The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEB, 19, 1928. RESIDENTIAL SELECTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEB, 19, 1928. RESIDENTIAL SELECTIONS.

Thu excitement over the coming Presidential election is growing rapidly throughout the United States. Opinion is still divided about President Coolidge’s famous “self-denying ordinance.’’ When he said that lie did not * choose’ to stolid, did he mean that under all circumstances lie was firmly resolved to refuse nomination, or did he mean his supporters ti infer that if they decided unanimously to support him lie might lie induced to agree, even against his own inclination ? In the last resort it seems that the Republicans will try the effect of nominating Mr Coolidge and finding out what he will do then. But failing him. the best hope of the Republicans appears to be Mr H. C. Hoover, who a few years ago was famous throughout the world for his successful organisation of relief for Belgium and other war-stricken countries, and lias since given ample proof of his administrative and financial ability in the United States. He is said to he rather an unattractive personality in either a private or a public capacity, says an exchange, and be has a poor and weak voice; but the Republican vote may be strong enough to over-ride such obstacles as these. If I ' the profession of sound Republican I

principles were sufficient qualification for the post, Air Hoover would no doubt pass muster. But there are other matters to be taken into consideration. To begin with, the indefatigable Senator Borah, who, as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, carries much weight in public affairs, lias declared in favour of making Prohibition a lest question for all Republican candidates. Any man who displays sympathy or a “wot” policy. or declines to pledge himself unconditionally to maintain the Volstead Act, will have no eliance of winning any election, if Senator Borah can help it. And so the Prohibition issue is to lie forced to the front just ns vigorously and implacably in the United States as at the general elections in New Zealand. But apart from this, there is the sectarian issue to he taken into account. The candidature of “Al” Smith, the Democratic Governor rtf Now York, has aroused the Kill Klux Klan once inorO, and there are threats of dreadful happenings if the redoubtable “Al,” who is a Roman Catholic, persists with his nominillmii. On the other hand, some ingenious person discovered that Mr Hoover was married h\' a Homan Catholic priest, and the excitement at once rose to fever heat. Air Hoover is a Quaker, and Airs Hoover an Episcopalian, and the officiating priest happened to be the only clergyman in the vicinity at the time. But those excuses are as nothing against tho fanatical fervour of the K.K.TC. and just now it looks as if the Republicans who objected to “Al” as a Rotnah Catholic may have sonic cause to regret that tin's particular question Was raised. Til many ways the most picturesque, and perhaps the most experienced and capable of all the candidates is “Al” Smith. His father was a truckman, his mother kept a candy store, and he was horn on “the East side,” where Brooklyn Bridge How casts a shadow. He was newspaper hnv, hand in an oil factory, clerk to a fish salesman, and With the guidance of the famous Tom Fole.v of. Talnmah.v Hall he made rapid pt'ogess ill local politics under tile auspices of the great IlemocraUc organisation, lly the time that he was 30 years old. in lt)i)3, he was member of the New York Legislature. Ry I‘Mi he was Speaker of (lit Assembly. In 1915 he took part in the .Yew Yoik Constitutional Convention, and was described by Elilm Hoot, a rigid Republican, as the bosl-inforined public man at the gathering, In ItllS lit' was elected Governor of New York, and lie sooins likely to rise higher slid, “lie has oiilgi'iiWtl South Streetoutgrown the Fourth Ward, ouigrowu TnUiUuiny Hall,” and be inny even outgrow New York. “Ills precise, energetic, Imaginative mind" maintains an extraordinary ascendancy over his followers. and lie i.- described as nltop 0 her liiispoih’M Ip,, hi-. marvellous sucC" 1 . c- “untainted alike by j-rnsper-tiy and admiration.*' Even the Republicans admit that if lie were a Prohibitionist. „r it he wore not a Roman ( ntiioKe, he would he a most, formidable antagonist, and it is quilt! onn- ' livable that even with those handicaps lie nitty heni all liis rivals in the end. These contests provoke great unlirtlia! interest all through the United Stains, and the present will he no exception from the general rule. Newspaper readers, even overtoils, get their surfeit of the alarms timl excursions when presidential candidates ate being selected, and this term will not he any exception to those which have gone before.