Montgomery County sentinel., 1950-06-22
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The Silent Statesman

The Silent Statesman st
DRESIDENT TRUMAN is report
= ed to have said to a group O
newspaper men attending a White
House press conference,
"NO man, who Is not poll
tician, can become President
Of the United States"
In comparatively recent years
/ know of one man who was not {
politician, but who was a states
man. who became President of the
United States. | saw that mar
nominated for the presidency or
the first ballot at the Republican
convention at Kansas City in July
of 1925. saw him elected by &
tremendous majority in Novem
Der, 1925.
That man was Herbert Hoov-
era man whose name was
recognized in the realm Of
craftsmanship, but who knew
little or nothing Of the game Of
American politics. He was a
man who, while serving as
President, renounced politics.
Because Of economic condition.
of which he had no part in the
making and over which he had
nor could have had, no control,
saw that same, man defeated fol
reelection to a second term, large
ly to be sure, because he knew, SC
little Of the game Of politics anc
had not played at that game during
the four years he occupied the
White House.
saw in a very definite way
the politicians of his own party
who did not want Herebrt Hoover
in the White House, successfully
exert their efforts to defeat him
In that campaign, no, effort was
made on the part Of Republican
orators to present to the people
the Hoover Accomplishments as
President.
when the campaign was
nearing its end, some of those
who were familiar with what
was happening urged upon
Hoover the necessity Of taking
the stump to tell his own story.
Mr.. Hoover looked upon such
course as impossible. He said:
"I am President Of the United
States. For me to degrade the Of
flee I hold is utterly unthinkable.
no matter how great the need. The
President cannot be a stump speak
er in his own behalf"
Those presenting that urge were
persistent, and after hours of argu-
ment he was prevailed upon His
first speech, made during the
closing days Of the campaign, was
delivered at .Des Moines, Iowa.
But it was too late. There was not
time enough before the election to
get the facts he presented across
to the voters Of the nation.
I did not have any hand in the
preparation of those Hoover
speeches. No, one ever has. He
has always written his own. have
seen the manuscript Of many Of
them delivered through more re.
cent years. / did have a part in
preparing some newspaper copy
used during the last few days oi
the campaign.
That copy covered the prices
the American farmer received
for his crops Of grain and meat
animals c o m pare to the
prices paid to Canadian and
Mexican farmers for the same
products Of the same, quality.
For example, the price Of No.
hard winter wheat at Mime
apolis and Winnipeg; the
transportation on wheat from
Minneapolis and Winnipeg was
exactly the m e, but the
American farmer was paid,
day after day at Minneapolis,
more than the Canadian farm
er received at winnipeg.
The total Of that difference
amounted to many millions OF dol.
lars. but it was not subsidy paid
for out of the taxpayers money.
II was a result Of the Hoover farm
policy. That was one of the &C.
complishments, Of the Hoover ad-
ministration. Had there been suf.
ficient time to present such facts
to the American voters through
Republican campaign orators.
newspapers or other sources. in.
formation of such character could
have made the difference between
defeat or victory for statesman.
But politicians refused to use such
facts in that campaign and by re.
fusing to do so caused the Hoover
defeat.
y
Last year President Truman
asked the American people to elect
him as a Democratic President
and to elect for him Democratic
congress. senate and house. The
American people did as. he re-
quested. but he had not asked for
just what he, wanted. Helwanted
not a Democratic congress, but q
Fair Deal congress- l>t
Labor did not get the candi-
date II wanted to oppose Sena-
tor Taft in Ohio. That might
be the aIibi should Taft win In