New Britain herald., 1924-10-31
HOT CONTEST FOR NY. Y.G0VERNORSHIP.
Smith and Roosevelt Going at
 It Hammer and TOngS

Gubernatorial campaign, which im- partial observers concede is the most hotly contested in years, has attracted national attention because of the prominence of 1.-the two lead Ing ndidates--Governor Alfred F. Smith and Colonel Theodore Roose- welt, former assistant secretary of the navy.
 Although the issues involved are mainly state ones the campaign be- tween one of the most popular men who ever sat in the governors chair at Albany and tho son of the former president has been closely watched by the democratic and republican national leaders.
 Governor Smith, seeking a third term, has made his campaign solely on his record in office. When elim- mated as candidate for the dem- ocratic nomination for president he let 1t be known that he would not seek renominatlon for governor. He explained he had given many of lis pest years to the state and that hA
  flee. As the weeks sped by, however, the demands that he again head the state ticket became so insistent that he finally yielded. When the dem ocratIc state convention assembled at Syracuse the governor was nomin- ated by exclamation.
 Colonel Roosevelt, known as T,a1 l,,t before the republican state conven- tion at Rochester as one of several favorites for the nomination, emerged a victor on the first ballot, and thus after 26 years another Roosevelt is running for governor of New York.
 Economy An Issue
 He declared that the first great is- sue of the campaign was economy In administration. The second, he said, was tax reduction, and the third the practicable and unselflsh reor- ganization of the state depart ments" In his speeches he has con- tended that the republican party in the state and nation was more econ mical and more conducive to pros- perity than it's leading opponent He charged that the consolidation of state departments as urged by Gov ernor Smith, would bring important state functions under political con- trol and under the hand of Tap many Hall As to prohibition, he arraigned the present state admin istration for repeating the state en- forcement act. and promised to work for rc-adoption of state law conformity with the Volstead act.
 Governor Smith has maintained that his department consolidation scheme, insofar as it shas been put into effect by the joining of the. highway department, the department of public works and the department of public buildings, has saved the state sS00.0O0 Other consultations, he has declared, were prevented by a republican assembly, which also blocked his efforts for a more busi- ness-lke administration of the states business affairs" He also has pointed out that the democratic regime has reduced income and property taxes by 25 per cent
 The biographies of Colonel Roose- welt and Gov. Smith have almost nothing in common. The governor popularly known as "Al," was born 5f~ years ago on New york's lower East Side-he was literally raised on the sidewalks of New York. He left school when he was 13 years old to support his mother. Fight ing against the heavy odds which are placed In the way of boy who grows up in such surroundings, he has risen to the governorship and is known as "the champion vote getter of New York"
 Colonel Roosevelt lives in Oyster Bay, his fathers home. He is S7 a years old. but does not look 1t. He holds B. A. and an honorary M. A. from Harvard, his fathers alma mater. Like the first T. R., he earned his rank in war, fighting in the world conflict first as captain in the British army and later as c major in the Twenty-sixth U. S. in- fantry, of which he subsequently be- came lieutenant colonel. He was wounded in action and holds several decorations.
 The parallel between father and son extends to personality. Frank w. Mondell, former representative from Wyoming, who accompanied the nominee on part of his tour of the state, said Colonel Roosevelt's mannerisms and appearance remind- cd him constantly of the late presi- dent. He has the Roosevelt smile. the Roosevelt face and the Roosevelt voice. One of the newspaper cor . respondents with the Roosevelt party on its whilwlnd tour of the state. man who stumped with T. R. Sr, in 1898, said he could close his eyes while the candidate spoke and readily imagine that the leader of the Rough Riders was in action once more.
 Support Because of Ability But Colonel Roosevelt has fre- quently reminded his hearers that he does not want them to vote for him simply because of who my father was" He asks their support on the basis of his own ahility. Both Governor Smith and Colonel Roosevelt have made extensive tours of the state. The republican candi- dates, however, was the more ambi- tious for he made three weeks trip covering all sections. On his l schedule were more than 200 speeches, many Of them rear plat form talks in small towns. The governor, handicapped at the | outset of his active campaign by an | attack of rheumatism that necessi- tated the cancellation of his speak | a..... E.- Ial... Iaa.I. A.....