Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-10

Mullen Gage law would be the plat
form of the party. The document has
been analysed and supported by some
try. and regardless of the attitude
taken in western states, the fact is
that there are a great many votes
available to democratic candidate who
stands on the states rights idea, for
prohibition is still a live issue in the
eastern states. however. arid the west
may have become.
The democratic leaders will have to
decide. first OF all, whether they can
win by combination of eastern
states and southern states. If that
Is their strategy, they VIII forget
about the agrarian discomfort in the
west and center their efforts on a wet
candidate.
There is one phase about AL
Smiths candidacy which bears no re-
lationship to the prohibition ques-
ton. 1t is his religion. Politicians
say that a Catholic could not be be
States and that it would be futile to
nominated him. This is pred!cated on
the theory that religious warfare
would ensue and that the candidate
of the other party would be the
beneficiary OF such strife.
Facts on the other Side.
On the other side of the question
are some interesting facts. For in
stance a Catholic has recently been
Chief Justice of the United states,
namely Edward ouglass White. Sew
eral Catholics have been elected to
the governorship of various states or
the Union. Many Catholics have been
members of the cabinet. There are
great many people, moreover. who
would resent the issue of religious
bigotry and who would take the
position that if the Empire state OF
the Union could afford TO ignore re-
ligious questions and elect Al Smith
governor, so might the federal cleo
torate itself
Al Smiths opportunity, however,
will not turn on anything but the
prohibition question. His chances
will be quickly determined just as
party leaders want to make an issue
of prohibition. The fight between
the vets and the drys inside the
democratic party must be made first.
The last democratic convention re-
vealed exactly that kind of a dead
lock and il resulted in neither side
being able to get a plank in the plat
form.
Gov. Smiths Career.
Gov. Al Smith has behind him a
career which appeals to the imagin-
alton of the average man. He Is
self-mad man. He is an American
of the Grover Cleveland type. He has
of getting at the bottom of things.
His popularity in New York state
was fact before prohibition became
acute as a political problem. He
would have been reelected in 1920
but for the general republican
landslide. He was beaten by only
10000 that year while Harding car
ried the state with million plu-
rality. None fthis could be at
tributed to wet strength.
The question which friends of Al
Smith are asking is when in the re-
cent history of the democratic party
| has there been a man who could
demonstrate such strength In the
Empire state. The elements that
have gone to make up AL Smiths
popularity in New York state are to
be found in New Jersey. Connecticut,
| Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Elections used to be determined
largely on what a nominee could do
plus q few eastern states makes a
combination of electoral votes that
can win. Ordinarily this might be
dismissed as futile, but this time
| there is a good chance that Henry
Ford or La Toilette will divide the
ern states. where the democrats
wouldn't have a look-in unless they
had a radical candidate.
East Plus South I'm View.
Under such circumstances the ca st,
plus the south, makes a winning
combination. Will the democrats try
| II with light wines and beer plank
II they do they will be bold enough
to consider Al Smith. The democ-
cratic party conventions are con-
trolled, as rule, by the organiza-
tons of the more populous states. Al
/ Smith has played ball with Tammany
He could start out with New York's
| ninety votes and probably would have
| the sympathetic support OF Illinois
and New Jersey and Massachusetts
It's too early to say how far his can
| didscy will get, but he will be in the
i running il the democrats decide to
| make the fight OH state rights.