Evening star., 1932-09-07
"The Republican Case. "

1ne hepuDllCan Ease,
Former President Calvin Coolidge has
presented THE Republican Case" for
the consideration of the voters. His
presentation, in the current Issue of the
Saturday Evening Post, is clear sum-
nation of the policies and the program
of President Hoover to meet the eco
nomic crisis which fell upon this coun-
try in the latter part of 1929 and which
continued thereafter to bring ruin to
many Americans. Mr.. Coolidge with
out stint praises the leadership of the
President. He leaves no doubt in the
! mind of any reader that he believes
the reelection of Mr. Hoover to the
presidency to be the wise and safe course
for the country to pursue. Not only
does Mr.. Coolidge deal with the Hoover
administration, but he also discusses in
some detail the policies which have
governed the Republican party for
years, including the protective tariff,
assuring the American producer and
the American wage-earner that incom-
parable market, the American home
demand.
Mr.. Coolidge, who still retains firm
hold upon the imagination of the
| American people as a hard-headed,
clear thinking Yankee" will doubtless
have considerable effect on the elec-
torate. His presentation of the Re-
publican case was intended to have an
effect. In large measure what Mr..
Coolidge says is an answer to the at
, tack of Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt,
the Democratic presidential candidate,
upon President Hoover and the Repub-
lican administration. Gov. Roosevelt
in his Columbus speech declared that
the Republican party had been bank
rupt of leadership. He rang the
changes on the promises of prosperity
made by President Hoover and other
eminent Republicans during the 1928
ampaign-proWded the Republican
party was continued in charge of the
Government.
The former President in his defense
Of the Republican administration as
serts that parties are judged not only
by their promises but by their per-
| formances." And so they should be
judged. Indeed, the performances are
far more important than the promises
Of any political party.
Mr.. Coolidge tells them that the per-
formances of President Hoover and his
administration have been wise and of
incalculable aid to the American people
| during bitter three years Of adversely,
preventing far greater disaster to the
people. 1t is these performances which
the Republican leaders must impress
upon the voters If the party is to be
retained in power at the November
elections. Other Presidents of the
United States, as Mr.. Coolidge points
out, have suffered severe attacks
| from the "defeatists" at their backs.
Washington, Lincoln and Wilson he lists
among them. But in the end each OF
these great Presidents Of the United
States was able, through the backing
of the people themselves, to win through
great emergencies.
On the prohibition question Mr.. Cool
idge stands foursquare with the party
platform and with President Hoover's
Interpretation of that platform. Despite
the fact that the prohibition plank has
been called "straddle plank" by the
Democrats, Mr.. Coolidge finds no strad-
die in it, but a clear declaration that
the Republicans propose to deal in a
constructive way with the problem OF
liquor traffic, problem that has vexed
the people of the United States for gen.
erations and will probably vex them for
many years to come. Mr.. Coolidge, like
President Hoover, believes that the evils
which have grown up under the system
OF national prohibition must be eradi-
Gated. and at the same time that the
gains which have develeped-particu-
larly the abolition of the saloon-must
be retained.
No mention Of the Democrats, nc
attack upon them is made by the
former President. His statement oi
the Republican case is merely a de-
fense of the Republican administra-
tion. An editors note published at
the conclusion of Mr.. Coolidge's article
announces that within a few weeks
the Saturday Evening Post will pub
lish THE Democratic Case" by Alfred
E. Smith. The announcement is Of
particular interest in view of the ST.
lence which Mr.. Smith has maintained
about the Democratic national ticket
since he himself was defeated for the
presidential nomination and Gov
Roosevelt was named the Democratic
presidential candidate In Chicago. Mr.
Smiths only statement so far has beer
that he will support the Democratic
party" In the Saturday Evening Pos
article he will have an opportunity to
! pledge his allegiance to Gov. Roosevelt
if he so desires. He will be in a posi-.
ton to declare. as Mr.. Coolidge has de.
clared Of President Hoover, that ths
country needs Mr.. Roosevelt.
- Sir Gilbert Parker.