The Holly chieftain., 1923-06-07
Al SMITH FOR PRESIDENT

The friends OF Gov. Al Smith of
New York are trying to put him
in the Presidential chair in 1924 or.
possibly, groom him for four years
later.
They base their hopes on the
following propositions:
Smith is governor of New York
He would likely carry that state
with its large electoral vote. New
York and Virginia are presidential
states"
Smith is wet He would rally to
his side all who for gain, appetite,
or individual liberty" want tie re-
turn of legalized booze in some
form or other Smith would be their
white hope" In him they see
their best chance to overthrow, In
greater or lesser degree, the 18th
Amendment.
Smith is Catholic. He would
inject into national politics for the
first time in our history, the relig
ious question. We have never had
Catholic president. In theory it
matters little to the majority OF
people whether president is Pro.
testant or Catholic. Our constitlp
tion guarantees religious freedom.
Nevertheless, Smiths nomination
would stir up bitter religious
controversy and divide the people
into two camps This. of course,
would not be any fault of Smith.
personally, but such a religious
fight would be inevitable and most
unfortunate. But he would win the
Catholic vote in a very large
degree.
Smith is States Rights" man.
His nomination would revive the
issue of 1861. Many Democrats have
never .relinquished the princEle.
His nomination would fan the EN-
bers into life Indeed this issue
might well become the dominant.
issue OF the campaign and even
override the liquor issue which is
bound to assume big proportins. In
their attitude toward the negro the
South has never given up its theory
s.t States Rights; the Constitution
Notwithstanding.
Smith would hope to carry the
entire Solid South" The vote of
these states has always gone demo
cratic. But the religious question
and the liquor question would sub
ject the loyalty of the south to a
great strain. The South. in several
states. is overwhelmingly Protes-
tant and bitterly so. In many states
the dry issue is dominant. Could
Sweet, iff spite of all this, keep the
South solid" or would the break,
SO long anticipated, occur in 1924?
Now, there is no doubt that Mr.
Harding will be the Republican
nominee, man who has nothing in
common with Smith except his pres
idential ambitions.
Harding is dry, a Protestant and
strong for the federal power of the
government. He is complete an
tagohist of Smith. The issue be-
tween them would be clear cut, and
one might "prognosticate" what
the result might be were it not for
a third element almost sure to be
injected into the problem
That is Mr.. Ford running on
Third Patty ticket. This will make
Confusion worst confounded" Ford
will, perhaps, not stress the big
questions that divide Smith and
Harding His issues will be unique.
Ford is a parodox. Though he is
wealthy-the richest man of our
country. yet he is the foe of Wall
Street. Though he is an employer
OF labor, it is not capital but labor
thta loves him. Though entrenched
in position of power over the
masses, he appears to have no po-
litical ambitions. Such character
istics endear him to the multitudes.
1t is probable, were president to
be elected today by popular accla-
nation. Ford would be the next
president.
The greatest issue of Ford is Ford
himself The people like an idol.
Ford is an idol. No one is so well