The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-31
PEOPLES FORUM
How Democrats can Win

How Democrats Can Win
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
AS usual the politicians of the
Democratic party are again on the
job endeavoring to dictate the
candidate and the policy of the
party in our next national presi-
dental contest. This habit has
not only characterized the Demo-
cratic party heretofore, but 1t has
been the custom of the politicians
of the Republican party to dictate
the candidate and the policy of
that party.
The observation that I want to
make in this brief article is this:
the control of political parties in
the future will be nothing like SO
complete as it has been in the
past. The spirit of political indie
pendence is very rapidly and very
thoroughly permeating the coun-
try. In the next national contest,
If the politicians of the Demo-
cratic party can get the consent
of their minds to let the people
suggest the candidate and the pol
icy, there is not any question in
my mind but what the Democrats
national house of representatives
As a travelling man my business
in the last twelve months has car
rfed me through most of the Mid
dle-West and out on the Pacific
slope. My conclusion is that the
people are very concretely max
ing up their minds to get rid of
professional hot-air artists and
wind jamming statesmen who talk
in and out of season. but whose
performances are quite meager.
There is no doubt In my mind but
what Henry Ford would sweep the
country If the Democratic politi-
clans would have patriotic fore
thought to let the even tenor of
politics pursue its course unin-
terrupted by them in the next ma
tional contest. The next strongest
man, In my mind, and this obser-
walton is based upon contact with
the people throug hout the West
and Pacific coast is William Gibbs
McAdoo. And little as you may
think about it, william Jennings
Bryan is much stronger with the
masses today than lots of folks
are willing to admit. No whisky
champion. in my judgment, stands
ghost of chance of being
elected president of the United
States.
Now, the people do not want the
League of Nations. The people do
not want the international court,
and they are not going to support
any political party that attempts
to give these issues the right of
way over domestic affairs We
can exert the same moral influ-
ence over the world that We al
ways have had since jefferson
wrote the Declaration of indie
pendence and Washington his
farewell address. Four-fifths of
the people out on the highways
and hedges are sick and disguised
with this constant effort upon the
part of certain Americans to med
die in European affairs. Take the
matter of prohibition, for instance.
The press is giving much publicity
to the attitude of five leading Eu-
ropean nations towards the recent
decision of the supreme court as
to the enforcement of our prohibit
ton laws. This leads me to the
conclusion that most invariably in
the League of Nations and in
world court what would suit
America would rarely ever please
Europe.
If you will retrospect little
you will observe its commencing
with the events leading up to the
World War. Europe has agreed
with America only when she was
getting Americas money. I have
been a lifelong Democrat, reared
in the Democratic South, hreathed
the Democratic atmosphere, but
just at this moment l am i'm
mensely interested in keeping out
of this European ENHANCEMENT
and strictly attending to American
affairs. The domestic issues are
imperative enough in the next ma
tional contest to demand all of our
time and all of our attention.
WILLIAM MERRITT HAIRSTON.
Birmingham, Ala, May 81, 1928.