The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-10-06
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1882.
He only is rich who understands and
helps.-Robert COllyer.
THE BOY WITH THE GOLD
SPOON

O1 OO4N
Of course it is expected that lot
of silly chatter and foolish indict-
ments must creep into every national
political campaign. The silliest thing
that the Democrats have pulled in this
campaign is the effort to brand Her.
bert Hoover as disqualified for the job
because he is a rich man. If Herbert
Hoover is not good presidential tim
Der because of his personal wealth,
then Franklin Roosevelt is positive
menace. He is rich.
Hoover was born in pinching pow
erty in the little town of West Branch,
Iowa, where every home is humble.
No less than Lincoln, Hoover came
from the common people, a people
Franklin Roosevelt never knew. His
mother never knew what it was to
lend cup of sugar to needy neigh
Dor. Hoover's mother did.
Franklin Roosevelt was born with
a gold spoon in his mouth and he
never had the gold spoon out of his
mouth. Unlike his distinguished kins-
man, Theodore Roosevelt, who was
likewise born aff1uent and of the once
catalouged "four hundred" Franklin
Roosevelt never went west to know
the plainsmen. To him the man with
hoe is picture in the art museum.
To Franklin Roosevelt the village
blacksmith is nursery poem. But
Hoover knew him. He was a bread
box filler. Hoover knows the music Of
the anvil, the wheeze of the bellows.
He can now measure the white irons
Weld to the hammers fall. And
Franklin Roosevelt knows nothing of
these things.
Franklin Roosevelt was very nice
rich mans boy. Sure he was, and that
was all right. He was very we'll
dressed in his pinafores and Lord
Fauntleroy velvet suits with broad
starched collars, neatly ironed huff
fled edges. But even rich boy may
become President if he learns how to
play fair and demand square deal.
1t is all fine and proper and praise
worthy for Harvard trained youth
of great wealth to seek to serve the
people. But such youth becomes a
cheap little Lord Fauntleroy when,
without his rebuke, his supporters
condemn his opponent for having
what the rich boy himself has in ex-
cess.
AS a child Herbert Hoover enter
tanned himself with sticks and tacks,
strings, wires and nails and the as
sortment of things the village smithy
leaves scattered in the shade of the
spreading chestnut tree. Franklin
Roosevelt played with imported toys
under the tutelage and protection of
governess, or nurse, whichever is the
nicer term. Poor grace to point the
finger of scorn at Hoover and call him
erich"
Herbert Hoover went to the coun-
try school. They say he was rather
shy, diffident child, for even there he
sensed that most of his playmates, all
from humble homes, were protected
by fathers who were affiuent COM
pared to the kindly uncle who guarded
the orphan. ~ 49,. .. er
Franklin Roosevelt went where rich
boys go, to Groton, the most exclu-
sive preparatory school in America.
Then he went to another rich mans
school, Harvard. With his small saw
ings Hoover got in Stanford. By
laundry work and otherwise he got
every nickel that took him through.
He graduated with the pioneer class.
Herbert Hoover came from the
plain people and he has always loved
them as Lincoln did. Hoover's accep-
tance speech last August IL will go
down into history as one of the great
est spiritual pronouncements Of any
American President. 1t was full of
human tenderness. 1t was not erich
mans" utterance. 1t was character.
Herbert Hoover has assumed great
responsibilities. He has been a great
humanitarian and as President of the
United States he has held fast to his
firm faith that the American people
are sufficient unto themselves and will
- triumph over any world catastrophe.
While others, like barking terriers,
have been yipping and swapping with
criticism but without the shadow of a
creative idea, Hoover has stood like
the faithful and trusted pilot that he