Evening star., 1926-12-16
SMITH INAUGURAL
OVERTURE TO 1928
Tammany Plans to Make Al
bany Event Big Send-0ff
for Presidential Boom.
By ROBERT t. SMALL.

NEW YORK, December 16.--Tam.
many Hall is getting ready to make
the fourth Inauguration of Alfred E.
Smith as Governor OF New York State
the occasion for a demonstration
which will mark the beginning of the
drive to send the chief executive of
the Empire State to the White House.
Tammany will not give up this drive
until the last horn blows at the Dem
ocratic convention of 1928.
The inauguration takes place on
New Year day at Albany, and already
word has been sent forth for the
gathering of the cohorts. Friends
and political admirers of the governor
from all sections of the country have
'ent word they will be on hand, and
hotel space at Albany is said to be ex-
hausted. Special trains are to be run
rom New York City, and, heading
le big inaugural parade, which Gov.
NTH will review, will be the full
orce or New York's police band
omething like $50 pieces.
Leaders to Perfect Plans.
Tammany's leaders expect to hold
various councils of war before, during
ana after the inaugural ceremonies
Al the state capitol. Gov. Smith Is
expected to deliver an i'm ugural ad.
1ress which will be a general decla.
ration OF his principles. He will deal
win state problems, too. for, how.
ever much his friends want him TO
come Squarely out in the open as a
candidate for the Democratic nolni.
ndtion, the governor insists upon re.
naming steadfastly in his role as
chleI executive of the State. He feels
lnat II he has any claims upon the
WIaer consideration of the people it is
strlctiy upon his record of achieve.
ments as governor and he will sticx
10 ms knitting to the end.
Gov. Smith has stated that person.
any ne will not raise a hand to get
the nomination. He will not make a.
speaking tour Of the Nation. or any
part or 1t, for the purposes of polit-
,cdI ADDRESS. The nomination will
nave 10 seek him. He will not seel,
IL. lie does not intend attending the
HatioIlal convention either as q dele
gate or a visitor. He does not care
Where the convention is held. If
nominated at all he would rather he
nominated in some Western city than
here in New York.
Foresees Big Fight.
The governor seems to be aware
that a. big fight will be made unon
MN by the same forces which were
active in 1924. He does not want to
invite the warfare, anew. but at the
same time he does not intend to run
away from it. In the heat of the
1924 battle Gov. Smith offered to
withdraw from the race If William
Gibbs McAdoo would follow the same
course. The McAdoo managers would
not listen to the proposition. Wheth-
er the governor wifi listen to such a
proposition in 1923 remains to be
seen. The chances are he will not,
lie would like the issue settled this
next time, once for all.
Friends of Gov. Smith are entirely
pleased with his purely receptive
mood. They will go out and do battle
for him and they feel his position will
be strengthened by his apparent in
difference.
There unquestionably has been an
of some OF the oId.time
bitterness against the governor in the
South and West, but delegates from
that section will have to be won over
on the floor OF the convention, IL they
can be won at all. They will have no
instructions to vote for Gov Smith.
The very best the Smith forces can
hope for is large proportion of un-
instructed delegates. Then the fight
will be in the open.
Change i'm Situation Possible.
Events Of the next 18 months may
materially change the aspects Of
things in the Democratic party, but
at the moment there is a very gen.
eral sentiment in the South and West
In favor Of uninstructed delegates
The ''drys" of the party may merely
be delaying their drive for instructed
delegates for Mr.. McAdoo or some
other true blue advocate of prohibi-
ton. The elements of the party ar
rayed openly against Gov. Smith in
sist their opposition is based solely
on his wetness and aot because he
is a Catholic. The governors friends
do not believe this is true. They say
the chief opposition TO him is religious
and that is why they want the issue
squarely raised and met in the next
convention.
Meantime the inaugural party at
Albany is to be a grand "Smith-for-
President" jamboree. 1t will be an
interesting political event.
(Copyright. 1926)
Matrimony depletes the ranks of
nOpular London manneniliDs So ra N.