Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-05
Politics at Large

MANCHESTER, N. H, September 5.
With the presidential election just
two months in the future. neither OF
the candidates for the office has yet
launched a speaking campaign. Indeed,
both Mr.. Hoover and Gov. Smith have
let It be known that they do not expect
TO engage in transforming tours
throug1out the country. They appear
TO be- in agreement that comparative
ly few speeches. delivered at strategic
points and carried to millions Of voters
over the radio, is the better plan Of
campaign Yet before the Smith nomi-
nation was made In Houston there were
predictions that the dynamic New York
Governor would have his fighting
clothes on and would be on the firing
line almost Immediately after his nomi-
nation was conSummated.
Il X X
There is a real question whether the
transforming method Of campaigning
for the presidency is good policy. The
late Col William Jennings Bryan tried
1t out, but with little success. He was
defeated three times in presidential
contests. and he probably addressed
more and greater audiences than any
other man who has striven for election
to the White House. William Mckinley
OF Ohio beat him in his first race with
a front porch campaign, conducted at
| his home in Canton.
The late Mark Hanna the Mckinley
campaign manager, trotted thousands
of visitors to the candidates home,
where they were cordially received,
Charles Evans Hughes made the mis-
take Of his campaign when he Travelled
across the continent to California in
a G., i1.f too 81
the Hiram Johnson faction in that
State If Mr. Hughes had been con-
tent to remain at home. he might have
been elected and the whole political
history of the last dozen years might
have been changed. The late Col Theo
dore Roosevelt, however. was one of
those who spoke )ften in his campaigns,
using the rear end Of train or an
automobile to reach his audiences in
hundreds of places He won hands
down in 1904 and in 1912 he played hob
with the Republican party and aided
in the victory OF President Wilson that
year President Coolidge did not take
the stump four years ago, but he had
| no trouble winning by a tremendous
vote. But while Mr. Coolidge has not
through the country, he has by means
Radio broadcasting has done much
already to revolutioniZe political CAM
paigning. The Democrats are planning,
according to John j. Raskob, chairman
of their national committee, to spend
some 5000 900 for the use of the air dur
ing the present campaign. The Republi-
cans also will allot a considerable sum
for the same purpose though by no
means as much as the figure set by the
Democratic chairman. The radio is both
an asset and a liability in campaigning.
While it enables a candidate TO reach
with his voice and his arguments mil
ions of voters whom ne could not other
wise hope to reach, it presents to the
voters a voice without the personality
behind it, 1t gives the candidate no OPP
portunity to catch the hunor Of the
auditors and TO pound home those points
In his argument which it is evident are
making the most impression, except III
SO far as the immediate audience, II he
has one. is concerned. A radio speech,
100, must be carefully prepared or it may
come to the invisible audience Jerkily
and leave bad effect
Mr. Hoover. so far. has done much
opponent He has twice crossed the con-
tinent since he was nominated. although
he has not undertaken To make many
speeches from the rear end of his car,
Gov. Smith has not yet been out of the
territory comprised by New York and
New Jersey. He has given up. 1t Is re-
ported, any idea of going all the way
to the Pacific Coast. on the theory that
il would be waste of time in view OF
the great strength of the Republican
candidate in his own section OF the
country But Gov Smith will invade
the Middle West, the South and the
North and East, according to present
plans.
While the Republican and Demo-
cratic candidates for President have
been slow getting under way not so the
candidates of the two parties for Vice
President Senator Curtis Of Kansas.
almost Immediately after he was off,
cially notified of his nomination ia
| Topeka began his campaigning for the
Republican national ticket with a
speech in Rhode Island. now consid
cred battle-ground. and has followed 1t
lr with addresses in other States. He
is to be used widely in the next twd
months on the stump. And Senator
Robinson OF Arkansas. the Democratic
nominee for second place, has leaped
into whirlwind campaign in the
South. seeking to reclaim Democrats in
the States below the Mason and Dixon
line for Smith. Campaigning for a
Democratic presidential candidate in
| the South is a new wrinkle and in past
years would have been like carrying
Goals to Newcastle. But the anti-Smith
sentiment in some OF the Southern
States has given the Democratic lead
ers cause TO plan an active campaign
there this year The popularity OF the
Democratic nominee and the wet cause
for which he stands sponsor in some
of the Northern and Eastern States. on
| the other hand. has given the Repub-
iican leaders much concern and they
are planning a more intensive cam
palgn in those States than has been
their practice in the more recent
elections.
An evidence of the interest in the
present presidential campaign in found
In the fact that Boston has the largest
number of registered voters in it's his
tory The total when the registration
time expired last week was 257. 1862.
Registration will be resumed for brief
period after the State primaries have
been held September lS In the regis
tration period recently closed 56,84o
new names were added To the lists in
Boston This does not represent clear
gain over last years figures. for 10000
had been dropped previous To the open
ing of registration July ?, because they
had failed to hand their names TO the
police on April l. But the gain of
36.S40 Is considered remarkable, The
Democrats regard this new registration
as a real aid to them in Massachu~
settS, although the Republicans insist
that they too have placed many new
names on the registration list,
u
The North Carolina situation is