The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-23
\. BL|SSFULLY
HAPPY, HARD
DISCOVERS
Very Proud Of Her FaVorite
!, Son, al Smith, But Content
to Live With Coolidge.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

-
creasingly displays itself as the
happiest and serenest spot in pres
ef1t day American political exist
ence. t
On the Republican side New York
IS securely and dreamlessly sure
that the country Is staunchly con-
servattve. on the whole, and that
since, Calvin Coolidge il also staunch-
~ conservative, not only on the
whole but also In every part, he
Will be elected without even enough
exercise to give him q deep breath.
On the Democratic side New
York seems blissfully sure that the
country wants light wines and
beers and that accordingly that
darling of New York, that prince
charming of all politicians, that
CHIEF champion of light wines and
beers, AL Smith, the courageous and
the companionable, will get the
Democratic Presidential nomiIia-
ton.
N. Y. Well Satisfied.
These twin convictions fill New
York with, an impending glow of
local glory through the approaching
national prominence Of AL Smith,
and with an even more comfortable
impending glow Of business security
through the approaching victory of
Calvin Coolidge.
How could things be better? New
York will bask in the publicity and
dazzling personal success accorded
| to Its. romantic faVorite son. Then
! 1t will lie down in the comfortably
feathered financial and industrial
nest provided for it during the
next four years by the sound solid
humdrum good sense Of the I'm
comparable safety first business
| statesman from Vermont.
Yes, this is a happy town, which.
ever way 1t looks, IL sees happiness
ahead. During the summer It sees
| Al Smith spreading the New York
doctrine of light wines and beers
and general nberality over an other.
wise benighted but increasingly en-.
1ghtened country, as the Demo.
cratic nominee; and then. in the.
fall, 1t sees Calvin Coolidge, as the
Republican nominee, putting an end
10 AL Smiths temporary, but highly
useful show and giving the coun-
try four years more Of the, still
more useful drama entitled, Moth.
Ing doing but work and a weekly
deposit in the good old savings
Thus New York Is satisfied and
sanguine all around. A combina.
ton OF a. fight for light wines and
peers ana fight for bank deposits
ls even really quite beyond anv
imagining that New. York ever
previously had a perfectly happy
time. 1t has this happy time to.
DAY. It, is for Al with it's thirst
and TOR Cal with its thrift.
Full Of Happiness.
al and CAL" II New York could
only roll them into one, fits han
Piness, would pretty nearly kill It.
unfortunately these two personali.
ties are separate. There seems to
be no way Of persuading Al to look
ike hard.fisted, 3bolder.countInR.
road-dragging, mapIe-sirup measur.
ing Vermont farmer and there
seems likewise to be NO way OF per-
suading Cal to be convivially and
exuberantly for light wines and
beers. - -
New Yori's two ideals are in
separate personal compartments
ana IN separate party compart-
ments. It intends to have a won.
derful time clipping democratically
win AL and then Republicanly get.
ting married focal.
Meanwhile, 1t is literally true that
IN AL Smith, New York has pro-
duced q character unprecedented in
American political annals. Martin
van Buren. Chester A. Arthur and
theodore Roosevelt, previous Presi-
Dental personalities from New York,
were from New FORKS aristocracy.
they We're from New York's howl
ing swells AL Smith Is New York's
first bowling grOund-swell.
He L., IN fact, Just as much a
ground-sweu from the city as Will
liam Henry Harrison with his log
cabin or James r. Garfield with
his canal boat were ground.swells
from the country.
Racy Of Side Walks.
In American politics there have
been many presidential PERSONAL.
ties who were racy of the soil. Al
Smith IL our first presidential per.
Sonality who has been equally con-
vincingly racy Of the sidewalks.
He Is the city as automatically
as Brookhart Of lowe. is the prairie,
and as authenticity as Ralston of
Indiana is the village. Ralston, as
q candidate for the Democratic
Presidential nomination, is the very
epitome of the small town Of the
midmost center Of the United
States. AL. Smith is the very epi.
tome Of the equally localized and
equally distinctive and different up.
ward surge and motion Of the me.
tropolis.
It will be found, when the Demo.
cratic convention meets here in
New York, that the three thrilling
candidates are McAdoo, who repre-
sentS the new, economic western
prosressivisin; Ralston, who repre-
sents to middle central small town
and Smith, who represents the com
mon folks who happen to live in the
eastern metropolis, but who in
spite Of all their passion for light
wines and beers are Just as racily
and healthy and rohustly and up
,,TisingIy common folks as any com
mon folks from any Minnesota OF
Indiana village. 49,
| Accordingly. New York, It might
well be said, does well to be proud
\ OF Al Smith. It has shown the
Country that man from the city
may be Just as much from and OF
and with the people as a man from
the country side. ....,.., T.
New Yorlk's state OF mind il that
It. wants to testify for AL Smith
and then. in its Utmost financial
circles, which nevertheless are also
for al Smith, It wants to live with
Calvin Coolidge.
Copyright Wilmington Press Service. /,