Milford News | 1936-06-18 | Page 2 | landon , Knox to Lead for G. O. P.

GOVERNOR ALF M. LANDON It- " ' " - ' t - s. r , V " "" ' f- 'V I I - - i ( . 'X f- V I . ' . v 'i , ? ' , j - y -. i Landon, Knox to Lead for G. 0. P. With Unprecedented Unanimity Una-nimity Republicans Pick Party Standard Bearers. By WRIGHT A. PATTERSON Cleveland, Ohio. With a unanimity unanim-ity that was remarkable and very rare tn American politics Gov. Alf M. Landon, of Kansas, and Col. Frank Knox, of Chicago, were nominated nom-inated by the Republican convention conven-tion for President and Vice President. Presi-dent. But It was a unanimity that was arrived at only after several days of strenuous argument regarding both candidates and platform. An argument that was at times loud but never unfriendly. It was a result re-sult the new leaders of the party had hoped for. They expressed themselves as willing to talk it all out, regardless of how long it might take, until every delegate from every ev-ery state was entirely satisfied. That result was evidently achieved. The platform was approved by the unanimous vote of the convention. Both candidates were nominated by a unanimous vote, and at the end had the support of every other distinguished dis-tinguished son of the party who had been a contestant for the places on the ticket. And the band played: "Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here." But if It were to be classed as a "gang," it was a new one. The white or bald heads of previous Republican Republi-can conventions had given place to youth. The few silvered heads to be seen were following the procession, not leading it Youth was the dominant domi-nant feature of the Republican convention con-vention of 1936. It was a serious-minded gathering gather-ing of younger men and women. They were takings their politics seriously. Each one, or each group, knew the answers to the nation's problems, and right or wrong, they proposed to fight for their opinions. They were not taking orders. They recognized no boss. . Each was there to do a job as he or she believed be-lieved it should be done. Such a condition a condition I had never seen before in a third of a century of attending national political conventions quite naturally natural-ly produced an argument. It Involved the platform even more than who the candidates should be. The East and West did not see alike on many subjects. The corn belt differed with both the East and West. Delegates from each section saw the national problems prob-lems as they applied to their section, sec-tion, and youth In politics had not yet learned the necessity of compromise. com-promise. It resulted In emphatic, but not unfriendly, argument, and meant long hours for the resolutions resolu-tions committee. Long Hours on the Platform. The convention was scheduled to open at eleven o'clock Tuesday morning, but the gavel of Chairman Fletcher did not call the great assemblage as-semblage to order for an hour after that time. The first session was short, and consisted only of the appointment ap-pointment of the convention committees com-mittees including those on credentials, creden-tials, rules, resolutions and permanent perma-nent organization. The resolutions committee went into session at once with the expectation expec-tation of reporting a platform by Wednesday night. It was then that most of the argument began. All afternoon of Tuesday and well into the night individuals, organizations and factions were presenting platform plat-form planks more than half a hundred hun-dred altogether. Everybody who wished to present an Idea was heard, and every idea had one or more proponents on the committee. Each member of the committee, It seemed, had ideas for one or more planks or for complete platforms. Through Tuesday night, through Wednesday, Wednesday night and all day Thursday the committee labored la-bored over what was to be the policies pol-icies of the Republican party for 1936. Senator Borah was especially insistent in-sistent upon a number of points including in-cluding money, foreign relations and monopoly. On the money question the committee, in the end, refrained from any-mention of gold, but after the adoption of the platform and before be-fore the nomination' Governor Landon Lan-don very definitely read gold into his Interpretation of the platform. Condemns the New Deal. Quite naturally the platform condemns con-demns the present administration for practically everything it has done. It charges that the administration adminis-tration has dishonored American traditions; the usurpation by the President of the powers of congress con-gress ; the violation of the rights and liberties of American citizens; the flaunting of the integrity and authority of the Supreme court; the passage of laws contrary to the Constitution; Con-stitution; repudiation of national obligations ; the creation of a vast number of new offices, and the filling fill-ing of these with political favorites, setting up a centralized bureauc- Iff ill W3f 'v-a a ;i .yy. yy COL. FRANK KNOX racy ; the making of secret tariff agreements that have flooded American Amer-ican markets with foreign products; it has appealed to passion and class prejudice, and many other things that are viewed with alarm. Party Pledges. The first pledge in the platform promises to maintain the American system of government; to preserve the American system of free enterprise, enter-prise, private competition and equality equal-ity of opportunity. On the subject of relief it proposes pro-poses the return of responsibility to non-political local organizations, with federal grants to the states and territories so long as the need is urgent The platform condemns the present pres-ent old age and unemployment insurance in-surance laws and promises to replace re-place these with laws that are workable, work-able, and that will provide for all the adult population. On the subject of agriculture the platform charges the New Deal with taking to itself the Republican principle prin-ciple of soil conservation and the retirement re-tirement of sub-marginal lands, and approves of these things. It proposes pro-poses to foster and protect the family fam-ily type of farm, and to promote policies that will bring about an adjustment ad-justment of agriculture to meet the needs of domestic and foreign markets. mar-kets. It proposes to facilitate production pro-duction and Increased consumption on a basis of abundance Instead of scarcity, aud proposes several definite defi-nite means of doing that. Other subjects covered in the rlatform relate to re-employment, labor, tariff, monopolivs, civil service, serv-ice, government finance including a stopping of government waste and balance the budget, money and banking, and other things. Hoover Gets Ovation. The real highlights of the convention conven-tion came on Wednesday and Thursday Thurs-day nights. On Wednesday night former President Herbert Hoover addressed the assembled multitude. Every seat was filled, every foot of standing space was occupied. The tremendous demonstration that greeted Mr. Hoover as he stepped to the front of the platform, a demonstration dem-onstration that neither Chairman Snell nor the former president could stop for more than 30 minutes, and another lasting for nearly an hour at the close of his address, thoroughly thorough-ly illustrated the place the former president has lu the hearts of the Republicans of America. He delivered deliv-ered a terrific arraignment of the New Deal, and aroused his audience to a very high pitch of enthusiasm. He did not in any way indicate any preference as to the party candidate, candi-date, or any desire to Influence the deliberations of the convention. On Thursday the convention met twice and immediately adjourned while awaiting the report of the resolutions committee. It was not until nine o'clock In the evening when that report was received, was read and Immediately unanimously approved without a roll call. The bombshell of the convention, and there Is usually at least one, came just after the adoption of the platform, and with the introduction of John Hamilton who nominated Governor Landon. Mr. Hamilton had just received a telegram from Governor Landon, and he read It. In that telegram Governor Landon gave his interpretation of some of the planks of the platform. The platform plat-form makers, out of consideration for Senator Borah, had carefully refrained re-frained from any mention of gold in the money plank. Governor Landon Lan-don said: "The convention advocates advo-cates a sound currency . . . That, as I view It, Is a currency expressed In terms of gold, and convertible Into gold." Any mention of gold was the one thing Senator Borah had strenuously strenuous-ly opposed, and there it was definitely definite-ly read Into the platform if the convention con-vention nominated Governor Landon, Lan-don, and a few minutes later that is just what it did without a roll call and with one mighty and prolonged shout of approval. Governor Landon Lan-don had done the thing the resolutions resolu-tions committee was afraid to do. In the same telegram he gave his Interpretation of other planks in the platform. If necessary, he proposed pro-posed a constitutional amendment so the states might legislate for minimum wages and maximum hours for women. Another statement referred to the merit system In which lie pledged himself, If elected, the inclusion of every . position in the administrative service below the rank of assistant secretaries including includ-ing the entire Post Office department. depart-ment. Then came the nomination for President. Board Bandwagon. Through a week preceeding the opening of the convention the managers man-agers of the Landon, Knox, Borah,-Vandenberg Borah,-Vandenberg and Dickinson campaigns cam-paigns had been tireless in their solicitation of support for their candidates. can-didates. There had been an effort made to combine the support of the various candidates against Landon, whose manager was claiming a nomination on the first ballot. On Thursday afternoon every candidate climbed into the Landon bandwagon, released their delegates, recommended recom-mended that they vote for Governor Landon, and following the nominating nomi-nating speech of John Hamilton, the Landon manager, Senator Vandenberg, Vanden-berg, Senator Dickinson, Colonel Knox, each came to the platform to second the nomination of the governor of Kansas. There was no roll call. Governor Landon was nominated by a shout that was heard throughout the nation. na-tion. The Republican party was unanimous In its choice of a candidate candi-date for President of the United States. With the exception of a selection of a Vice Presidential candidate the show was over In the early hours of Friday morning. While the delegates dele-gates and the audience did not know it, the convention had adjourned to meet again at ten o'clock Friday Shortly after that time a roll call of the states began for the naming of Vice Presidential candidates. As usual they were numerous, more because be-cause it gave delegates an opportunity oppor-tunity to make a speech before the convention than because they represented repre-sented any hope of a nomination. Michigan was strong for Senator Vandenberg, but the senator again announced, as he had done twice before, be-fore, that he would not accept such a nomination, while at the same time expressing his determination to work for the success of the ticket In the end, most of those named by enthusiastic supporters withdrew. There was one roll call, and on that call every state delegation cast Its solid vote for Col. Frank Knox, a unanimous selection as had been that of Governor Landon. Within a few minutes the entire show was over and the fight for the election of the ticket the Republicans Republi-cans had named was on. The decision deci-sion will be next November.