Evening star., 1936-06-27
CAMPAIGN FASHION
Radio and Plane Represent Climax of Ways
to Sway Public, but Future Sets
No Limit to Ingenuity.

hdTulnB ana wilson OOtn uSed tIllS
method of reaching the public.
Mr.. Harding, however did not sit
the campaign through" This was be-
cause his opponent, Mr. Cox, took the
stump early in the fray. compelling
him, after much persuasion on the
part of his friends, to take to the field
also But up until that time, both at
Sea Girt-"the Little White House.
in New Jersey and at Marion, both
Wilson and Harding entertained pill
grims" in the cause" sending them
away, inspired and flaming, to gather
in more zealots.
A popular belief is that Mr.. Wilson
introduced to American presidential
campaigns the ''front-porch" sp-
proach to the White House This Is
not the case, however The father of
the "front-porch" campaign was VIII
liam Mckinley of maTtyred memory.
Following his nomination at st. Louis
in 1896, there began to come to his
home at Canton, Ohio, food Of loyal
party visitors and workers These
brought him messages Of his cause
with the people throughout the Ma
ton, and the gold question then being
fiercely in the foreground, these mes
sages were fraught with deep and
grave meaning 1t is doubtful If a
campaign by Mr. Mckinley, as prac-
ticed by his predecessors. would have
gotten him single more vote than he
received. The greatest orator of his
day was pitted against him, a man
who swayed the populace as no other
man in American history, perhaps
(unless it be Andrew Jackson)--
William Jennings Bryan Looking
back over that campaign one can but
feel that mems minds were terribly
wrought up over the burning issue
of the day, and that a front porch
campaign was the best and most
feasible method of settling" it. To
Vice President Roosevelt was left the
task Of swinging around the circle"
THE personal political campaign, as
: we know it today. dates from the
first administration Of Andrew Jack
son, 10S years ago. Jackson believed
himself to be a victim, of a coalition
between Adams apd Clay, popularity
referred to by his partisanS as the
bargain between the Puritan and
Blackleg." The duel between Clay
and Randolph came out of this charge.
Clay becoming i1icensed at a state
ment by Randolph on the floor of the
House regarding the professed baf-
gain.
When the campaign of 1928 rolled
around, therefore. Jackson. with po-
litical blood in his eye. went after
his opponents man Of vivid, poW-
erful and dominating personality, stin
the hero of New Orleans and the liv-
ing soul Of the irresponsible, rising
decocracy of the day. abused and de-
feated of his rightful heritage in
1924, Jackson aroused and caught the
Imagination of the public tremen-
dousIy.
Jackson opened his campaign in
1928 with gesture calculated TO
astound the public and confound his
opponent, Adams No one had ever
seen its parallel and the novelty,
newness and basic democracy of it
called forth a corresponding en-
thusiaSm from the rank and file Of
the population. 1t began on the 9Th
Of January-the anniversary of the
Battle OF New Orleans. The site of
the celebration was the city defended
by him from Packingham's forces,
and the iron warrior attended as the
guest of the State. Delegations from
the rest of the country were invited to
do honor to the glorified idol, and
they came by the thousands.
Jackson made his progress to the
fair metropolis of the South one Of a
deliverer in triumphant
array. Down the broad bosom of the
his steamer made its
leisurely way, and he was met by q
delegation of Louisianians at Natchez.
A procession, banquet and ball marked
this stop, and then, arm -in-arm. so
to speak, the two steamers proceeded
on down the river to New Orleans.
''Twenty-four flags waved from her
lofty decks" says a chronicler of the
progress of the Pocahontas, bearing
the general to the scene Of his former
conquest. A constant roar of artillery
from the banks of the
Father of Waters as the favored ves-
sells, augmented by whole feet a
others now, slipped through the spar
king waters.
Jackson placed himSef on the rear
gallery of the Pocahontas, in plain
view of the multitudcs lining the river
banks, in every kind of craft imag-
lnable, and interspersing the rosrs of
he feet artillery and shore batteries
With roars from their own deep lungs.