Evening star., 1936-06-14
Voices i'm the Air.

OASSo kAA tAAS
One Of the guest chaplains at Cleve-
land included In his convention inyoca-
ton a plea for divine guidance at
time when the voice Of the wicked is
heard in the air" During the past week
the air was full of voices. Voices from
Cleveland have been in head-on collision
with voices from Little Rock and points
South, both travelling through the ether
at the speed of light. This may explain
some of the loudspeaker barks and
growls, otherwise associated with static.
But the careful listener-in has been
put to 1t to determine, on the basis Of
the words flung out by these voices,
which is the wicked and which Is the
righteous. The conclusion may have
been reached that all are wicked or all
are virtuous. Or the matter may have
been settled by personal predictions
alone, which is probable, without refer
ence to the nature Of the words carried
by the voices.
That fact has q significant bearing on
the whole campaign which is formally
to be launched within about two weeks.
Those who form their judgment from
the printed or spoken words Of others
have doubtless been impressed by the
rare sinilitude of the messages carried
by the voices from Cleveland and borne
by the voice of the President during his
Southern tour.
Does ex-President Hoover say that
'the American people may thank God
for the Constitution and the Supreme
Court? From Little Rock comes the
Presidents assurance that local repre-
sentation, local government, county and
State, must be preserved and that the
Constitution provided the best instru-
ment ever devised for the continuation
Of these fundamental principles"
Do Republican voices declare that We
shall march toward the promised land
under the shelter of the Constitution
The President at Little Rock says, Of
the Constitution, that under its broad
purposes we can and intend to march
forward, believing that 1t Is in
tended to fit the amazing physical, eco
nomic and social requirements that con-
front U.s."
Does the Republican platform include
q stern declaration against monopoly,
and have its speakers guaranteed the
safety of the small business man? From
Dallas comes the voice Of the President:
"Not the generalissimos, but the small
men, the average men in business and
agriculture. . . Any elemental policy
which tends to eliminate these
dependable defenders Of economic in
stitutions, and to concentrate control IN
the hands Of q few. small, powerful
groups, is directly opposed to the sta
bility Of government and to democratic
government itself"
So it goes, and so will it continue to
60 through the campaign. In his tele-
gram to the convention after the nomi.
nation, Governor Landon asks his party
to meet the issue" in the example OF
Mr. Lincoln, who always addressed the
intelligence of men, never their preju-
dice, their. passion or their ignorance"
1t might be hoped that the campaign on
both sides would be conducted on that
level. But as 1t has been said and as
everybody knows, the main issue be-
tween the parties in this campaign is
to stop Roosevelt" That is clear cut
and sharp. whereas other issues are
obscured to o great mass Of people
almost to the point of indefinability.
And under such circumstances both
parties and both candidates will find 1t
hard to steer clear Of personalities and
vilification and to stick to principles and
their logical exposition.