New-York tribune., 1922-10-14
Smith Assails
Miller's Stand
Toward Labor
Condemnation of Lusk Law
and Plea for Economy Are
Features of Candidates
Speech in Poughkeepsie
Union Men Cheer Words
Democratic Standard Bearer
Warmly Received as He
Appeals for Support
From. a stag Correspondent

| L. 3.
From. a stag Correspondent
POUGHKEEPSfE, N. Y, Oct. IS. .--Fo
city with only two Democratic ward
and those on the river front Alfred F
Smith, Democratic candidate for Co
ernor, received noteworthy receptio,
when he spoke here tonight In tn,
Knights OF Columbus Hall. The hal
was crowded to its capacity Of 200,
and enthusiasm ran high. A larg,
picture of the candidate adorned
banner in front of the building will
the welcome printed in big letters:
Hello, Al! You're. as welcome here
as you would be in Oliver Street"
The candidate was met at the trair
by the local Democratic leaders, in
cluding Frederick H. vandewater
Duchess County chairman; Jesse J
Graham, chairman of the city commit.
tee; Thomas M. Lynch, John E. Mack
guardian for little Guy Stillman, and
others. Mrs Franklin d. Roosevelt
was at the station with several women
friends to meet the former Governor
Dr. Roya. S. Copeland, candidate fo,
United States Senator, who spoke al
the meeting, was the guest Of the
Roosevelts at Hyde Park. Mr.. Mack
presided at the meeting.
About one-fourth of the audience a,
the meeting were women. The candi.
date struck particularly sympathetic
chord with htem in his discussion ot
Wel1are work for women and children
In the state-what he would strive n
do in that line if elected-and what
Governor Miller had failed to do fo,
labor and social welfare, as he denict
cd the present administration record
"A large part of his speech was do.
voted to condemnation Of the Ins,
law, as we'll as a demand for a reor.
ganizatlon and economy in the man.
agement of the states affairs.
Assails Millers Labor Stand
The former Governor charged Gov
ernor Miller with demorali2ing tn,
State Labor Department., cripplinp i,
until 1T could not function properly,
destroying the effectiveness of th,
workmen's compensation act and cen,
orally showing hostile and destrn,
tive attitude toward organized labo,
and welfare work. And yet tho Gov
ernor processes to be "a friend n
labor" the speaker declared, and triot
to make the people believe that he ha,
bettered the lot Of the working nconl
and at the same time practiced y neu
economy in the management of tn,
states business.
A strong representation of labor me,
IN the audience Joined the women i
cheering the candidates Indictment q
the Governors labor policies. IN
speakers remarks were interrupted a
times Dy bursts of applause, and h
warmed UP to his work and got bac
INTO the stride of the old Al in tn
campaign of 1917, when he was frs
elected. He hurled his charges at th
Republican candidate with increasin
force and increasing voice. When h
declared that the convention Of tn
State Federation of Labor. held i
this city last August, had every rieh
to adopt resolutions condemnine Gov
ernor Miller's attitude toward labo
and hiE lack Of interest in the huma,
side OF legislation, he got big hand
The former Governor also made
plea for the election of more Demo
Gratis to the state Senate ard Assembl.
SO, that he might find it easier, to pu
his program through II elected.
Predicts "Day of Reckoning
There will, come a day. Of reckon
ing for the Republican Legislature
which failed during the two years
was in Albany" said MI. Smith, "wher
l had to sit helplessly on the hill and
see much Of the decent and humane
legislation--ini which every red-blooded
American would believe-defeated fol
purely political purposes by studied
hostile Republican majority hope
you, the voters, will make that day
come soon. I hope you, will elect the
men on the ticket who are sympathetic
to my purposes and the Democratic
platform, and put more men Of chat
kind in the Legislature itself"
The candidate referred briefly to the
discussion of economy, efficiency and
reorganization in the state government
which he said Governor Miller had put
forward-with an avalanche Of figures
to show that the Governor had saved
S20.000,000 during the present admin
istration. Mr.. Smith said that he had
answered that argument in his care
fully prepared speech at Yonkers last
Tuesday night, and showed conclusively
that no $20,000,000 or any material sum
had been accounted for in the Miller
credit columns of the state books.
s"I rather expected an answer from
Governor Miller to my Yonkers
Speech" said AL, "but here it is Friday
night and all have got so far is his
remark that / am tAlibi Al' and
couldn't make the wheels go round at
Albany. Well, when was Governor
put good deal of legislation through
the Legislature, despite the opposition
of the Republican leaders and work
ing Republican majority.
az haven't much fault, to find with
Governor Miller for his hostile atti-
tude toward labor and welfare legisla-
tion, for he warned the people twc
years ago just what his attitude would
be. He declared that such matters
were purely 'paternalism,' and that il
wasn't the function of the state to try
to make the lives of its people comfort
able. He said, in effect, Let them dc
the best they can
The former Governor declared that
in order to divert attention from the
disastrous effect of Governor Miller's
reorganization of the state depart
mentsS and his defeat of the welfare
bills, he was now allowing himself to
be pictured as welfare Governor.
The speaker charged that there never
was more willful and deliberate mis-
representation of the facts. The
speaker discussed the duties and func-
tions of the labor department and told
how it had been rendered useless, as
he saw it, by Governor Miller. He
made specific charges against the Re-
publican candidates in this respect.
The candidate dwelt upon the sub
iect of the workmen's compensation