Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-15
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS

The Hoover acceptance speech has
now reverberated through the Nation
with all the notice and acclaim that
the most ardent Republican partisan
could wish for, but until Gov. Smith
has spoken and the issue been joined,
forecasts of It's probable effect as trans
lated into votes on November are a
bit premature. The Smith acceptance
speech. to be delivered from the steps
of the statehouse at Albany next Wed
nesday has been completed and ad-
vance copies will be In the newspaper
offices in another day or two. Wnat-
ever else 1t may be, whatever IL may
mean To the millions Of radio listeners
of varying political faith, the smith
opus will be at once a message OF nan
and farewell-hail to the Nation ana
farewell to the people OF his own state
This fighting politician Is going from
them. He has said that his work at
Albany is finished and that he viii not
return. He is making his debut on
the national stage. The end OF the
hattie will see him either In the White
House or once more simply plain al
Smith.
II has been said that the underlying
theme of the Hoover acceptance speech
is national prosperity and national Wei
fare Obviously to the man IN the
streets the highlights are his discus
sion of the farm problem and pronini.
ton. Mr.. Coolidge's keynote III !ssa
was economy in government. In isao
Mr. Harding's outstanding plea was re-
turn TO normally" Looking DacAMaiu
still further, Mr.. Hughes IN 1910 oeais
~ .,,~ rniotiou tn the war
then raging in Europe and call for
preparedness. Taft In 1908 eulogl2eo
Roogevelt's program for social reform,
and in his acceptance speech III 1919
dealt with the same topic, but IN oppo-
sition to the new" Roosevelt proposals.
at. as" own acceptance speech III lsoa
was one OF the shortest on record ana
was mostly defiance OK the Demo.
! Gratis McKinley's keynote In 1900 dealt
| almost exclusively with the tnen en-
crossing issue of imperialism as meas
ured In terms of Cuba and the Fhh-
| ipptnes.
The Implications Of the prohipltioii
paragraphs in MIR. Hoovers acceptaLius
| speech were that those VINO espouseu
substantial modification Of the Volsteaa
act were for qualification" 1t seems
certain that some bitter arguments are
ahead as to what is and what is not
notification with respect to the eight"
zenith amendment. II Ii pertinent
therefore, to recall the opinion rem
dered by Justice Thompson OF the
United States District Court bearing OH
! this precise issue. He SAID
There is nothing sacred In Vol
stead's definition, nothing that puts
manacles on the broad legislative
power of any future Congress Inc
man who defies the Constitution may
be Justly termed a repadlatlohis..
But none but the unreasonHg 1eaios
can call him n repudiationlst VINO
seeks within the proper nniils oi
oress Law down such a definition OF
the word Intoxicating as harmo-
nizes with the facts OF human expe-
rience and liz consistent with the
Constitution.
Here Is a sidelight on the radio cost
of the campaign, IL mas Already pesh
announced that hereafter both Repub-
Ilicans and Democrats are to be charged
full commercial rates. The commercial
rate of the National Broadcastlng Co
for It's entire chain OF 40 stations Is
tsli ,a30 for 80 minutes time, To utilize
all of the 10 stations OF the Columbia
chain costs $4,000 for an hour. Within
the National Broadcasting system are
several self~contained units comprising
their stations In Eastern. Mtdwestefn
or Pacific territory Time may be pur-
chased on any one OF these units sep
arately at $4,74o, $4,000 and $l,l00 per
hour, respectively. The cost OF broad"
casting from single station varies