The Washington times., 1922-11-03

claiming tn be O grandson of
the famous German poet, Is
working as q salesman In the
upholstery department Of q
New York dry goods store. The
pay Is low, and the work not
as adventuresome as some Of
the baron's other experiences,
but, as he puts it: ~ have to
eat"
| sought wisdom here today seem
remarkably concentrated on the
one following proposition:
rs Al Smith u better man per.
sonally than Nathan Miller or is
Nathan Miller a better man per
sonally than Al Smith for turnins
The wheels Of the machinery IN tn,
office OF governor at Albany
Most Of them, l may say Incl
Listening to them and listening
to their accounts of the senti.
ments OF their friends. and listen
ing also to the reports by political
scouts to political managers. j
conclude that the contest betweeL
Miller and Smith Is contest be-
tween two great established theo'
| ries or conventions regarding their
personal characters.
There is a convention to the II.
feet that Miller Is efficient. lie
| has been governor two years. HI
Is like John Purroy Mitchell, whcm
Hylan defeated for mayor in New
York city. Efficient Is what he
supremely claims to be. He claims
TO have been efficient and eco
nomical and scientific. Smith has
put out a strong right arm ana
has thoroughly disproved IA lot OF
Miller's statistics regarding his ef.
ficiency. Nobody pays any atten'
ton to Smiths disproof. Mars
was brave. Venus was beauti-
full. Miller is efficient. That's that.
Equally, however, on the other
hand, there is convention TO the
effect that Smith Is popular. II a
man who knows nothing about Smith
goes to a Smith man and asks him
what kind of man Is Smith?" .he
Smith man says: Smith Is the most
popular man in New York State"
This has been going on for years.
1t undoubtedly had it's start in u
personal likeableness possessed by
Smith. Now 1t has gone immensely
far beyond that point. People now
who cannot possibly have any per.
sonal knowledge of Smiths personal
likeableness will talk as II they had
Just exchanged a long line OF per.
sonal pleasa ntries with him and had
been personally charmed by him.
The practical upshot Of the matter
10 that Smith is popularity and that
Miller Is efficiency; and since 1t Is
generally conceded that popularity
is more popular than efficiency, the
outlook for Miller at the polls Is not
30 bright as 1t might be. This city
is Republican center. Smith,
nevertheless, may run very close to
Miller even here. 1t would mean
that he would carry the State. There.
fore, a new fence is rapidly being
raised against him.
1t might trip him, Mr.. Miller's
friends, seeing that after all 1t is not
enough to say that Mr.. Miller Is eff
cient, are now going to great, sud.
den, exceptional pains to say that
Democratic platform are in favor of
modifying the Volstesd law in the
direction Of a carefully restricted"
use Of beer and light wines. Will
this fence trip Mr.. Smith. or will 1t
! give HIM just one more jump toward
more companionship and more popu.
larity2 Opinions vary.
In any case. hear very little
about Mr.. Smiths promise to give
the State of New York a large out.
! fit of publicly owned waterpower
plants. In California. similar pro.
posal Is violently discussed on mo-
ton picture screens, In ferry boats,
walt ng rooms. In any direct prim-
airy State-and particularly in any
State which is also an Initiative and
referendum state-the electorate may
do It's best to AVOID getting hit by
issues but It. has to step lively IL
Il Is going to get out OF ther range
of fire altogether.
Here, With no direct primary, the
capdidates get nominated without
lecturing the voters on the issues:
And the issues aeeOrdingly-by com.
parison-get no flying start into the
voters minds. More, therefore, than
would be the case In California or
in Wisconsin, the gubernatorial con.
test here IL q contest OF personal
estimates Of Miller and Smith. /
talked here today on that point with
an extraordinary able political per.
son-Mr. John Palace, collector of
the port.
lie is a Democrat holdover from
the Wilson administration. He has
an extremely intimate knowledge of
! local opinion. / said to him, 'as.
suming that Smith carries Roches.
/ ter, what are the issues that he will
carry 1t on?" He said: "On his per.
eonniity. Tho issues this year are
personal"
In my dispatches from the West