ind Words
-<
Politieians and Press Are Wary
Toward the New
Candidate
THE boom of Herbert C.
Hoover for President, to
which "The New York
World" has been devoting its
, . -I,.! pago and news columns for
the last week and a half, has stirred
up a wealth of political debate and
piany kind words for Mr. Hoover,
with practically no unfavorable
cr ' icism of him.
Or, the other hand, lt has brought
out almost no active support for
Mr. Hoover by either politiclans or
the press- Caution is the word to
describe the general attitude of both j
Republican and Democratic papers.
?ally the only papers which
seem disposed to place themselves
' eartedly behind Mr. Hoover's
candidacy are a few independent
jouma'.s like "The Springfield Re
*-.r.."
The Important sentences of "The
V\ *? i's" announeement of "Hoover
for President" were these:
"In tbe judgment of The World'
the best eqi-ipped and best (juallfled
ma**. to t'jecced Woodrow Wilson aa ;
Presl <-*; of the United States ls Her-'
Hoover.
Thrc-f- Po?sibilities
"We -*l"r**ld be glad to support Mr. '
- aa tho Democratic cadiduto for
on a platform that repre
historical principles of the
tic party. We should be glad!
.- s Bn independent can- j
a j ihtform of progressive |
>7-"'' should not hesitate to
as the Uepubliran candi-!
on | ?????? ropresentir.g the
?' * en ment which Mr. Hoover
in his public career.
.-om objections to Mr. 1
Ho or are arguments in hie favor.
an people are tired of pro- !
:iana and disgusted with i
part poli! cs. The old party lines J
* down so far as the rank '
file of voters ure concerned, arm
both pn.rT.ies i-.r<
..??". tho spirit of pai
i arely been more bittei
* ' brutal, and never since be !
? I een more inimical tc j
?' the country, the battb
g politiclana is a ficti ?
?
the more favorable re
na which this appeal has'
? ocratic papers is the i
m "The Cleveland
," a paper of strong in- !
* ? * ings:
ntative Hoover candidacy
e il will in all proba
tioi ? ? lh <
Repul ? an conv-en
? ?.. ? pa ? ? ? ? ? -.
' l Adn nisti ator do< ?
Imposaible. That the
d^es -not know to
? 1b entltled to belong
81 ptabllity to thousands.
'? be urged ag
li Ite thal partj n an
li ok aakance
People Can Iii!-.i-<t
? suggesi Ion ?? i tabli
Pn< The people will get an
I -". to .v.o for him in Novem
? ' ' are convinced they want
' ' take 1he troi ble \o impreas
' party leaders. These |
"-?'? are t lined not to hear such
* ? t-" they can avold it."
I ? "The World's" view
**?--'? ' two parties are indistin
r- bli i< "The Boston Globe"
which Bays:
r is fiugRested to the
an, that gentleman
' and says*. 'I do not
**-* '?* Hoover stands on
*?
( nthusiast may retort
I hat he does not know
? ? iana stand on any
' I ..t tl at the people
.. of evidence of Mr.
1
' n on rnost of the fun
of pr< sent-d v life,
because Mr. Hoover has been dealing
pnblicly with facta for the I*st flv.
years.
"W? are living in an unpolitical era.
The cld parties do not divide naturally
on tho Important matters which are
coming up to-day. During the three
yeare of the preBent Administration
Mr. Wilson and his Cabinet have not
been called on to doal with one single
politica! question."
A carefuily neutral attitude, with
high praiae for Mr. Hoover. per
sonal qualitiea, ls taken by "The New
York Times," and it fairly repre
senta the prevailing Democratic
view. Incidentally, "The Times"
likens Mr. Hoover to General Wood:
Hoover anrl Wood
"The fact rc maine that Mr. Hoover
is thus far the most interestlng Presi
dential possibility, with the execptiui
of Leonard Wood. The two charac
ters are, in fact, sirailar. The brillian,
success of General Wood's administrn
tion in Cuba, which won world-wide ce
lebrity in its day, standB on an even
footing with the Hoover food _dminu>
tration. The far-sighted and practical
ideallsm of the Plattnburg training carr.p,
without which the army must have been
very inefnclently officered, i? equalcd
by Hoover'e prompt and energetic in
terposition in behalf of Belgium. Both,
men have pursued their ideals of pa
triotlc servico with an utter disregard
of the result to thi ir personal and po
litical fortur.es. Of the' two, Wood has
to-day the stronger national standing,
Hoover the more nearly world-wide ce
iebrity. Brand Whitlock's 'Belgium'
en?hrir.rs a heroic figure, certain fea
turea of which receive further model
rg ia Maynard Keynes'a recent vol?
ume, ir. which Hoover appears in his
aubsequent European activities.
"This i? an era of wide and rapid ex
pansion in our activities as a nation,
in the rapldly Bhifting currents of the
time mary things would be stranger
ihan that such a man should rise Bud
ienly to power and place. The trouble
that tho time has not yet passed
ivhen party regulartty and merely par
tisan leadership have ceased to \>i
towcrful factora in Presidential n<
nal ions."
A considerable numtier of Demo
ratic papers have strongly opposed
The World's" worda upon parti
sanship and opposed Mr. Hoover un- :
less and until his party allegiance :
is known. Says "The Brooklyn
Daily Eagle":
"Until he declarcs himself us a Re?
publican or a Democrat the discussion l
of him aa un availability will lead no- '
where. If he is named at ali it must'
be by one of the two great parties.
tle could make no headway aa an in
dependent, even were he ^isposed to
>mbark on ar. adMentun o desperate."
I{* puIthVan Doul>!>
Among the Republican papers with
indi pendent leanings there i? a bigh
ly favorable attitude toward Mr.
H< over, but no declaration in his
favor and considerable doubt as to
whether he can bc nominated by
either party. Says "The Philadel?
phla Evening Ledgcr":
"What will be tho outcomc cai not be
prognosticated. The hardshell elementa
in both parties are doubtless both op?
posed to the nomination of Mr. Hoover,.
should populer pressure move him to
change his pre: ent dotormination.
Much depends on the keynote which
the Republicans will atrike in their
convention, the f.rst of the pair.
"Should the 'Oid Guard' prevail. Mr.'
Hoover, according to Mr. Barnes'a horo- )
scope, might be found in tho rival!
ranks. On the other hand, Democracy
with a big 'D,' would be likely to eccept j
Mr. Hoover only with considerable
pain.
"The air la charged with potentiali
ties of political paradoxi s und sensa
tions. For the injection of novelty
into tha Presidential contest, Herbert
C. Hoover. who hasn't llfted a finger
to advance his prospecta, takes the
amazlng prize."
"Not much chance for Herbert
Uphold the Food Administrator -f? ?? st. Louis pobud^^
The cup of coffee placed before Mr. Hoover harks back to the campaign of 1912, when Colonel Roosevelt's campaign for a third
terrn was popularly dncussed ae a demand for "a third cup of coffee." Did this cartoonist of a Democratic paper mean to hint
_wtitiwa* Mr. Wilson's third cup of coffee that Mr. Hoover was considering sipping? Undoubtedly not.
I-oover" la the view of "The Phila- j
delphia Incrair-t," which concede.
that Mr. Hoover is "probably the
best informed man in the whole
world concerning national and inter?
national conditiona," but sees little
likelihood of hia nomination:
"And it is just hetuii he is not a
politiciaa that politiciane will have'
nothing to do with him. The Demo
crats eay of him that he is a Repub?
lican. The Rep.bllcans ssy of him
that he ia a Democrat, and there you
are. True, party polieles differ very
little these days. But party leaders:
do. Parties are etill controlled by po
Htical organiiations,, and these would
continue to give battle, even if there
were nothing under the sun to light
tdsout, Therefore, the chance that Her- '[
bert Hoover wi] be made the nomlnee
of either the Democratic or Republi?
can convention is not brilllant, lt
could be done only by a popular up
rising, and there is no aueh uprising
anywhere in sight."
To much the aame effect i? the
judgment of "The Boston Herald"
upon "The World" boom:
"The New York World' is having
a hard time with its attempts to ob
tai.n a Presidential nomination for
Herbert Hoover. It is interviewing
people in ail parts of the country and
making ail eorts of tests of public
opinion. And from them it appears, to
tho casual reador of 'The WorldV
disciosures, that it would require a
isurgical operaticn to get the Demo?
cratic party to twallow Hoover. The
politicians aro against him. Hoke
Smith will not vote for him because !
*he is an Englishman.' The Southern !
people, as a rule, insist on a man's hav?
ing been an unfaltering Democrat.
"Hoover. besides offcnding this Dem
ocratic sensc of fitness of things, has
niBdo many enemies amonp the grangi a
and tho dairymen nnd other organized
agricultural groups, The road before
him looks rough and uninviting."
The bulk of the Republican press
s-peaks respectfully of Mr. Hoover,
but with anything but rcspect for
"The World's" profession of non
partisanship. To begin with, the
Republican papers see in the move
a complete confession of Democratic .
collapse and hopelessnesa, says "The
Wichita Beacon.''
"'The New York World,' ionp known
as tho chief supnorter of tho Wilson
adrnir.istration, has come out edltori
a!Iy in favor of Herbert Hoover for
President. Inasmuch ns Hoover is 3
Republican, this action indicatea a
complete collapse of tho Democratic;
party organization. It is an open con- \
fession that President -Wilson has :
brought his party to political bank- ''
ruptcy and that its chief adherents
are now iookinj; for an independent or
ostensibly non-parti3an recciver to
hai ii'.' the affnirn of the concern."
All the Republican comment is
friendly to Mr. Hoover, and none
of it strongly opposes him as a can
didate. But of actual support there
is practically none. The general
view is that unless he announces
his political faith and it provea to be
Republican he cannot be considered
for the Chicago nomination.
Mr. Hoover's Declaration of Principles
_ j_
Significant Sentences From an Article Entitled "Some Notes on Industrial
Readjustment" in "The Saturday Evening Post" of Dec 27 1919
FIVE GENERAL PROPOSITIONS:
That the object of all national economic policy must be to
maintain and improve the standard of living of the whole popu
lation.
That the standard of living is the direct quotient c.f the
amount of commodities and eervicee that are available among the
total population. Therefore the standard cannot be maintained
or improved unlesa there is a maintenance and increase in the
production of commodities and services up to the maximum need
of the entire number.
That the human aniraal labors under the major impulse of
procuring for himself b direct share in consumption of commodities
and services, either to-day or in savings for old age and protection
of his dependenta after death. His minor impulse is the joy of
craftsmanahip and a spirit of service to the community. Social
ism will be possible when in the dim future tho latter becomes
the domlnant impulae?and then it won't be necessary.
That the development and Belection of abilities and charac?
ter for leadershlp, direction and invention in industry cannot
be obtained by the benevolent state-?or the politician. The infi
nite variety of hand and brain can find its maximum development,
ecpjailty of opportunity and position only through the fire of com?
petition.
That capital te eonstituted solely of the savings of the com?
munity, dead -.r alive, above its daily consumption, and these
savings are repreaemfced in the main by the tools for production
and service, togetrwr with the stock of conaumable goods on hand.
Production cannot be increased without an increase in capital, and
an increase ln capital depends upon our rate of savings. The
major impulse to aavings ia their future earning power?their
yield of interest.
Trade Unions
The organization of workers to better their conditions of
labor is undoubtedly a safeguard of equalitv of opportunity and
in accord with baaic principlea. The essence of combination of
workeTsia cellective bargminlng, and the recognition of the right
to eombine cannot be aeparated from the right to bargain col
lectively.
C.ontrol of Corporations
The combination of capital for larger unit production and
distribution a m itielf ecor.omically sound up to some point of
expanaion^ It ia not, however, sufflciently recognizcd that over
growtb of auch unita leads them to bureaucratic adminstration
^ewn^Hy wmder. them les. efflcient thar'amaller unit*.
Fram a ?odal patol ?f -vtar th* ooment th?y begta to dondnat*
the community, either in wages or prices or production, or to
prevent the growth of competition, they are in flagrant violation
of the primary principle of equality of ipportunity.
ISationalizafion of Industry
Nationalization fa on the issues on which ail socialiam
fails- thal ia, the des ructioi of pulsea which create ef
ficii ? ?. r in emph yee oi i mj ioyi r, and in the impulse to
initiath . which is ne essary foi ii i ivement and extension,
No scheme based on p< ';- .?: i ppointi iei * has yet developed the
ability to replace competition in ita selection of ability and
character in management, and no government ander the pres?
sure of local political infiuences can properly conduct the risks
of initiating extension and improvement.
Plans for Better Distribution of Wealth
The price wt must pay for the invaluable principle that
stimulation of tho initiative, ability and character of the indi?
vidual requires free play in compensation is that some persons
will gain much more than their service to the community war
rants. The atrocity of 3uch accumulationa out of the misery
of a nation at war is unbearable. Moreover, the laws cf the
country already recognize that unrestricted bequest prevents an
equality of opportunity.
Inheritanee Tax
The inheritanee tax is theoretically a direct transfer of
capital to incomq in the hands of the state, and thua might be
critized aa stifling the increase of capital. Practically, thia
would be anawered if the state applied such receipts to the ex
tinction of national debt or to reproductive expenditure in the
improvement of the national properties in rivers, lands and ao
on. Such a curative of unfair distribution of wealth is no viola?
tion of the economic or social principles stated above.
Income Taxes
The use of increase in income taxes to secure a better dis?
tribution of wealth brcaks itself down at a certain point because
it discourages initiative and effort more than doea the uso of
inheritanee taxea for such purpose. Beyond a certain point in
care of dependents the human animal is chiefly interested in
comfort ln this life.
Excess-Profits Tax
The use of excess-profits tax for this purpose or even for
revenue?except as a war emergency measure coupled with con
trolled prices?breaka down not only from the discouragement
to initiative, but worse, because it atimuiatea rank waste and ia
in the main paased on to the conaymer and contributea to the
high. coat of livin*.
Little Support
3! Who's Hoover?
y What the Records Reveal as to His
Life, Residence and Political Faith
IS MR. HOOVER a Republican or
a Democrat?
Haa he spent enough of hia life
in America to meet the Constitu
tional requirement that a President
shall have been "fourteen years a
resident within the United States"?
Claims and counter ciaims, attacks
upon Mr. Hoover as a carpetbagger,
an Englisman, or, at any rate. an
Anglomaniac, aa never having voted
in America, have been f requent since
his candidacy came to the fore. Mr.
Hoover waa so completely unknown
to the general public prior to his
work in Belgium that no general in?
formation as to the detaila of his
life and political faith were of rec?
ord,
Otrt of ail thia dispute, a few fact?.
seem agreed. As, for instance, that
Mr. Herbert Clark Hoover was born
in Iowa in 1S74 and is, therefore.
forty-six yeara old. Al80, that he lived
in Oregon as a boy, and waa gradu?
ated from Stanford University, Cali
fornia, in 1895. as a mining engineer.
Since then his career as engineer has
taken him ail over the world, but
since 1899 chicfly to China.
Presidential Votes
As for his politics, one report has
it that Mr. Hoover has voted only
once in a Presidential election. and
that was for McKinley. Another as
sertionia that he voted one other
time, and that was for President
Wilson. His plea for the election of
a Democratic Congress in the fal
of 1918 to support the President U
recent and familiar evidence on the
Democratic side. A statemei ? .
sued by Julius U. Barros in his be
half tactfully intimates that Mr.
Hoover is a Republican of the Dr,>
gressive wing. "The Xew York
Sun" produced from the records of
the Republican Club of New York
City these facts as tu .Mr. Hoover _
membership for eight years in that
club:
"The records show that Mr. Hoovor
was proposed for membership on
August 12, 1909; that he was qualified
on December 11, 1909; that he paid hia
dues annually until he resigned on
Jure 80, 1917, the resignati m be -
formally acccpted o i Si ptember 12,
1917. He had been appointed by Presi?
dent Wilson as Food Admmistrator on
April 7, 1917.
"Mr. Hoover was proposod for mem?
bership in a stalwart, distinctively Re?
publican organization-?a straii.-:
party orgur : .: on by th" iate Lii don
Bates jr., who, it w l be n - led, lost ?
his life when tho Lusita a ws torpe- ;
doed on May 7. 1915, Mr. Hoovi r was
seconded by John Henry Hammond, a
well known Republican. It :.s clearly
recailed that when he proposal came
before the committee on n
and subsequently befor the club body,
not a question was ra.-- .1 as to \h
Hoover. parti a-. fitne to 1
in the club deliberations, plai
Pc.-!-!.- or even seen ts ii.' v a
for as a gentleman and .^ Repub ci i
by men ?.?.?:?,, were a'
ness of each ? m, and
so accepted."
An Authoriz<>(3 Lifo
On the question ? r Mr Hoover*?
residence, an 1 the vi \ i f him a an
absentee America . ''The New '? ?
World" printed a . efen hased
? :i a statement pi pa II ; -
(lhamberlain, of ' rinted
i "The Coi '."'. ? i nal '.? " "i'7<
ketch of Mr. Ii ?. ?? ap
- -?ve 1 aa correci
cretary. It n ads ;
"'? :?:'? ert Clark H . - i '?'?
rar.ch, Iowa August IA, Qu
n nl 3. Aftt r de; h of parents
'?'?" ? . . ! ' .
tiv--?s, reslding at Newberg and 3alem,
Ore., until 1891. 3eeame serf-anppor.
mg at thirteen years of age. Went to
Stanford University, California, 1891.
Kraduating 18?: as mining engineer.
Employcd professionally in New Mex?
ico, Colorado, California and Oregon
until 1S97. part time with United
States Geological Survey. In 1897 went
to Australia in adminiatratlve metal -
iurgical work and mining*.
His Engineering Record
"Returned to California 18M. After
few months left for China aa an magi
neering adviser to the Chinoae gov
ernmen*. Returned to California 1900,
after outbreak of Boxer rebellion, Aft?
er few months left California again
for China as manager of indnatrial
worka, eompriaing eoal mtnes and
worka, fieet cf twenty ahipa, canala.
railwaya and harbor worka, employing
some 25,000 men. Returned to Cali?
fornia in 1901.
"Thereafter opened officea faj San
Francisco, New York and London, vi?
iting all pointa annually. Employed
in adminiatration of larga tndustria:
worka, embracing railwaya, metallui*
i*ical work. mining, tror. and ateel,
shipplng, land and eleetrical enter
prises in California, Colorado. Alaska
Moxico, India, Russia and China until
the war broke out in 1914. Waa *
tmstee of Stanford University, Cali
crnia, and apent much time there
1901-14) in affairs of that institt*
, .ion and in conduct of business in
1 hat state. Went to London just be
] 'ore the war broke out. W'hen the wa*
; iroke out became engaged in the or
I ranization of return of atrandec
! Vmoricans. In October, 1914, organ
ized Commission for Relief in Belgiurr.
' .nd remained in Europe during the
?vcr, with the exception of a return t<
ho United States in the fa*H of 1916
md in tho winter of 1917.
Never Sousrht Public Office
?'Xever sought public oiHce in an;
shape or form.
"Returned to the United Statea ot.
the direct request of the govBrnment,
acting entirely aa a volunteer for serv
ce during tho war only."
The Constitutional doubt that haa
i been raised aa to Mr. Hoover's eli
-ibility was thus answered by "The
; World":
"Tho eiause of the Constitutio;.
which Btipulates that none but a native
irn citizen of the United Statea may
become President contin'ues:
"'Neither shal) any peraon be eli
j gible to that office who ehall not have
1 attained to the ag-e of thirty-five year^
and been fourteen yeara a rosideji:
within the L'nited Statea.'
The Constitutional Period
"The best Constitutional experts in
-reas hold that as Mr. Hoover was
lorn at West Branch, Iowa. August 10,
1874, and resided in this country untii
'.?". -u period of twenty-threo ycara
he exceeds the stipulated requiremen*.
if fourteen years' residence by nino
1 rs. It is contended by these au
?" " that the meaning and lan
of the C titution mi rely re
i*e *.??-? a man to bi eligible mus*.
ave 1" n a res lent <'f the Uniteii
tea fur fourteen years. It does not
.y the f mrteen yeara immediately
nreceding :. electi in to the I'res.
? ? :":
"An opinion on thia point was aonght
from Senator Sterling, of South Da
kota, former dean of the school of
I iw of the anlverslty of thiit state.
md Senator < >lt, < I Rhode Island, o
rmer Federal judge and one of thi
? ? authorities on Conatitntional
law in the Senate, Both r.ro Repub
I said that Hoover waa eligible
f tl e Consi itutior
the fourteen-year
was probably inaerted by
framera of the ( onstitution to
cover 1 i? ?-? s of "ar ;. f'rr lidenta of
''? 5tatea."