Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-18

Hoover Pleads Prosperity.

Making the text of his first real CAM
paign speech national prosperity, Mr.
Hoover last night at Newark sounded
what is Enthusiastically the keynote OF
the Republican bid for the support OF
the country. He made no references
to the prohibition issue. though speak
ing in an area supposedly inclined to
favor Gov Smith on the score OF the
latter's advocacy of modification of
the eighteenth amendment and the en-
forcement act. Mr.. Hoover went straight
to the matter of the economic well
fare of the people of the whole coun-
try. His first sentence was calculated
to elicit sympathetic attention. Real
wages and standards of living of our
labor" he said, have improved more
during the past seven and half years
of Republican rule than during any
similar period in the history of this or
of any other country" Again he said,
"The first of our policies which have
given security and expansion of en-
ployment has been the enactment OF
the protective tariff" which he calls
'.the fundamental policy of the Repub-
lican party ever since the party was
founded" Mr.. Hoover, furthermore,
spoke strongly against any lessening of
the restrictions imposed upon immi-
grafton for the protection of the Ameri-
can workingman.
This virtually initial speech of his
campaign indicates plainly that the Re-
publican candidate proposes to drive
persistently upon the point of pros
perity without DEPRESSING into other
fields. On the subject of prohibition
he has spoken with SUFFICIENT plainness
already and the Republican platform
itself is adequate expression of the
party's position. If votes are to be won
in the East where the wet sentiment Is
strongest and where Gov. Smith ex-
poets heavy support from hitherto Re-
publican sources they must be won, not
by prohibition arguments, but by a
showing of the economic advantages
offered by the Republican program.
That at least would seem to be the
reasoning inspiring the Newark adj
dress, which may be viewed as typical
of the Hoover campaign. Last nights
speech was not an outburst of political
pyrotechnics. It was not a rousing,
stirring display of oratory. Mr.. Hoover
Is not gifted in that line. He spoke
as he feels, as he thinks and as he
usually speaks in public. He essayed
no role that is strange to his DISPOSE
ton or foreign to his line of thought.
1t is indicated by signs already given
that Gov. Smith will conduct diff
ferent kind of campaign This is nat
ural He is the nominee of the party
that is out of power and must assume
the aggressive. He must make con-
verts He must swing previously Re-
publican sections to his support in order
to win. His speech at Omaha tonight
will give, perhaps, the key to his course
of action and with these two speeches
coming so close together it will be pos
sihle to consider them in comparison
as to both matter and manner, though
no judgment can be formed immedi-
ately regarding the effect they will have,
Mr. Hoover's upon the State that has
been classed as doubtful though previ-
ously Republican, and Gov. Smiths
upon another State that is likewise
at present in doubt, in the past some
what shifting in its political allegiance,
but more often Republican than Demo-
cratic.