The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-19

utterly ignorant concerning, it is politics; yet it was with the greatest possible pride and interest that I followed the New York guberna- torial race recently. when my good friend, Gov. "Al" Smith, "beat the stuffing" Gas the kiddies say) out of Governor Miller.
 The reason? Being a woman, I have one, of course.
 This:
 Personality t
 That indefinable, tantalizing, wonderfully expressive, fleeting, qualifying adjective or noun or whatever part of speech it IS, and which expresses Gov. ZAP Smith to CT"
 Up at French Lick few years ago it was my pleasure to hob nob'' with the big democratic moguls whom mine host Tom Taggart , had invited to his beautiful place for "conference" just prior to the democratic convention out in San Francisco.
 Among the number was Governor Smith of New York.
 "You know me, AL" as Ring Lardner would put it.
 The governor with the keen mind and the human heart;
 The politician whose astuteness has made him the leader of his party. The leader who takes off his coat and works in his shirt sleeves with his followers;
 who has risen as he will tell you frankly from a lowly position in fish market to the head of 8 business dealing with millions;
 "A Prince of Good Fellows" with the ''glad hand" for everybody and spontaneous smile of comrade- ship for all.
 Which made me "fall for him' just as everybody else who has ever known Governor SAP Smith has done.
 With his half dozen s'henchmen" about him-at French Ijck-~-Ws used to sit out on the beautiful lawn in the mornings-and often we'd twit the governor about be- ling presidential timber and his anI- bition at the democratic conven~ tion to have his name before the multitudes.
 In his good natured way the Governor" would take 1t and de- clare that we were mistaken until Big Boss" Murphy appeared upon the scene--and then, ohl such funl
 I recall so pleasantly the day Boss" Murphy arrived.
 The governor and l walked down to the station to meet him.
 Said the governors
 'If you can get story out of Murphy you'll be the best news paper man alive"
 Of course I didn't have any bet- ter sense than to try, and this IS what happened: met Boss" Murphy"
 "How dye do," says Dolly.
 "How dye do," says the Boss.
 "What's the news politically?"
 Nothing doing,n says the Boss.
 "What about Governor "Al" for president?" asks Dolly.
 ''Nice day." says the Boss,
 q know your pretty daughterT says Dolly.
 "That's fine," says the Boss. Now if you can beat that for brevity, and lack of material for a story duplicate it; but between you and me I don't believe it can be done.
 However, in spite of Governor Smiths taunting and teasing me about not being able to make Boss Murphy talk, I rather think got even with him, for when MT. Taggart and his party moved on to California for the convention ! read shortly afterward about a newspaper man of worldwide fame on one of the big San Francisco dailies trying to cover an assign ment for an "interview" with Boss Murphy" which turned out very much like mine.
 After working every string that could be worked to get the silent Boss" to even so much as make a statement about the weather, the newspaper man took him out to see the beautiful San Francisco Bay the pride and joy of all Cali fornians.
 Mentioning to the big Tammany Boss" that here was the most beautiful and most wonderful body of water in the world-and, aow,
 "What do you think of it, MT. Murphy"
 The delectable Mir Murphy, breaking the silence of several hours, replied:
 Its nice bay"
 The "democratic" Governor Smith-whose wife is the proto- type (so they say) of Sweet Rosie O'Grady" and who, when the governor was inaugurated during his first incumbency of the gubernatoriaI chair of New York state, danced to the Hitting tune of East Side, West Side" which the band appropriately selected, --ith her affable husband and enjoyed the party immensely, is according to Governor "Al's" own statement, "the foundation of his success"
 Governor "Al'' Smith, it strikes me, might easily adopt as his demo- cratic slogan
 "Al for All, and All for AL" At least 1 know 1 am,
 A Hard Week z | n ~ L.ax,a haaY, L,1I1vs