Evening star., 1936-05-29

contact with the voters of this country
is necessary to convince one that the
bitter experience through which the
American electorate has passed In re-
cent years has left its deep impress
upon their hearts and minds. One
reaches this conclusion even from q
limited opportunity to see them and
to hear them and from the deluge Of
mail coming to ones desk.
I feel that this Is one contest in
which the voter thinks he will record
by his ballot. There are always some
who will be controlled by mere par
tisan feelings, some by the sinister
influence Of political machines, but
when jobs and homes and farms and
families are in the balance, we may
anticipate with what sincerity Of pur-
pose this high duty Of the citizen will
be discharged.
The people are not always right, but
it Is a comforting fact to those who
pin their faith to constitutional gov
ernment. after debate and time for
reflection, as American history amply
proves, that, in their final Judgment,
they are seldom wrong. They have
heard much debate. They will hear
more. They have had many sad years
in which to reflect on all matters per-
tanning to their interests-to them
this election is something more than
a mere party contest, and they con-
stitute tribunal from which there Is
no appeal.
Sincerity Of Purpose
For G. o. p. Interests Stressed.
There are some whose conception Of
party loyalty will probably cause them
to doubt my sincerity when say I
want to see the cause Of the Repub-
lican party placed before this tribunal
in a way best calculated to win its
approval I may be in error as to the
best way, but I hope to give ample
proof that I believe in that way. No
one familiar with the situation, as in
dicated by the poll books in the differ
ent States, can doubt that the party
has reached crisis in its history
where "flattery and falsehood can no
longer deceive and simplicity itself
can no longer mislead."
In speaking of the position of the
party with reference to public ques-
tions, as I do in the following re-
marks, it Is not my view that its po-
sition can be determined. or even full
ly defined, by the platform alone. In
this campaign, extraordinary as it un-
doubtedly will be in all its phases, the
candidates Of the respective parties
will be the platforms. We shall find,
in my opinion, the people will accept
no other.
It Is undoubtedly right and proper
and according to old custom to make
platforms But these platforms have
no high standing at the present time
in the minds of the American people.
After all Is said and done In this re-.
spect, the position of the party and
the possibilities of success will be de-
termined by the candidates. The old
school of military leaders conceded
that Napoleon was winning all the
battles, but insisted he was violating
all the established rules Of military
science in doing so. The tactics of
the winner of victories were born Of
his own fertile and restless brain. as
he maneuvered in sight of the enemy.
As seldom before. this campaign will
be campaign Of candidates and the
attitude Of the party on public ques-
tions can only be fully known when
both platform and candidates are full
ly known and understood.
Peace and No Alliances
Essential to Domestic Progress.
Owing TO the situation In Europe I
feel justified in saying something
about our foreign policy. This coun-
try needs peace; above all things it
needs peace. without peace we can
not hope to adjust our domestic af-
fairs.
The nearest approach to practical
guarantee of peace for the people of
this country is to remain wholly aloof
from any and all foreign controversies
or political commitments. No wiser
words ever fell from human lips
touching this subject than from those
of Thomas Jefferson-"Peace, COM
merce and honest friendship with all
nations; entangling alliances with
none"
In spite of all the propaganda man
ufactured at home or abroad, in spite
of all the sophistry Of learned, or
rather, I should say, educated men,
the policy enunciated in these words
is as applicable to world conditions
and as vital to the peace and hap
piness Of the American people at the
present hour as when the policy was
announced.
The Republican party has trifled a
long time with the question Of sur
rendering our traditional foreign policy
and all to its utter discredit. It has
had neither the courage to wholly
reject nor to wholly defend this policy
to the welfare Of the
American people and indispensable to
the perpetuity Of American institu-
tions. It was the boast Of Roman
epicures that they could at one and
the same time and in the same YES
sci roast half the pig and boil the
other half. How palatable was the
dish we do not know. But the meat
which our political epicures have
dished up for the American people
on this vital question of our foreign
policy, half international and half
American, is a mess.
1t Is to be hoped that the position
Of the party will no longer be left IN
doubt and that all schemes, with
whatever plausible pretense presented,
designed to draw us into foreign con-
troveries and foreign wars, viii be
put at rest.
League or Its Subterfuges
Dangerous to American People.
We want no part in any foreign
wars. We want to devote the energy