Judge — October 20, 1928 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUDGE Editor, Norman Antboay Where We Stand ome readers are asking where Jencr stands in S the presidential campaign and whom we supporting. That is a reasonable question, « sidering the traditions of journalism, and it deserves straightforward repl. is supportin party and no candid It stands on the fence and will remain there. ‘The posture is commonly sup posed to be lacking in dignity, but it does not seem Wh pury is te so to us. must a publication whose primary entertain its readers, plump for one side in a political contest? During the present cam » several papers have declared for one candidate or the other in that have sounded weak or faltering, and their ex- tions and subsequent writing accents have given evi- of considerable distaste on the part of the men who have had to write them, The ownership and ment of Jepor have not sought to place in n embarrassing position the members of a staff Luilt up to produce in the field of satire and humor, none of whom were examined as to their poli- tics, religion, or other private views before they joined the staff. For many years Jepar was consistently a Republi It created the symbol which rred election of MeKinley——'The Full) Dinner Pail’—a symbol which survives to some degree in the Since then, times have changed. The ownership, man id editorship of Jepar ned annot now classify this ijunet of any party, class or sect, Recently Juvcr has been outspoken against the situation created in this country by the Prohibition amendment and the Volstead Act. On that one issue alone it has been assumed by some readers that we should support Al Smith, We are not doing so. Jenor as an entity, then, no political prefer- ence and does not propose to have any. We can not quite let it go at that, however. Political ideas are the very stuff of which satire, humor, ¢ and editorials in must be ch such contribution is the work of one or more persons, and not censored as to its political effect. r that reason it seems proper that the per- sonal views of the individuals who are responsible for Jvnar should be expressed, in order that no one of them shall be compelled to pose as an unwilling spon- sor for what any of his colleagues may say or print. an in the present campaign. have also chi paper as an toons Jupee made. Dramatic Editor, George Jean Natbaa in the Campaign The president and general mana this com- pany will vote for Hoover, A Sout! independent, having voted for for Hughes in 191 ot Coolidge in 192 nd having refused to vote at all in 1920. During the of the campaign he was inclined to favor he has been won over to Hoover. The chief stockholder, who has always been a Re- publican, will vote for Hoover. The sceretary of the company, who has been with the paper longer than any of us, and who voted for in 1924, will vote for Smith, he editor, a Scotch Presbyterian, and always a Republican hitherto, will vote for Smith. Two of the associate editors, and Mr. Weed, the cartoonist, will vote for Smith, r of rer, he is an Wilson in’ 1912, rly part Sinith, but We have not canvassed the organization as a whole because how our employees vote we regard as none of our business. There remains the associate editor who writes this particular page. He is bound to Hoover by ties of idmiration and loyalty dating from service in. the Food Administration, and confirmed in 20 when he promoted the first organized Hoover-for-P resident ‘oup. That was before Hoover announced himself as a Republican, but we of that group would have voted for him on any ticket. This writer is now not so sure; partly because of the political attitude and associations which Hoover has taken on since then, partly because of an enthusiastic regard for Al Smith’s character, liberalism, policies, and ability to lead the people, and partly because a vote against Smith looks at the moment like a vote for bigotry and snobbery. But this is not a final judgment. Campaigns are waged to win the independents. As this is written, the campaign has a month to go. The longer the independents reserve their decisions, the more the politicians who shape the campaigns will have to concede to the popular will. If a number of million of us decline to be committed until we hear more and sce more, the aspect of the next ad ministration may be quite different. And let us not forget that whichever man is chosen the country is going to have an able, devoted, states manlike President, and further, that polities is but an incident in the complex life of this country, which is going to be still a good life whoever is in power. ROW, comicbooks.com