Evening star., 1938-07-11

Inc exact WOTQS
Of the President as officially reported
from Covington, KY, are worth ex-
amining for the light they throw on
the strange process of reasoning which
Mr.. Roosevelt feels he can employ on
the people Of Kentucky.
You are having a primary CAM
paign for the choice Of the Demo-
cratic candidate for the United States
Senate. Both candidates are men Of
ability. Both are representative Ken
tuckians. I want to make it definite
and clear to you that I am not inter-
ested in any shape, manner or form
In. the primary campaign in Kentucky.
I do not reside in this State-you do.
You have the absolute right to vote
for any candidate in accordance with
the dictates Of your conscience. No
outside source ought to drag on you."
Didn't Stop There.
That's plain enough and definite
enough. And if Mr.. Roosevelt had
stopped there everybody with intelli-
gence in Kentucky would have under
stood him. But he didn't stop at that
point. The very next sentence begins
with the word nevertheless" and
what follows directly contradicts what
preceded. Here is the way the Presi-
dent phrases it, in the hope perhaps
that Kentuckians will be so swayed
by emotion or the presidential pres
ence as to forget the meaning of the
words already spoken and remember
only this part Of the speech:
Nevertheless, have a clear right to
tell you certain facts. etc." after which
Mr.. Roosevelt proceeded to praise
Senator Barkley. emphasize the senior
Senator's experience in all Of our ma
tional problems" Mr.. Roosevelt spoke
pointedly of Mr.. Barkley's part in
drafting legislation and his liberal
outlook" and Of the major part he has
taken in making "the actual policies
Of these last six years"
Not content with praising Senator
Barkley, the President then went on
to disparage his rival, Gov. Chandler,
BY pointing out that "as . very
Junior member Of the Senate, 1t would
take him many, many years to match
the national knowledge, the experience
and the acknowledged leadership in
the affairs Of our Nation Of that son Of
Kentucky OF whom the whole Nation
Is proud, Alben Barkley."
After reading the foregoing. the
supposedly unintelligent people Of the
State Of Kentucky are supposed to
forget that they heard only few
minutes before from the lips of the
President Of the United States, a man
such as these:
Il want to make it definite and
clear to you that I am not interested
In any shape, manner or form in the
primary campaign in Kentucky"
It's quite possible, of course, that
the people Of Kentucky are backward
In intelligence and cannot perceive the
deal Of convincing to make the people
OF the rest of the United States think
So Most everybody outside of Ken
lucky feels that that State is one OF
the best in the South even though the
statistics do show that there are 36
other States in the Union with lower
percentage of illiteracy than Kentucky
has. Maybe the President figures that
IN State which ranks twelfth in
illiteracy. the newspapers-which he
Is so fond Of denouncing-cannot be
read anyhow by large number Of
people, and that the radio can reach
them.
May Get Wish.
Whether or not the President con-
suited these statistics, he certainly
delivered speech which people who
can read and write will have much
difficulty in calling an appeal to in
telligence. 1t may properly be called
m appeal to the emotions as well as
an appeal to ignorance.
If Kentucky alone were concerned,
1t woul dnot matter Whether the
Chambers or the Barkleys come to
the Senate is of small moment. But
what Is of Importance is that a Presi-
dent Of the United States expects the
American people to credit all his state
ments on public policy and complex
questions of fact in national problems
when he taxes their credulity with the
type Of political bun comb issued by
him at Covington, KY. AS the head
Of the Democratic party" Mr.. Roose-
velt for the moment has asked the
people to forget he is also the Presi-
dent OF the United States. It is quite
possible that some day, If this type
OF speech is repeated. the American
people will indeed comply with his
wish.
(copyrisht. 1898. By the North American
Newspaper Alliance, 1nc.)