Evening star., 1932-08-14
FSPEECH OF HOOVER
| HELD VOTE WINNER
Address Regarded Extraor-
dinary Example of Recu-
perative Power.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
BOSTON, August 13-Long after
! this presidential campaign is decided,
the speech ct acceptance Of Herbert
Hoover will be written in the history
CT the Nation as a most extraordinary
example of the recuperative power in
American politics.
Mr. Hoover may or may not win
the election, but it will be conceded
that before his acceptance speech his
political fortunes were at a low point
| and that only miracles could over
come the tide of opposition that has
been running so strongly against him
| for the last two years.
Impression Held Amazing.
The impression made by the Thurs
day speech is amazing. Whether 1t
converted enough people to win the
election is. too early to say, but that
it made more votes than any political
speech in a generation would appear
to be true, judging by the comments
of people in all walks of life. 1t may
be that for the most part Mr.. Hoover
recaptured votes that were Republican
four years ago. but, remembering his
immense vote on that occasion and the
anti-Hoover sentiment that has pre-
vailed throughout the depression, he
had big Job in trying to recover
obvious losses.
AS a piece of political psychology . /.
Hoover speech Is worth analyzing Ior
the benefit of all those cynical OBJ
servers who insist that a presidential
candidate has to be either a Snowman
or a demagogue and that the American
people do not like quiet, dignifled,
forceful utterance with a simple ex-
position of current issues.
Mr.. Hoover may have had miSgivings
himself about making a presidential
address rather than a campaign speech,
epigrammatic and pyrotechnic. But the
comments of those who heard it and
liked it will be found to be corroborative
of the theory that the American people
favor straightforward speaking, stripped
of oratorical phrases and bombast The
President gained much by waiting six
weeks after the ballyhoo atmosphere Of
the convention for receptiveness to a
speech more carefully thought out and
more in keeping with the dignity of a
President than would have been possible
in June.
Declared Sincere.
The writer asked several people in va
rious walks of life here and in New
York State in the last two days why
they liked the Hoover speech. In
variably the answer was, THE earnest
ness and sincerity Of it," They said
they formed a distinct impression of
hard working, determined individual
who put into his voice fighting spirit
they did not know he possessed
4. l.
the campaign MIR. Hoover retains the
high note he struck or whether he is
victorious, his speech of acceptance will
rank as remarkable effort and as
tribute to what the human voice can
imply by way Of personality and intel
lectual vigor
1t Is interesting to compa"c notes with
vets and drys. Some Of those who
favored repeal are saying that maybe
the Presidents program of a substitute
for the eighteenth amendment is more
practical and that it will gain dry sup
port SO essential if the eighteenth
amendment is to be changed or re-
pealed How much of this is due to the
fact that the President has made some
OF his hearers realize that repeal is
easier blocked by 13 dry States than
WOULD be revision, and how much it is
-S'N@AF oA1N AAotAllOO VI 4CB
coming out of persons who are Repub-
lican anyway and are looking for a
justification for continued support of
their party, cannot be detected in the
conflict of reasons that swing votes and
prejudice the voter.
Economic Issues Lead.
But 1t is apparent that among busi-
ness people, economic issues are SUPER
seding prohibition and that the Hoover
philosophy gave the conservatives the
kind of assurance they have always
liked and believe in more strongly than
ever today.
AS for the general run of folks. Mr..
Hoover's words probably gave little COM
fort to those out of a job or in distress
"a vote that will accrue to the Demo-
cratic nominee. Numerically there are
more people in Jobs than out of jobs.
The Presidents future rests with the
employed, whom he is obviously trying
to assure that his continued leadership
will mean stability for the immediate
| future and economic recovery on a
| broader basis later on.
The President succeeded in subordi-
mating to some extent the opposition to
him In the Eastern States on prohibi-
ton.
AS conservative appeal to regular
Republicans in the States with big elec-
toral votes, the Hoover speech surpassed
anything Mckinley or Theodore Roose-
velt or Taft or Harding or Coolidge ever
did In a campaign. Measured as a
document in conservatism, delivered at
a critical moment in political contest,
1t was in its effects powerful political
stroke. -
tCopyrigit, 1922