Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-19
DEMOCRATIC HOPES
PINNED To WORK Of
SMITH IN CAMP A|GN
New York Governor Consid-
cred Davis Biggest Asset
in Winning East
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

! right. 1874
| WASHINGTON. Aug. 10. - Al
| though number Of Democratic lead
! ers believe the greatest opportunity
| for John w. Davis lies in fitty-flfty
split of the Republican vote of the
I west between La Toilette and Cool
| idge not a few cEieftians are insist
! ing that Governor Al Smith is De
mocracy's real Moses and that upon
! his decision the whole course of the
Democratic campaign in the east
will turn.
AL Smith, it would seem, has it in
his power to be the innocent means
of iniurlng the Davis candidacy or
helping it. just now the most inter
esting discussions are going on
which indicate conclus;vely that
JOHN w. Davis himself is deeply
concerned over the trend of Cover
nor Smiths mind.
To understand the situation, with
it's many sides it must be remember
ed that the close friends of Al Smith
have not given up hope of ultimately
landing i'm in the White House.
While the governor himself will rem
der loyal support, he can not control
he thinks, might vote for rim and
cut Davis on the mistaken assump-
ton that in this way they could
demonstrate the truth of tfeir pre-
convention boast that All Smith could
carry New York even in a presi-
Dental year The governor has said
to close friends that if he ran for
reelection he might not be helping
Davis to poll the normal Democratic
vote. He argued that possibly he
would do more good by stumping
other states like New Jersey, Con-
necticut. Massachusetts and Rhode
Island where he is admittedly popu-
lar, and would draw enormous crowds
whereas If he ran for governor Of
New York all his time would have
TO be devoted to speech-making in
the Empire state itself.
Smiths Own Ambitions
This viewpoint has been misrepre-
sented as it has percolated through
Democratic channels into a story
that the real purpose Of the COVER
nor's advisors in dissuading him
from running is a selfish one and
that they really want him to spend
his time on the stump not in the
east but in the west in preparation
for the 1928 campaign. This the
DRY is predicated on the motion thar
Al Smith needs to establish contacts
IN the west, that Davis will not bs
victorious anyhow and that to hei1
Davis carry the east by running for
governor of New York and carving
Davis along might by chance bring
Davis into the White House. in
which case he would be the loeica!
candidate to succeed himself in 1928
and there would be no chance for
Al Smith to win presidential honors.
This correspondent came back
from Clarksburg, w. Va, on the
same train with several Tammany
leaders and discussed the guberna.
torial situation with them. They
gave the sincere impression that
While anxious indeed for the triumpa
OF John Davis because he has on
| more than one occasion shown a dis.
tnct frIendliness to organization.
! men in politics, their chief concern
after all is the local Democratic
ticket. They-meaning Tammany-
want to win. No vote getter like
Al Smith has appeared in a genera
ton in New York politics. So while
they know of AL Smiths disinclina-
! ton to run again, they feel he
| would insure the victory of the state
and local tickets and they prefer
| him to make the race. If it helps
the national ticket we'll and good:
If it doesn't, at least the local can
! didate will have been swept into
power.
Although nobody has the right to
speak for John Davis authoritative.
~. except himself, some of the Dem.
ocrats who have discussed the New
York situation with him are conf.
dent he wants AL Smith to run for
| governor again.
No statement to that effect will
come from Mr.. Davis because if
Smith is going to run he will do so
not as an adjunct to the national
ticket with a half-heartened interest
in his own race, but in response 10
the demand of the people of New
York for another administration of
their affairs at Albany. The last time
he ran he did not disclose his inteu.
ton too early in the race.
May Not Go West
Should Al Smith fail to become
the Democratic nominee for gover-
nor of New York. it may be serious
ly doubted whether his stump speak
ing will be in the west. Al Smith is
known as a wet" and the Demo
cratic managers would be taking a
big chance to send any pronounce1
"wets" to the dry west to tell the
people of the arid belt how to vote.
In the east, however, where to be
wet in politics is considered no
great hardship, but, on the contrary.
in the larger cities is a great asset,
the New York governor would he
helping Davis by giving him en-
thusiastic support. Nor would there
be any question of sincerity involved
because Al Smith had the delegations
from the big eastern states at last
months convention and could have
them again if he runs in 1928.
The strength of William Gibbs
McAdOo was in the west. According
to letters received here from Eu-
rope, Mr.. McAdoo plans to make
speeches for John Davis in the west,
endeavoring to hold the radical Dem
ocrats to Davis and Bryan standard
With Smith pulling hard in the east
and McAdoo in the west. the Demo
Gratis hope to reep their lines steady
e~elAilcI NiiC Asti utiOIOS lIlNdSLOt ~
that the Wisconsin independent may
gather most of his votes from the
Republican party.
For the OUT of the election
depends almost entirely. N how
many Republican votes La Fc"atte
can take ~--7r- from whs. might
under other circumstances have
been expected TO have been solid
Re- hlican vote for Coolidge. II n
takes 30 per cent everywhere and
tro Democrats hold their own. the
pluralities of 1912 might be repeated.
But will La Toilette get so per cent
of the Republican vote? The Re
publican managers insist he will not,