The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-11-01
POPULACE
HARD TO
MOVE
Many Issues Over-Emphasized
In Party Attempts to As
sure Big Poll
By. WILLIAM HARD

0dtO 6tk Vu
BY WILLIAM HARD.
As the campaign approaches
its close, each party sees beauti-
full visions cleaning in the lovely
topaz sky just above the rough
brutal desert horizon Of Novem-
her 4.
The Republicans are, congratu-
lating themselves on President
Coolidge's voice. It is not. much,
they say, on the platform; but It
d wonderful on the radio.
It's edge pierces the ether like .
knife and reaches the auditors
ear absolutely intact and distinct.
The two other presidential cam
didates could give Calvin Coolidge
cards and spades on platform per-
Torrance and still beat him.
coolidge Luck
Science, however, knowing that
Calvin Coolidge had to be lucky,
went and invented and perfected the
radio lust in time for his first
Presidential campaign.
The two other Presidential can.
didAtes, being more oratorical In
their methods of using their voices,
are less distinct and less successful
on the radio than Calvin Coolidge,
the Republicans say, and SO say
also many radio fans.
Because OF radio, therefore, Calvin
Coolidge turns the tables on bis
rivals. The worst platform speaker
Of the three candidates, he is the
best ether speaker; and this year
for the first time the ether has the
platform beaten as q political
avenue to votes.
Thus all things, say the Repyib.
licans, work together fer the
luckiest political character In AIneri-
can history. -.
Aside from this point, which, in.
deed, has a considerable Importance,
the Republicans really In the end
rely upon what they regard as the
Astounding prosperity Of the country.
They claim-and with some truth
that not even the Industrial depres'
sion in certain regions and In GER
tain businesses in the East has In
any degree Importantly diminished
the general exuberant well-belng OF
the nation.
Buying the Best.
A large Republican manufacturer
Of radio apparatus said 10 this
writer:
1--WE get out a 5000 type and a
lot of cheaper types The stuff 10
bought by people in moderate cir.
cumstances- relative moderate, that
is--why buy it on the installment
plan. We sell to plain peonle.
Well, we made too many Of some OF
the cheaper types, but we simply
cannot keep up with the demand
for the 5000 type. Remember: We
are not selling it to millionaires.
We are selling it to plain people.
crammed with people who are pay
radio fun, do you think there ID
change? No, sir. I'm confident.
] see Coolidge elected already"
That Is the sort Of thing the Re-
publicans are really relying upon.
Their candidates and their various
headquarters have to talk about
saThe Constitution" and about how
much imperiled It is, but they
know very we'll that no amount Of
such talk would save the Constitu-
ton from getting amended and the
courts from getting curbed II any
real big deep genuine discomfort
existed. Their point really IL that
in their opinion there IL today no
such discomfort in this country.
Therefore, they look to November
E with confidence.
All Really Puzzled
y OF course, at bottom almost all
polltical managers are really some
what dismayed and profoundly
puzzled by the political Indifference
Of great multitudes of voters. This
year for the first time we have
had a nationwide effort 10 get out
che vote"
Many political managers do not
regard this effort as any evideItce
OF any political awakening. They
regard 1t in fact as an evidence of
the alleged fact that 90 many yot.
ers have now gone politically fast
asleep that II Is necessary 20 spend
large amounts Of money and ring
large bells in their ears in order to
wake them UP for even a moment
at a time.
It now begins to appear that all
our wonderful new inventions. in.
stead of making better citizens, may
make worse ones.
The citizen now must exercise
his motor car. He must read the
comic strips. He must 20 to the
movies. He must exercise his radio
set. He must go to travelogue per.
tormances about the beautiful birds
which inhabit the shores Of Lake
Tanganyika. He must read the in.
slant dispatches hot off the griddle
about the civil war IN China. He
must 80 to cabaretB which bring
high developments Of the art of
dancing right into his homo neigh.
borhood. He has 30 many things
Takes Voters Time.
Moreover, now, during this very
I campaign, If he Is radio bug,
ana In countless cases he IA, he
must not only try to tune In on
al the stations in the world but
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