New-York tribune., 1920-10-03
Smith Assailed
In Republican
Campaign Book
Businesslike and Nonpar-
tisan Administration De-
clared Beyond the Men
tai Vision of Governor

The Republican State Committee has
issued q campaign book entitled
weighed in the Balance-Why the
Democratic Party Has Lost the Conf
dence of the People of the State and
Nation"
Reviewing the official record of Gov
ernor Smith, the book says:
ELECTED by fuke two years ago,
Alfred B. Smith became Governor of
the State of New York with a Repub-
lican Legislature and Republican state
officers. His opportunities for misgov-
ernment were few. The easiest thing
to do, as we'll as the wisest, was to
give the state businesslike and non
partisan administration, without play
ing politics.
unfortunately for himself and the
people of the state, such course was
beyond the mental vision of Governor
bly, in 1913 and led the Tammany CO.
horts in the impeachment of Governor
Sulzer. AS Sheriff of New York County
he subsequently enjoyed the emolu-
ments of the most lucrative Office with
IN the gift of his organization. Elected
President Of the Board of Aldermen in
New York City, he became responsible,
with his party, for the scandals that
have marked the Hylan administrations
He came to the Governorship of the
state without the breadth of vision or
the higher craftsmanship that the
needs of the state required and the
temper of the times demanded.
Judicial Appointments Assailed
During the last eighteen months
Governor Smith has appointed no less
than eight justices of the Supreme
Court and one judge of the Court of
Appeals. All of these appointments
were distinctly of political character.
1.-The appointment of Abram l. Elkus
to the Court of Appeals, a lawyer of
standing, but without previous judicial
experience, has been followed by his
nomination against Judge Chase, who
has served on the Court of Appeals for
fifteen years.
"The railroads, the middlemen and
the extortions of distributors have
boosted the price of milk in New York
City until there exists serious men
ace to the health and life of babies in
the metropolis, while the farmer finds
his profits dwindling with the high cost
of feeds. The Governor has instituted
no less than three milk Investigations
with the usual result"
1t is shown that under the old Public
Service Commission the overhead
charges averaged 8 per cent. Under
John H. Delaney, who was Suffers com
missioner of efficiency and economy as
Rapid Transit Commissioner of New
York City, the overhead charges av
crage nearly 25 per cent, with one
overhead employee for every two work
men in the subway.
Charge Breach of Faith
"The most fragrant case of political
appointments has been in the Public
Service Commiss acknowledgement for the
reason that the Governor obtained
power from the Legislature to rcor~
ganize the 1st District commission on
the promise that he would appoint men
OF the type established by Governor
Hughes. when he instituted these COM
missions, with an ideal of public serv-
ice that no Democratic Governor has
seemed to comprehend. AS soon as
this statute was passed Governor
Smith broke his promise.
"In the Second, or 'upstate,' district,
ne named the chairman ana secretary
of the Democratic State Committee, and
in the 1st District he appointed Lewis
Nixon, Crokcr's successor in Tammany
Hall, and John H. Delaney, Suffers
Commissioner of Efficiency and
Economy. Their administration has ex-
hibited the usual Tammany inef1iciency
and extravaganza. The pay rolls have
been padGed until the overhead charges
are 25 per cent Of the cost of construc-
ton, with one man in the overhead for
every two workmen in the subways."