The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-09-11
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WASHINGTON LETTER.
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Especial to Sank Centre Herald)
Washington, Sept. 10 Lately, it
has been noted that political leaders
are more disposed to take heed of
ordinary economic factors in the con-
duct of their campaigns for the Pres
idency and legislative offices. Rec
ignition is given to the fact that votes
depend largely upon the temper of
the public and the welfare of the
country as whole becomes more i'm
portant to the campaigners. Reports
received here, while obviously at
variance, depending on their source,
indicate that plausible promises Of
legislative relief must be supported
by ironclad guarantees of the respec-
tive parties. The days when voters
had implicit faith in the ability of
their party to perform properly have
gradually disappeared until legisla-
tors must deliver the goods or fall in
the elections. 1t has been observed
"baby-kissing" and glib talk has
passed for the extension of COM
munication through newspapers and
radio users had been entertained to
close contact with their representa-
tives at the national capital and the
state legislature.
Seasoned campaigners say that
straw voters conducted in various To-
calities are not signs as to how the
wind blows for the candidates. 1t is
argued that the real, conscientious
voters, whose decision counts in the
end, prefer to express their. feelings
at the ballot box exclusively.
1t seems that the controversy as
to what are the issues of the present
hectic struggle for political suprem-
acy gains little Roadway with the
public There is no secret made of
the concern unaffected over the ap-
parent failure of the publicity cam
paigns. 1t was expected that in re-
sorting to the radio, as the latest and
most popular medium of communica-
ton, that the public would be atten-
tive for experimental reasons if not
from choice. The radio fans dis
played disconcerting indifference. In
quiry revealed that the actual cam
paigns lacked the sensational fea-
lures of the nominating conventions
which had held a nation enthralled
for a month. That the millions of
radio users had bee nenttrtained to
a point of satiation as to men and
issues during the preliminaries never
occurred to those in charge. 1t is
said that in many localities political
messages from the air are almost in
the class with bedtime stories-the
same old stuff
"A oofbar couroo Of f,n11h1o for Tho
candidates and their press agents is
the attitude of the newspapers. Once
upon a time, it was customary for
the papers, principally for partisan
reasons, to print all the balderdash
uttered by the candidates. Nova
days, the publicity men protest
against the refusal of editors, who,
it is said, are more Independent in
their political ideas, to allot unlimit-
ed space to their candidates pro-
nouncements. 1t is easy to distribute
propaganda but another matter to-
have it printed. Study of the position
taken by the average editor, as re-
ported to campaign headquarters
here, indicates that the principal OBJ
lection is to republication of candi-
dates speeches under different date
lines. In other words, the editors
say that they want election news as
news matter and not a re-hash OF
the speakers former addresses. New
ideas and not repetition is the guide
to space.
1t is always difficult to measure the
influence of prosperity and hard
times upon the electorate. Yet, the
politicians here, judging from their
statements, could easily explain their
interest in the words of Carlyle "the
purse is the master-organ, souls seat
and the gland of the body social. !"
Everywhere an attempt is made to
keep the question of relative prosper
ity in the limelight of discussion
for political effect Poverty often has
a cramping effect on voters mind
though it is equally true that prosper
ity and plenty carries with it GER
tain languor which makes men more
Indifferent to current affairs. There
is little if any consistency in the