The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-20
Mr.. Hoover Bids Us Hone
New O TneS)

If Americans like a public man who is not afraid, they
this reason the address of the president at Indianapolis
last evening will fall like a word of good cheer upon the
ears of the country. It is full of confidence and deter
mination and reinsurance. There. is nothing political.
much less partisan, about it.. If, as was predicted, Mr..
Hoover regards this speech as the beginning Of his CAM
paign for another Republican nomination. he pitched
it in exactly the right tone. Not a word had he to say
about his opponents, within his own party. Against the
%insurgent Western Republicans who have made life
miserable for him in congress, he breathed not a syllable.
His one subject was the sea Of troubles in which the
nation finds itself today, and how to take arms against
it. The whole is infused with q spirit Of optimism and
buoyancy which can hardly fail to have a tonic effect
upon all who heard or read the address.
It may be alleged that Mr.. Hoovers convictions are
stronger than his arguments in their support. Yet he
does advance many reasons for the faith that is in him.
These are mainly the resources of the United States and
the indomitable energy of the people. They have pulled
us out Of former depressions' and surely will out of
dents praise of the illhnitable achievements of this
nation in the past, making of it "a success never before
known in the history of the world" sounds a good deal
like a Fourth of July Grafton, the fact remains that it
is the kind of thing which Americans just now desire to.
hear from their. president. He has been for more than a
year the target of criticism, the recipient Of a great body
Of complaint and appeals, the one man who has had
most frequent occasion to become haggard with anxiety
over the state of the nation. and if he has come through
ing a cheerful front in the face of the general gloom is
the very thing needed at this juncture.
1t would be easy to single out passages in the Indiana
polls. speech which are rather hard reading. What MI.
Hoover has to say about the tariff, for example, is neither
enlightening nor helpful. He admits that there are
"inequities and inequalities" in the Hawley-Smoot tariff,
but holds out the rather faint promise that they will be
"~rectified" by the tariff commission. AS for the COM
mon impression that our tariff laws have given offense
to other nations, the president retorts that the shoe is
on the other foot-that it is their tariffs which have
Imposed on the American farmer" a profound hard
ship" This is because they have taken away from him
profitable export markets." AND in addition have adopted
protective tariffs against the special farm products of
the United States" Yet all appears to have been IN
vain, for in another part Of hts speech MI. Hoover states
that through the aid OF the federal government Aner1-
can farmers have realized hundreds Of millions more
in prices than the farmers Of any other country" This
will be news to the western farmers. They will desire
to know with the farmers of what other country the
president compares them. Perhaps with those OF Rus
STA or China!
We have no desire, however, to single out and press
minor faults that might be found in what the presi-
dent said at indianapolis. On the whole, it is an excel
lent speech. we'll considered. well timed and precisely on
the note which ought to be struck at present. AS an
offset to the prevailing detection, the presidents robust
faith in the assured future of this country comes as a
happy reinforcement for all who are struggling with adj
versity, and are determined. as he is, to conquer 1t. HIS
50 plainly incIlnes to hope rather than fear that
it will tend to quicken the hopes and Danish the fears
Of usAt numbers Of bis 1ellov-coun1ymen-