Evening star., 1924-08-21
Davis Speech Acclaimed
AS Literary Masterpiece

John w. Davis speech accepting
the Democratic nomination for Presi-
dent is acclaimed by. the spress gener-,
ally as a masterpiece In literary quaI-
ity, and by Democratic editors as the
inspiring pronouncement of a great
statesman. In the words Of the Att
lanta Journal (Democratic), none
but an honest. able, liberal and fear
less man could have produced the
speech" which few living Americans
could equal either in felicity or in
force. revealing at once the thinker
and the doer, a statesman worthy of
Woodrow Wilson's fallen mantle and
flaming sword"
Republican critics, while most of
them concede the excellence of his
English, say Mr.. Davis dealt in gen.
eralities and offered nothing con-
structive. The Seattle Times dnde-
pendent Republican,, for instance.
thinks that Democrats throughout
the country who have waited hope
fully for their candidate for the pres
idency to sound the clarion call of the
campaign. doubtless find the speech
Of John W. Davis rather fiat and un-
inspiring-it has plenty of polish. but
not punch"
Much of the unfavorable comment
may be summed up in the following
from the San Francisco Bulletin Gn-
dependent with Republican leanings) ::
'Mr Davis rather overstrains himself
in an effort to hook up the scandals
Of the past two years with the Cool
idge administration. He fails to make
a clear case, and in the effort to do 1t
comes perilously near falling in line
with the old formulae OF arraignment
and denunciation that for many years
were nearly the whole thing in Demo-
ocratic platforms. Nowhere, we ven-
ture to say, in our political literature
can be found a pronouncement more
felicitous-in truth, 1t is almost too
smooth, too suggestive of art"
X X + X
On the other hand, the Omaha World
Herald independently, published by
former Senator Hitchcock, a Demo-
cratic leader declares: THE out.
standing impression that Mr.. Davis
speech must make is that here is a
man fit to be President of the United
States. Here is a statesman casting
the mold from which come the great
leaders Of the republic. He is a leader
not of class or section or interest,
but Of and for the whole country and
all it's people There is promise in
his candidacy of peace and healing
for a distracted land"
The Richmond News Leader '(inde-
"to be the summons of a statesman,
admirable in its -pofse, ample In its
sweep, fair in its Indictment, honest
in its promises, democratically @pro-
gressive in its outlook-about- it all
there is patent honesty that is GER
tain to impress the country" He
says something in every sentence"
continues the Louisville Courier Jour
nal (Democratic), and ''he says 1t
fearlessly, honestly, vigorously" cer-
tainly, mo fair-minded reader Of the
from a strong brain and q sound
heart" It strikes with precision
and power against the weak spots in
the armor Of his opponents" says the
Brooklyn Eagle Independent Demo-
cratic), and ut reveals a man of ex-
traordinary Intellectual power, and,
what is of great consequence, a man
of conscience and courage, holding to
his convictions with earnestness and
Intensity and ready to fight for them
with all the vigor at his command"
The speech, as the Birmingham News
(Democratic) puts it, strikes a high
and sustained note Of statesmanship.' -
and, at is an utterance worthy of the
best traditions Of Democratic leader
ship" adds the Fort Worth Star-Tele-
gram. "The usual political clap-trap
il entirely absent" in the opinion Of
the Roanoke World-News Democrat
ic); there are no appeals for class
votes; there is no lodging of issues"
| r. y y
The New York World (Democratfc)
asserts that "the charges are not the
wild and empty accusations OF q
demagogue, but the charges of re-
sponsible statesman" and they are
considered charges of q man who, as
legislator, executive, diplomat, law
ger and business man, has had in
I comparably broader r>practical expe-
rience than his Republican opponent"
The speech, the Lynchburg News
Democratic) insists, ''is shot to the
oorU with tha note OF exa1ted -yuc-
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