The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-21
.A DIsAppoINTING EEFoRr


 The speech of MT. Charles G. Dawes, accepting the Republican nomination for the vice presidency, is disappointing There are many who have admired Mir. Dawes, regardless of party lines. He has been of good service to his country at home and abroad, in war and in peace. In his own field of constructive endeavor and business achievement his ability is date seeking the votes of the people, he has not measured up to the high concept of the people. Although declaring that he would stick to the facts in his cam paign, his speech of acceptance leaves facts forlorn and adheres to the most glaring and inaccurate generalities. Even his remarks regarding the foreign situa- tion, authoritative as they should be, lose their significance because of his labored effort to make the London conference result appear Republican victory and a Democratic defeat. His studied attempt to ignore the marvellous manner in which the Republicans finally succumbed to the policy long advocated by the Democrats only makes the points he sought to ob- scure stand out the more prominently.
 Itis quite evident that MT. Dawes for the first time in his life is handicapped by purpose which is in conflict with his intimate knowledge of the facts. He must, first strain his thoughts through the dingy mesh of Republican political doctrine before he may utter them. He finds that the most important ideas are strained out and that the clarity of the others is dimmed by the stains on the party record. He must translate his ora tory into the phraseology of party that has failed in its high opportunities. He must make his statements with an eye to their political effect. Or at least he thinks he must do so. Undoubtedly his reputed tendency towards profanity must the party record and finds therein such paucity of constructive result, such weird ghosts of blasted opportunity. He knows very we'll that his best chance is to turn the guns upon the opposition, if possible to put them on the defensive and thus turn their attention away from the de fenseless position of his own party.
 MT. Dawes, however, does not deceive the people of this country. He speaks of his own party as progressive conserv- atives," and of the LaFollette group as ultra-radicals, with the Democrats "strad- ding, the issusswith conservative pres. fidential and a radical vice=presidential candidate," in order to catch the votes both ways. There is no disposition to quarrel with him over designating the third-party group as non-constructive radicals. But he arrogates to his party quality not possessed by it's leaders nor by Mir. Coolidge when he classifies it as progressive. He himself may possess many of the clements of progressivisn nobody desires to belittle Mir. Dawes abiIity;l but they do find him woefully lacking in political role. In saying that MT. Davis is conservative and MT. Bryan radical, Mr. Dawes produces an orator ical effect, perhaps, but he wanders far from the facts to do it. Mir. Davis pos sesses enough of conservatism to impel him to adhere to proved principles of government, but enough of progressivism to lead him irresistibly onward along the path which the principles of government point out. MT. Bryan's speech reveals no radical tendency, but rather is far more constructive and in harmony with the facts and our national ideals than the effort of Mr. Dawes.
 Like Mir. Coolidge, MT. Dawes ignores the rascality among Republican high of ficials, some of which has not yet been wiped out. He says nothing of honesty in government, fearing perhaps lest that provoke a controversy he obviously seeks to avoid. In this there is feeling that, for a political purpose, MT. Dawes is compromising with his own sentiments. There is reason to believe that the real Mr. Dawes would scourge the evildoers, the iileompetent and the complaisant out of public office, if he were unimpeded by considerations of vote-getting. It is source of regret to the American peo- pie, who have come to admire MT. Dawes for his real acts of public value, that he has been willing to submerge the very part of him that has appealed to the people, and to set up in it's place a strange political figure that the people do not recognize. How can they vote for Dawes the stranger, when Dawes the man they know has effaced himself entirely from the scene?
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