The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-21
BLIND PARTY LOYALTY5HAS GONE

nifty. I am somewhat surprised, however, at the character of the inquiry you make to me.
 1t must have been written without the de- liberate thought which know you always give to great public questions. l am sure l you would not have written 1t if you had just stopped toeconsider that our great party had hot yet held itsconvsntion and declared
 what we believe Hpon this monstary question. Iafn quite sure you will agree with me that
 neither you nor have ahy right to have definite opinion unpn his great .sub5rt until our party has spoken"
 l attended that convention. The candi- date was renominated and the delegate wl>a had written to him voted for hims 2, .f i But those dear, dead days are gone. and even our belief in immortality gives on assuf-
 ance of their resurrection. There is but little hope of a return to the party loyalty that was grounded on the theory that Fthe party sean do no wrong. Indeed, would not have us go back to those days if could. l With the growth of political :ndependence all men, save professional politicians, perhaps, | delore the old days when individual opi6- ions were cabined, cribbed and conhfed by party declarations. But, like most onward movements, the expression of individual opin- ions has gone to extreme lengths Fl 1 it seems necessary no longer for a.man to yield his assent to declarations in. any party platform. Yet fit is. advisable for sev- eral reasons that man search among the various platforms offered to him for the one that most nearly yofEes his judgment as to the principles that should control in the Re public and as to theNtegisiation which shonlS be passed in furtherance of those principles. It is not we'll that we proceed completely from platforms to candidates, Notx every man who can get sheet of paper and bor- row fountain pen should feel called upon to send to a candidate for President a per- sonal letter demanding categorical answers to every question that may pop into his head. ... -.
 There was more truth than hdmor in. the comment of one of our American humorists that the way for Q candidate to become popu. lar would be to stand for Enforcement of the Volstead act in dry; territory and for~ disre- gard of it in wet territory. But the radio and the public preks will not permit this A candidate must take a firm stand on this and every other question, and hold it re- gardless of the pleas, threats, arguments and enticements that come to him. -: r. f,s-'.' One of the hardest fights that James F, Clarke, late q Senator from Arkansas had to obtain renomination came over the com plaint that he did not answer his mal.a, His opponents sought to make it appear that. he was indolent and snnmindful of his: consti- tuents. While Clarke was canvassing his State and explaining his stand on public questions a voter interrupted the speech by asking why the Senator had not answered certain letter this voter had sent to- him.
 Because already had answered too many fool letters," Clarke responded whereupon' he said he proposed top'answer stillSfewer letters when he was reelected. -1> SA:
 Might it not be, a good idea for cafdi- dates not to answer the thousands of let. ters that come to them and merely pledge themselves to give an administration based on the declarations of the party platform?