Evening star., 1936-05-30

1nVltat10n TO at :*%:::$* -
tend and speak
emphasizes that n.v;s r.u..n..
he is without 1 ''
ambition and indicates that his para
mount interest is to influence his
party to write a winning platform.
Unquestionably, Hoover will hold
himself free from any ENHANCEMENT
In anybody's candidacy.
The fact that the initiative in in
Viting Hoover came from John Ham
ilton, Gov. Langdon's manager, Is
significant of a desire which Is grow
ing inside the party leadership to
see II all factions can be reconciled
and a united front presented to the
country.
Vindication Desired.
Hoover, of course. wants vindica-
ton, rightly or wrongly. He no doubt
feels that the depression beat him
Just as the depression is today given
as the excuse for the enormous spend
ing and unbalanced budgets Of M.
Roosevelt. Nevertheless, the Demo-
cratic publicity machine "smeared"
him and conducted a devastating
campaign designed to make the
American people believe that Hoover
was an incompetent President.
Hoover's place in history will not
be written for many years. and thele
is plenty Of criticism against him
from conservatives on the ground
that he started the lending process
through the r. F. C. and began using
the Federal function to do things
which Mr.. Roosevelt has since inten-
sifled.
The biggest single blunder Hoover
made was to sign the Hawley-Smcot
tariff law in 1881, which broke down
our foreign trade, bringing reprisals
abroad and causing American branch
plants to 60 to other countries as
American labor was made idle at
home. Likewise. the former Presi-
dent failed in decisive moments TO
emphasize his leadership by an open
battle with Congress. The Demo-
cratic House of Representatives re-
fused to give him the powers he asked
for, insisted on such things as pub
licity" for bank loans-something
that helped to bring on the bank hol-
iday throughout the country-and
yet Hoover never fought aggressively
against these things BY appealing di-
rect to the people, as some Of his
more assertiye pre- deceSsors had done.
Now Shows Fight.
Hoover has made some fighting
speeches in the last few months.
Had he exhibited all through his
administration the same fighting quail
tiles. he would have made a better
race in 1882, though the cards were
stacked against him, politically speak
ing. For millions vote as the times
seem good or bad. This is one reason
why Hoover could not possibly be
the candidate this year-his name
is associated with one of the most
disastrous periods in the economic
history of America. He was President
at the time and in the political wheel
of fortune he is blessed for what hap
pened, just as many Republican Pres
idents have taken credit for prosperity
with which they had really nothing
to do
The presence of Hoover at the Cleve-
land convention means he will take an
active part in the campaign. From
q purely strategic standpoint, this
may please the Democrats, as they
would like nothing better than to
refer to the Republican ticket as the
Landon- Hoover ticket or the Vanden-
berg Hoover ticket, as the case may be.
Hoover might have been stronger
with public opinion today and put
himself In position to be Of greater
aid to his party had he last January
renounced all ambition, proclaimed
the fact that he would not accept
q nomination If rendered him, and
had he then devoted himself entirely
to the cause in which he so profoundly
believes, namely, the preservation of
the American constitutional system.
1892 Vote a Factor.
There Is another side, however,
to the argument. Hoover polled 15,-
100000 votes in 1922 not incon-
siderable nucleus. 1t is necessary,
from Republican standpoint, to hold
that strength intact and, presumably,
If Hoover was good enough to gather
to his side, in year like 1882, such
q large group of voters, he is able
today not only to hold that group,
but perhaps to add a few. converts
tho Nyr,atrb i,,y
who have since discovered that other
issues of far more pressing economic
importance are wrapped up In the
controversy over the New Deal and its
policies. Many of the "wets" who
supported Mr.. Roosevelt will be found
drifting back to the Republican party
this year.
There are, Of course. many voters
who cast ballot for Hoover who now
believe In Mr. Roosevelt. The recent
Literary Digest poll showed shifts of
this kind, but it is undeniable that
Hoover as former President COM
inands considerable prestige with
many Republican voters and hence q
recognition of his position. and the
willingness to hear an address from
him may turn out to have more ad-,
vantages than disadvantages, espe-
cially because as the campaign un-
folds the new nominee will make his
own campaign and interpret the issues
of the platform more concretely in
his own speeches 1t does lock as If
the Cleveland convention will be the
most interesting Republican conven-
ton since 1912.
Copyright. 1850