Evening star., 1932-10-20
Coolidge Speech Appraised
AS Orthodox Partisan Ple;.

another, but by the votes of those who
change their minds. Mr.. Coolidge
spoke as a conservative Republican TO
conservative Republicans" The Day.
ton Daily News independent Demo-
cratic) voices the judgment: ON
tariff, party greatness, everything but
party made prosperity, it was the
speech which men Of his party were
making il 1880, in 1884. in 1888 and so
Mr.. Coolidges speech can find it in the
editorials of Henry Watterson end the
speeches of Allan G. Thurman or
Grover Cleveland or Bourke Cochran
in the days when the hoopskirt was
Just on its way out. Except as
matter of archaeological interest, the
logic and theories of Mr.. Coolidges
speech may be dismissed"
He recited the Republican ritual
without missing a platitude," asserts
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (inde-
pendent Democratic. Therein we're
contained all of the reminders Of a
beneficent sun shining on Republican,
ism. a gentle rain descending upon it,
blanket of exhilarating ozone sus-
pended sbove 1t and harvest moon
over all adding a partisanship romance
to the trite affairs of everyday exist
ence. One could almost hear the re-
pressed contrast of drought, food,
cyclone and clark CT the moon, which
are the invaria bic penalty for Demo-
crat-blighted area. The drip. drip, drip
Of the enunciative precision might easily
have suggested that the sound waves
were striking the aerial on the first
bounce from the chilly grave stones OF
the nearest cemetery. But he supported
the ticket! What he said was unim-
portant"
THE speech must have been Of some
benefit to the Hoover campaign" thinks
the Chattanooga News independent
DemocraticJ, while pointing out that
1t was almost wholly defensive" The
Asbury Park Evening Press (inde-
pendent Democratic). replying to one
of the Coolidge arguments, says that
even if things could be worse, there
Is no reason for re-electing the man
under whose administration they be-
come as bad as they are" The Omaha
World Herald independent Demo-
cratic), taking up another phase,
argues: The improper use OF the
Nations credit. encouraged by boom
propaganda statements by administra-
tion leaders, had a more far-reach-
ing and destructive effect on busi-
ness, agriculture and confidence gen
orally than the ordinary run Of people
can conceive. What was thereby shat
tered is the very thing Mr.. Coolidge
said President Hoover and administra-
tion leaders are now trying to restore.
The electorate of the country has no
other recourse than to place the blame
for our credit collapse squarely on the
shoulders of the Republican party and
the men at its helm"
Quoting him as holding that 'the
Republican party, having presided over
the widest boom and the worst COL
lapse in our history, is the only party
to which our destinies may be safely
entrusted" the Baltimore Sun dnde
pendent Democratic) concludes: That
is a normal product Of the Coolidge
mind" The Birmingham Age-Herald
Democratic) adds: THE leadership
of Hcover was Mr.. Coolidge's theme.
In some quarters it will be argued that
the former President Is hardly the man
to deal with the subject of leadership.
His own course In office was not that
of leader. To do nothing may be
wise procedure, but it is surely no test
of political leadership. Whether from
excessive caution, or moral and intel
lectual Incidence, Mr.. Coolidge avoided
virtually every call upon him for
dynamic action