The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-11-03
Summing It Up

Election day is upon Campaign prejudices
have their The voter who is free and in
teligent will shed those prejudices, and take up the
ballot soberly in the true spirit Of democracy.
Ten months ago, when predatory interests and re-
dictionary politicians trying to prevent the nom
nation of Herbert Hoover this newspaper declared for
his nomination and election 1t declared at the same
time that it considered Alfred E. Smith the best avail
able Democratic candidate
When Hoover was nominated in Kansas City and
Smith in Houston, superior President assured.
Whether Hoover wins Smith, the United States
will have leadership likely to live in history.
AS between Smith and Hoover we felt ten months
ago as we feel now, that Hoover is the better
Our choice was on basis of Hoovers superior
perience and training national and international
affairs That basic reason has not disappeared in the
tumult of the campaign.
Our support OF Hoover naturally has been critical,
because nonpartisan We are not tied to him nor ne
to us. We are not in the slightest indebted to him;
and he is not Indebted us. We simply share OBJ
legation to the public interest
To certain Republicans and certain Democrats our
disagreement from time to time with some of our
candidates policies has seemed unusual and incon-
sistent but there is no other for newspaper
that is independent For the journalistic issue in
volved is more far-reachng than consistency.
than to its candidate Its duty is to all candidates
critically and to discuss all issues critically and hon
esy so that it's readers may make their own decisions
intelligently to give light that the people may find
their way
Here then is our critical summary:
Foreign affairs: We feel that both Hoover and
Smith have failed to give international questions the
attention during the campaign that their Importance
iustifles But as between the two in the vital mat
ter of experience and training, Hoover's advantage
is clear
FIoover's vision is worldwide The very thing that
has made Smith a great Governor of New York, his
long concentration of attention there, has restricted
his view of international problems, the future
handling of which will determine Americas rea-
tionshp with the rest the world and all that such
relationship implies in terms of peace or war.
Domestic prosperity: Never have the economic
forces that affect human society in America been so
intricate and SO interdependent charged with good
or harm, so dependent the understanding OF
leaders of industry commerce. labor and government
The breadth of Hoovers understanding has beeA
demonstrated by actual results in his conduct of the
department of commerce
During the campaign he has revealed the reasons
for that success-his comprehension of the relation
ship of high wages, mass production, waste elimna-
ton and laborsavng invention OF material prosperity
Therein his experience and his training again call for
his election.
Hydroeectric power: Hoover favors private de-
velopment under government regulation, except in
unusual cases such as Muscle Shoals where the gov
eminent, he believes, should and operate the
plant and produce power a by-product.
Smith advocates government ownsIip and opera
ton of the plant for primary power purposes, the
power to be sold to private companies for distribution
He refers to his plan being approved by Owen D.
Young, head of the General Electric Company the
most important in the electric industry.
AS protection against power monopoly, we do
not believe either Smiths plan Hoovers is suf-
f1cent.
Failure by either to restrain such monopoly will,
we believe, call for a system such that employed
in Ontario, where the government distributes the
power it produces.
It obvious to us that government cannot
restrain prvat power monopoly by halfway measures
through which the government, after spending public
money to build the dam and operate the plant. must