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Editorial
June 27, 1936
Nogales International
Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
What is this article about?
Raymond Pitcairn, National Chairman of Sentinels of the Republic, urges America to view national party platforms as solemn contracts rather than vote-catching propaganda, demanding sincere fulfillment of pledges over fleeting election fervor.
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Platform Pledges
By RAYMOND PITCAIRN
National Chairman
Sentinels of the Republic
America for weeks to come will remain acutely Platform-conscious.
Carefully it will ponder the pledges written by each major party into the statement of policies which must serve as a chart during the next four years.
In studying those pledges America must remember that a national platform represents far more than a series of promises calculated to win popular approval.
It represents a solemn contract which should be as serious, as binding, as any covenant under law. It is an agreement which should be as sincere as any made between friends and sealed with a handclasp.
That is why in drafting a platform, no party, no candidate, is justified in writing mere political propaganda. None is justified in creating a catch-all for votes. None is justified in adopting the theory of that forgotten homespun philosopher who commented:
"A platform ain't what you ride on --it's what you get in on."
America therefore must demand from a party and its candidate far more than a series of promises enunciating policies under which the people may be led to believe they will benefit.
It must demand the assurance that those promises will be fulfilled to the best of the party's ability.
The furor created by the clocked and managed clamor that sweeps a candidate to victory is thrilling-but short-lived.
The memory of kept or broken pledges endures.
By RAYMOND PITCAIRN
National Chairman
Sentinels of the Republic
America for weeks to come will remain acutely Platform-conscious.
Carefully it will ponder the pledges written by each major party into the statement of policies which must serve as a chart during the next four years.
In studying those pledges America must remember that a national platform represents far more than a series of promises calculated to win popular approval.
It represents a solemn contract which should be as serious, as binding, as any covenant under law. It is an agreement which should be as sincere as any made between friends and sealed with a handclasp.
That is why in drafting a platform, no party, no candidate, is justified in writing mere political propaganda. None is justified in creating a catch-all for votes. None is justified in adopting the theory of that forgotten homespun philosopher who commented:
"A platform ain't what you ride on --it's what you get in on."
America therefore must demand from a party and its candidate far more than a series of promises enunciating policies under which the people may be led to believe they will benefit.
It must demand the assurance that those promises will be fulfilled to the best of the party's ability.
The furor created by the clocked and managed clamor that sweeps a candidate to victory is thrilling-but short-lived.
The memory of kept or broken pledges endures.
What sub-type of article is it?
Partisan Politics
What keywords are associated?
Platform Pledges
Political Promises
Party Platforms
Election Sincerity
Vote Fulfillment
What entities or persons were involved?
Sentinels Of The Republic
Raymond Pitcairn
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Sincerity And Fulfillment Of Political Platform Pledges
Stance / Tone
Exhortation For Treating Platforms As Binding Contracts
Key Figures
Sentinels Of The Republic
Raymond Pitcairn
Key Arguments
National Platforms Represent Solemn Contracts, Not Mere Promises For Votes.
Parties And Candidates Should Avoid Political Propaganda Or Catch All Vote Strategies.
Voters Must Demand Assurance That Pledges Will Be Fulfilled.
Election Excitement Is Short Lived, But Memory Of Kept Or Broken Promises Endures.