The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-06-18

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But on the final night Of the con.
vention 1t was another song that
rang through Cleveland's auditori-
um-"Oh, Susannah l"-the cam
paign song Of the Landon forces,
who, earlier on that day had so
demonstrated that the Kansas
governor was the choice Of the peo-
pie to defeat the New Deal. that all
Of the other candidates willingly re-
leased their delegates.
Hamilton Presents Landon.
Before Hamilton began his nom-
mating speech he read q telegram
from Governor Landon which went
into the annals Of political conven-
tons as one Of the most courage
Gus pieces Of forthrightness and
honesty ever to be spoken by a
candidate for nomination. Gov.
ernor Landon wanted it understood
before his name was presented that
there were certain planks in the
platform upon which he had placed
interpretations which ought to be
known.
He made it plain that, although
the platform expressed belief that
labor legislation with respect to
minimum hours, maximum wages
and working conditions could be
"done within the Constitution as 1t
now stands" he would, If it were
necessary, support a constitutional
amendment to accomplish such leg
islation.
He made it plain that while he
agreed that "the first requisite to
a sound and stable currency is q
balanced budget" the second requi-
site sis currency expressed in
terms Of gold and convertible into
gold"
He was more definite than the
platform in his ideas of restoring
and expanding the merit system in
the federal government. 'In carry
ing out this pledge, I believe there
should be included within the merit
system every position in the admin
istrative service below the rank Of
assistant secretaries Of major de-
partments and agencies, and that
this inclusion should cover the en-
tire post office department"
Convention Goes Wild.
Delegation after delegation leaped
to its feet to begin the happy, hol-
lering, whistling, singing, dancing
band wagon parade for Alf Landon.
Everywhere the banners "Win with
Landon" and the posters with the
governors picture were raised.
There were hundreds of them. In
their enthusiasm, delegates climbed
chairs, pummeled each other good
naturally and carried on general
ly with all the reckless abandon of a
college crowd after a big football
game. 1t was an hour before Ham,
ilton could resume talking.
Hamilton dwelt upon the manner
in which the forty-eight-year-old
governor had administered the af-
fairs Of his state simply, efficiently,
as a business man "who had had
to meet the Saturday night payroll"
would. He pointed out the differ
ence between the Landon methods
and the Roosevelt methods.
Through three and one-half years
we have heard much talk of emer-
gency. Emergency has been adj
vanced as an argument for the
breaking Of campaign pledges, for
reckless spending Of public funds,
for the creation Of a bureaucracy,
for the appointment of public Off
Gals for reasons Of personal loyal
ty rather than merit, and for be-
wildering succession Of inconsistent
and impracticable measures which
have retarded recovery and created
uncertainty.
Faced Roosevelt's Problems.
"Yet Gov. Landon was elected to
his Office at the same time that the
New Deal administration was elect
ed to power. He faced in his ca
pacity as state executive emergen-
cies Of the same kind that confront
ed the national executive. He faced
also the same question of whether
he should in that emergency break
the pledges he had made in that
campaign, or whether he should
keep those pledges. The answers
given by the new President and the
new governor were different and
they were in character. For, as we
have seen from the public record of
the two Of them, their characters
were different"
Landon for Unity.
Hamilton struck what proved to
be the popular note when he de-
clared:
Behind Governor Landon, as
standard-bearer Of the Republican
party, will rally united party, for
he has genius for creating unity.
Behind Governor Landon will rally
that great group Of citizens, with
out regard to party label, who wish
to see performance and not propa-
ganda, confidence and not confu-
sion. Behind Governor Landon, car
ruino tho sfa nda I'd Of ronnn mos