Evening star., 1936-07-22

No speech of acceptance on record has
ever been awaited with greater eagernesS
than Gov Landon's debut at Topeka
tomorrow night. Ordinarily such utter
ances are perfunctory and stereotyped
affairs of wholly transitory importance
and are received with comparative IN
difference. The Landon address Is an
epochal exception to the rule because 1t
is the initial occasion OF the kind on
which the presidential nominee of
great party has virtually presented him
self to the Nation for the first time
After the Kansan has spoken, 1t will be
as if there has just been unveiled
statue hitherto invisible or diScernible
under cover in only barest outline. On
all sides 1t is conceded that the ac-
ceptance speech may largely make or
break the G.. o. P. standard bearers
prospects of election. To date, the coun-
try has had only the vaguest and most
abstract conception OF the things Landon
stands for. The hour has at length
come when he must speak right out in
meeting. The completeness with which
he does so is destined promptly to in
dicate whether he carries guns enough
to torpedo the New Deal, Popular IN
terest in his address is correspondingly
at fever heat. The Governor will prob
ably talk to about as vast an audience
of listeners as any in the history OF
radio, including the palmiest Roosevelt
days.
Studious efforts have been made to
coach Gov. Landon for his crucial broad
casting performance, so that the con-
trast between his microphonic style ana
the artistry of F. D. r. may not pe
too marked. 1t is worth while recalling
i'm this connection that neither OF the
last two candidates for President elected
on the Republican ticket-Messrs. Cool
idge and Hoover-was distinguished lor
eIoouence, either on the air or on the
visible platform. 1t happened, too. that
each of them opposed a Democrat VINO
was a seasoned and gifted public speaker.
But Calvin Coolidge'S New England
twang proved to be no handicap in 1924
in competition with John w. Davis
silver tongue, while Herbert Hoovers
Unconditional and uninspiring delivery dld
not turn out to be a drawback IN 1875
as against AL Smiths punch on the
stump. In light of these experiences,
Gov. Landon's friends are confident that
his homespun manner will effectively
match the fireside charm of the Presi-
dent Anyhow, they insist it's what the
Kansan has to say, not how he says II,
that counts. Measured by that yard
stick. it's not feared that the Republican
nominees campaign oratory Will be
found wanting
Lively interest is aroused among poll
ticians in all camps by the Farm journal
poll showing Gov. Landon leading Presi-
dent Roosevelt by margin OF some
five to four among 50,000-odd agricul-
turists whose votes have thus far been
canvassed. Farm Journal polls, con-
Quoted regularly since 1912, command
wide respect because they have always
shown correctly who would be elected
President in the succeeding November.
The poll proved to be right even IN the
close wilson Hughes contest In 1916 ana
in 1928 accurately forecast Repubhcan
victory in Virginia, Florida and Texas.
OF outstanding significance IN the 1885
straw ballot is the meager showing OF
william Lemke, Union party candidate,
whose principal strength is supposed to
exist in the farm regions. The North
Dakotan receives only 29I rural votes,
as compared to 25,307< for LAndon and