Evening star., 1939-09-26
Says President Must Be
More Thun Liberal
Believes Winning Condidote
Must Offer "AII Things
To All Men"


Must Offer "AII Things
To All Men"
To the Editor Of The Star:
The Real Republican" In his letter
to The Star of September 6 described
only one qualification that the presiden-
tial nominee must have II he expects to
be elected; namely, he must be q liberal.
But that is only one Of many.
Just what must be the whole back
ground of q President OF the United
States? In the first place, he must be a
native born American citizen. This Is
not Of itself very outstanding accomp-
lishment, as 1t leaves the door open for
about a hundred million potential
candidates.
Reading history, we find that most of
the last IL Presidents were either born
or reared on farm. They gained their
early livelihood in some way or another
connected with agriculture. Most Of
them were small-town lawyers, and
many had military training. Some were
conservative, but for the most part, they
were men with liberal forward looking
viewpoints, and were chosen because
their training appeared to fit them for
the solution of some particular stress or
turmoil of their era.
Next, a presidential candidate must
be all things to all men. In a country
made up with divergent races, the choice
of candidate for President whose an
cestry was too closely tied to any one
of the many nationalities which make
up the population would instantly
create skepticism ameng the members
of other races, especially now, with half
the races of Europe at the other half's
throats.
Mr.. Real Republicans" Mayor La
Guardia might poll tremendous vote in
New York City, but that name would
not carry much magic with the Poles Of
Chicago, the Germans of Milwaukee, the
Swedes of Minneapolis, the French Of
New Orleans, the CabotS of Boston or
the first families of Virginia, to say moth
ing of the Jonses everywhere.
Which brings us to the good, safe names
considering qualities that make a sue
cessful presidential candidate, one must
bear in mind that, with the advent Of
the newsreel, the radio and the television,
warmth of personality is a much more
important factor than 1t was before
F. D. R. The day is past when the Re-
publican party can afford to pick dead
pans" like Cal Coolidge Herbert Hoover,
their most recent, ALI Iandon, or any
Of the above four.
The man must have what the theater
calls good stage presence" plus name
familiarity"
OF course, there is the Dick Tracy Of
the Republican politics, Thomas Dewey
Of New York. Nothing will mushroom a
candidate into the public press so quick
as being a successful gangbuster. But,
looking back over the record of the
years, it appears some perverse quality
in human nature has prevented any one
from jumping from the police court to
the presidency.
1t is true that many of the Presidents
have been lawyers, but they were small
town lawyers, defending as well as prose-
cutting, drawing wills, settling family
differences, doing all those one hundred
and one things that throw smaIl-town
lawyer in such intimate contact with the
lives Of his fellowman, the type of prac-
tice that made Lincoln reasonable. toI-
Grant and just
Then, too, successful presidential
candidate must be in touch with national
affairs. So, If we are to study the past
as prologue to the future, we find our
successful candidate must be a COM
posite of all these qualities. Take Fed
eral Trade Commissioner Charles H.
March, for instance
The progenitor of the March family
in America was Hugh March, one of a
band of Pilgrims. He established, in
1885, the Newberry colony at the mouth
of the Merrimac River in Massachu-
sets. Hugh March built the famous
Blue Anchor Tavern at Newberryport,
which still stands in that city.
Charles H. March was born on farm
at Cedar Mills, Meeker County, MINI.
He attended the Litchfield schools and
Curtis College, studied law and was ad-
mitted to the bar.
At the time of the Spanish American
War, he was colonel ir the 4ih Regiment
of the National Guard.
He developed sound maturity and
genial tolerance for the frailities of hu-
man kind in very successful general
practice of law in the little town of
Litchfield, Mimi, near where he was
born and raised.
From president of the Farmers and
Bankers Council of Minnesota, vice
chairman of the Minnesota Safety Com
mission, which had charge of prepara-
tions during the World War, Col. March
stepped into national affairs when he
was elected delegate to three success
sive Republican National t~lventions.
In "a he was the Minnesota candidate
for Vice President. In 29 Coolidge
appointed him member of the Federal
Trade Commission, to which post the
present Democratic President Roosevelt
reappointed him.
The Security and Exchange Commits
sion, which today is doing SO much for
e -