
to have the affection of his country
men, he said his ambition is to remain
a common citizen"
Mr.. Hoovers letter was written to
Ralph Arnold, mining engineer of
Los Angeles, who is in New York as
the representative of the make Hoo
yer President club of California.
The letter follows:-
| Il have given deep consideration to
the urgent recommendations of the
committee of which you are Chair
Imam. Such proposals are indeed
lgreat honor, but l feel that | cannot
alter the attitude | have consistently
preserved in these matters. 1t Is, how
ever, due to old friends that | should
make this position perfectly clear to
You and your colleagues.
First, am an independent progress
sive In the issues before us today.
thing that at this time the issues be-
fore the country transcend partisan
ship. 1t is we'll known that | was
Progressive Republican before the
war, and 4 think rightly, a nonpar-
tisan during my war service. The is
sues confronting us are new, and the
alignment upon them has not yet been
made by the great parties. still
object as much to the reactionary
group in the Republican Party as
do to the radical group in the Demo-
c.atic Party.
Second, | am not seeking public Of
flee, and consulting my own personal
inclinations, do not want public Of
Ifice. / cannot prevent any citizen or
group of citizens from agitating that
| should take public office, but | can
not conscientiously participate in any
organization to that end.
II belong to a group which thinks
that the American people should select
their own officials at their own in
itiative and volition, and that resents
the manufacture of officials by ma
chine methods. l feel sure that il l
entered the race for nomination to the
Presidency and undertook to solicit
and spend the cost of propaganda and
organ cation, this would be in itself a
negation of the right American in
stinct, because of the obligation that 1t
all implies. l thoroughly believe that
I, like any other citizen, should always !
be ready for service when really call |
ed upon, but to go out and try to per-
suade the public to call me is opposed
to my every instinct.
Third, | hope to have the affection |
of my countrymen, but my ambition
is to remain common citizen, ready |
to engage in team play with any or
ganization and learership that has for
its objective the consummation and |
maintenance of great issues in the
forms that. believe are to the public |
interest and benefit. l, of course be-
leve in party organization, but 1t
must be for the promotion of issues, |
not of men. | am not straddler on |
any issue;i1 spend most of my time
1t is the privilege of all of us to hold |
agitating for issues that / believe in.
our 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 assume that he can dictate the |
issues to the American people or to :
the great parties they support.
Fourth, you and your friends have
urged that / should undertake to or
ganize propaganda for myself as rep
resenting issues, by entering into |
competition for nomination by great |
party. Aside from the reasons men
toned above this implies entry upon |
a road of selfseeking, whereas my
view is that | should agitate for the |
issues, not for myself. You rightly say
that joining sheer organization with
out issues is simply office hunting |
without regard to public services.
'Finally, I am not so ignorant as not
to realize perfectly we'll that such
course does not lead to nomination to
the Presidency, but I would not be
myself if started out on part of
self-seeking to obtain any Office"
The letter, it was explained by Mr.. |
Arnold. is the direct result of meet !
ing of California. Renublicans last
Friday evening in the Hotel Astor. at
which committee was appointed to
go to Washington and put squareiy up
to Mr. Hoover the questions which he |
answered numerically in the letter.