The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-15
DAVIS PROMISES
TO STOP GRAFT
OR STEP DOWN
FayOrs Recall As Method
Of Getting Rid 0f In-
active Officials

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Oct. 14.--Be,
tween addresses In which he denounced
'coFruption' and privilege" In gov
eminent, John w. Davis, democratic
presidential candidate, visited the tomb
Of Abraham LINCOLN today paid hom-
age TO the memory OF the nlartyrcd pres
ident. and found new inspiration TO con-
tinne the campaign, he said, with hon
estry, courage and equality in govern
ment his major themes.
Mr.. Davis gave his pledge to Illinois
voters that he would within two years
after his Inauguration as president, II
elected in November, commend his own
administration to condemnation should
he have failed by that time to rid the
government Of corruption and prlvi-
lege."
IF when four years have elapsed
aye, IL when two years have gone" Mr..
Davis declared, "and we have been as
false to our promise as other men have
been, IL corruption again has raised its
ugly head and thrown itself into the
conduct Of your government, II privilege
has not been wiped off the statute books
and the laws that control you, shall
rot only not invoke your further sui.
frage, but shall commend il to You
as American citizens to repeat your
vote Of protest and condemnation"
Called Public Servant
THAT Is what free government is in
this country" he said. What are
your public officers In this country but
your mere agents and servants? What
is an election but their coming back tO
vol and asking whether you approve or
dislpprove of them? How will you
conduct your government unless you
say on the one hand, well done, good
and faithful servant" or on the other,
depart. we never knew your
There is so such thing In this coun-
try as an nnimpOrtant presidentin! cam-
pnign. If you go back over the his
tory Of the United States you will FIND
that every four years the American
people have taken q decision that was
not only fraught with great cOnse-
Quences to themselves, but great conse-
quences frequently TO the entire world.
"AnG no one ean tell what lies
ahead of US in the years that are to
come, but this we DO know, that we
make a choice of the course which the
American people, the greater nation IN
the world shall take for four years, and to
choose the man into whose hands that
SESuL IEoDDH5iuAAtty bCWOAS ~
placed Is not Hight or trivial thing
for any man or woman or child in these
United States"
Later the candidate told voters in
Springfield in his night address it was
their duty today as It was the duty Of
their farebearers in the day Of Lincoln
to determine what the course is that
your government shall take for your
benefit and the benefit Of your chill
dren."
At another point, Mr.. Davis declared
there was no such thing as an unim-
portgnt presidential campaign and re-
viewed past history to show that ''ey-
cry four years the American people have
taken a decision that was not only
fraught with grave circumstances to
themselves but great consequences fire.
auently to the entire world"
Much Of the same thought was voiced
By the candidate today in brief speech
al Nation. He told his audience there
that he never wanted to see the United
States harden into classes, groups and
| factions.