The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-02
FINDING FLAWS IN MR.. DAWES.

former party leaders, there is reason to
believe that those who defied him and
nominated Charles G. Dawes for vice.
president did some tall laundering on
their own part 1t is one thing for man
to be popular, and it is quite another
thing foruhim to be popularity regarded
as suited for public office. The nation
is ready to concede the brilliant services
of General Dawes as purchasing agent for
the expeditionary forces, There IS proof
that he did this in an able and efficient
manner. The nation is gratified at the
capable manner in which he organized
the budget and put it into operation.
The whole world has benefited from his
ability in presiding over the formulation
of the financial program for European
recovery. But there are many reasons
why the people will not see fit to entrust
him with the office to which he aspires.
Just as Mr. Coolidge has failed to unite
his party, SO has the advent Of Mr.. Dawes
precipitated, further schisms. Senator
Brookhart of Iowa, for example, who is
a Republican candidate to succeed him
self, is provoked to denounce Mr.. Dawes
in his own home city Of Chicago, and to
call upon the Republican party to with
draw his name and to replace him with
man who will restore the balance to
the Republican national ticket. Senator
Brookhart gives strong reasons why the
Dawes resignation would strengthen the
chances of the party. Inasmuch as it
is incredible that Mr.. Dawes could be
moved to withdraw, it is easily inferred
that the Brookhart accusations will still
further reduce the party chances. Mr..
Coolidge is we'll known to be conserva-
tive, even painfully so, as well as emo
tionally inarticulate. That tends to Gre
ate fear of his reactionism Then when
there is picked as his runniing-mate
man known to have close affiliations with
interests not, commonly regarded as be-
hevolent or particularly public-spirited,
the trend further back towards the bull
warks of entrenched privilege becomes
1t is known, for example, that Mr..
Dawes is closely affiliated with the
ownership of the Mobile Gas Company,
q corporation that has consistently sought
in this state to resist the efforts of the
Alabama Public Service Commission to
review It's property valuation in order to
give the consumers of its product more
equitable rate. The case will perhaps be
carried into the supreme court of the
United States. The company does not
take into consideration the question of
Justice to the people of Mobile on whom
it depends for patronage, but rests its
Ease entirely upon the technical question
If whether the existing valuation con-
;titutes a contract and is therefore in
capable of being nullified. The federal
district court has decided that the valua-
ion is a contract. The commission
plans to obtain the highest judicial
opinion in case, at the new hearing, if the
court adheres to its present judgment. /
The, pertinent thing about all this con-
troversy is that Mr.. Dawes is in COM
position with respect to the
policy of the Mobile Gas Company. Yet
his company seeks refuge in TECHNICAL
ties to escape what it fears may be re-
duction in its property valuation for
purposes. Instead of deal
ing frankly with the Public Service Com
mission in order that the basis of its
rate charges may be fair and not greater
than its patrons should be called upon
to pay, the company would take advan-
tlge of every possible legal technicality to
escape the intent of the law in Alabama.
That is the. sort of policy to which Mr..
Dawes, explicitly or by inference, gives
his endorsement. 1t shows where he
stands with respect to the privileges
which the Republican party so freely be-
slows. He is'for privilege.
There is a further weakness of Mr..
Dawes as expressed in his astonishing
statement that the farmer should not be
taught more efficient methods of pro-
duction, for he would then produce SO
much more that he would glut the mar
ket and reduce himself to worse condi-
ton than before. If any belief could
more completely reveal Mr.. Dawes's ig-
norance on this point, it has not yet been
conceived. 1t is reliably estimated by
those who have made a thorough study
of the subject that by 1860 this nation
will have to import much of its food I'M
less the yield per acre is increased far
above the present average. We're it not
for the activity of the department of ag-
riculture in teaching farmers howto grow
more and better crops we would be i'm
porting some of our food today. Ger
tainly this nation cannot afford to elect
to the vice-p presidency a man who is I'M
friendly to the efforts now being made