Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-23
n. Y. Democrats
DISCUSS POLICY.
NOT CANDIDATES
Claim Recent Defeat Was
Largely Due to Party's So
ciaIistic Tendencies.
BY n. a. MESSENGER.

NEW YORK. December 23.--iov.
Smith of this state, talking to Speak
er Sweet of the assembly, last Febru-
airy. in the presence OF the man who
told the story to the writer. said TO
the republican speaker: Your repub-
lican Legislature will ratify the prohi-
bition amendment, and New York city
will go democratic for a million years
by a million votes.
1t was poor prophecy Gov.
Smith, within seven months. witnessed
the voters of Greater New York ig
noring all the calculations upon which
his forecast was based. and making
such a dent in the democratic create
city as had not been witnessed since
Mckinleys drive in 1896
Some Results Enumerated.
He saw La Guardia, republican.
elected president of the board of alder
, men by 200, and Curran. republi-
haitian by 1900. In Brooklyn and
Kings county the democrats saved
only two Offices. This was a smash
ing overturn, politically. and must
have been possessed of deep signif-
canoe. The governor had counted Oh
the wet vote to overwhelm all other
considerations, but the voters passed
it up. They had no other policies in
| view.
The democratic managers claimed
liidl lIie lTlSn anu All TIE Nref1ttstIs
| had voted with the republicans to re-
| buke the national administration.
| Some of them, no doubt, did. although
it is difficult to visualize a good Irish
| Tammanyite going SO far afield from
his bread and butter.
Discover Another Motive.
! Many substantial democrats here,
who have pondered the thing deeply
and talked with their followers free
| ly since the election, claim to have
| found another motive, controlling in
| its effect, for this change in the dem
ocratic vote. They say il showed the
revolt of the old Cleveland and Tiiden
| democrats against what they term
| the socialistic tendencies of the ma
tional democratic party-not the ad
miniStration alone. but the party as
made UP in Congress and elsewhere.
In using the term socialistic, they
do not refer to the extreme radical
Interpretation of the word, but have
! in mind its application 10 paternal-
! ism. government ownership and the
! like. They charge that the increas-
! ing tendency in the national demo-
cratic party has been toward this
definition of socialism. and that real
ization of that fact has driven and is
driving democrats away from the
party of Tilden and Cleveland.
Two Kinds Of Socialist.
The poor socialist" on the East
Side, who is half anarchist and half
he doesn't know what. is one fellow;
he knows he is caught in the re-
fhorseless cog wheels of toll and grind
and he doesn't See much hope. He is
against everything that is, and II
| truth be told, one might understand
why he leaves the sweat shop and
attends the meetings of unrest 10
! hear his wrongs recounted.
The other kind of socialist-and the
! fellow, it is claimed. is exciting tEe
ire of these old dyed-in- the-wool DER
ocrats-is the propaganda of tha
paternalistic and faddist, bright lights
| of the party who are holding up :
! new lantern to divert their feet fro7,.
the familiar and well trod path u
democracy.
I Advice Given Big Leaders.
! Some of the big men in the demo
cratic leadership have been told cf
/ this revolt in New York and have
been advised to warn their fellows ia
other states against a course which
would serve to accentuate the breach.
I They have been told that il will not
be wise for presidential candidate
] on the democratic ticket, seeking 10
I amalgamate unrestfui elements in the
country at large and attach them TO
the democratic party, to expect New
York st0e to be found in the demo-
cratic electoral column.
New York may or may not present
a candidate for the presidential nom
ination, but it is declared by demo
Gratis here. in position to speak with
authority, that no democrat who leans
toward socialism and paternalism need
come around for the Endorsement Of
! this state for his candidacy, and
| furthermore, that no man selected by
the national convention can count
upon New York giving a democratic
majority in November, 1920.
Not AEitated Over Candidates.
Thus far New York democrats re
frain from becoming agitated over the
! question of candidates. They appear
/ to be more concerned about policies.
/ If the right policies are adopted any
one of the several good democrats
mentioned would be acceptable here.
/ If unacceptable policies should be
taken up no one of the group appeals
to the democrats strongly enough to
outweigh that disadvantage.
Among the democrats. as well as
among republicans, both here and else
where, as these dispatches have
sought to point out, this doesn't seem
! to be a good season for hero worship.
I Maybe it is because no regular fellow
/ of the hero variety has yet entered
/ the lists.
( Sentiment for Hoover.
JTpon arriving in New York, The
Stars correspondent found a strong
undercurrent in favor or Herbert
Hoover as a presidential candidate.
Nnlle ne mas DeSIf rcSdrucu DIS Il re-
publican. il is said here that il he
| should become a candidate il would be
/ as democrat. People who have talked
with Mr. Hoover say he is not at all
excited over the subject. and is not
| chasing himself as presidential tim
Der He is wealthy enough to be indie
! pendent and his friends say he would
! like to round out his career by doing
great constructive work along reform
! lines.