He is as handy as
a dictionary of dates or a cyclopedia of useful information,
invaluable books, which never obtain their just due; for no one
ever signs his masterpiece with the name of its coauthor, thus, by
"John Smith and the Cyclopedia of Useful Information."
A bad particle to ride into fame behind, that word "and," begetter
of much oblivion! Who can say what goes after the "and" which
follows the name McKinley, or Hayes, or Cleveland, or even
Roosevelt? Who has sufficient "faith in Massachusetts" to remember
long the decorous dissyllable connected by "and" with the name
Harding? The link, "and," is not strong enough to hold. You recall
the "and"; that is all; as in the case of that article of food,
origin of many "calories," to use Mr. Hoover's favorite word, in
the quick-serve resorts of the humble, where it supplements ably
and usefully, but without honorable mention, slender portions of
beef, pork, and ham.
To describe briefly, in a phrase, what has happened to Hoover; two
years ago, it was "Hoover"; to-day, it is "and Hoover."
Why the connective? Because, to put it bluntly, however great his
other gifts are--and they are remarkable--he lacks political
intelligence. He reminds one now of a great insect caught in the
meshes of a silken web. He struggles this way and that. He flutters
his wings, and the web of politics fastens itself to him with a
hundred new contacts.
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