Evening star., 1932-09-07
Garner Acceptance Speech
Analysed by Both Parties

With the letter from Speaker John
N. Garner to Senator Barkley, in reply
to the notification of the former of his
nomination by the Democratic party
for the vice presidency, the acceptance
speeches from all candidates of the
two major parties are now on record,
and Mr.. Garner's is being analyzed and
commented upon by proponents and
opponents. His outline of the theory Of
government and attacks on the Re-
publican administration for its han
ding OF national problems stand out in
the public mind as the high spots of his
speech.
In the opinion of the New York Times
independently, Mr.. Gamers letter of
acceptance reveals him as mot ebulli-
ent, or fiery or destructive or any
thing else that he ought to be to cor
respond with the portrait of him that
our Republican friends wish to draw;
he Is just the old-fashioned Democrat
with the Jeffersonian theory of govern
ment." AS to what this theory is, the
Atlanta Journal (Democratic) quotes
from the acceptance letter itself: There
are just two things to this government,
as I see it. The first Is to safeguard
the lives and properties of our people;
the second, to insure that each of us
. 4Aoo q NiAcAlSC W WOh Oub Ills QGSLluY
according to his talents. This involves
protecting him from being injured or
oppressed by those of superior acquisi-
tiveness, and perhaps of less conscience,
who seek to strain the rules of their
own advantage" Commenting on this
quotation, the Journal remarks: Such
is the political philosophy of the
Rough Rider from the West That
view is, of course, unacceptable to the
inner circles of Messrs. Hoover, Mellon
and Grundy; but it is no more radical
than was that of the author of the
Declaration of Independence. 1t is
simply old-fashioned democracy, or,
if you will, a timely paraphrase of the
Eighth Commandment" The conclu-
sion of this paper is that, "distasteful
though it be to Republican apologists,
1t Is full of relish, no doubt, for the
common American mind"
Discussing the same extract, which
Is conceded to be one of the high spots
of the acceptance letter, the Abilene
Daily Reporter independent Demo-
Dental nominee has put in a few
words all that political parties need to
keep in mind" and holds that I'll.
they can insure the establishment of
that ideal of government they will have
their hands full keeping it intact"
In the opinion of the birmingham
Age Herald Democratic), Mr. Garner
has mot only a remarkable sense OF
political values; he knows government
as few other men at Washington do
and he can draw on that knowledge
to the confusion of his enemies" As
an illustration of this fact. this paper
says, HE has unquestionably In direct
ing attention to Mr.. Hoover's mis-
handling Of the budget offered a vital
indictment of the Republican party"
This refers to the Speakers charge in
his acceptance letter that "the master
element Of our trouble, the unbalanced
budget, lies at the doorstep of the Re-
publican party" and on this point the
Age-Herald continues: For once it Is
made patent that the balancing of the
budget was Intentionally delayed by the
President, one Of the major pretensions
Of the administration will have been
punctured. On the same topic the
Baltimore Sun independent Demo-
cratic) speaks vigorously, saying: This
Is point which ought to be driven
home to the voters by Democratic ]
speakers, because the Administrations
treatment Of the budget involved a re-
fusal to recognize both the plain warn
ings Of the times and the plain man.
dates of the law" Referring to the
fundamental fiscal law of the Ma
tion," the Sun declares that the act
provides that "the Federal budget is
to be balanced every year, and it places
the primary responsibility In this mat
ter squarely od, the President, who is