Evening star., 1927-04-26

| continued from II ISJ FIBSi
| by appearing less wet than he has in
| the past.
They believe that the governor can
eliminate the prohibition issue from
| his candidacy for the nomina ton and
election as they believe he has elimi-
mated the religious issue. When Gov
| Smith was asked if he could support
the Constitution and laws of the
| United States without interference
from the Catholic Church, of which
he is a member, he replied without
qualification that he could.
Prohibition Is Different.
ANY question dealing with prohibit
zion, however. may be different
thing. His record has shown him
opposed to prohibition. He supported
the referendum in New York last
year. calling for a repeal of the pres
ent VoIstead law and permission for
the individual States to decide for
themselves what is an Intoxicating
beverage in the meaning of the
eighteenth amendment to the Con-
stitution.
Gov. Smith could not and would not
saw that he favored national prohibi-
ton. The most he could say was that
he favored enforcement of the law,
1t has been suggested that he might
propose amendment OF the Nolstead
act so as to permit 2.75 per cent al
coholic content of beverages, instead
Of the present provision that no beV-
erage shall contain more than one"
half of one per cent. Such suEgeS-
ton would be far different from the
New York referendum proposal and
I h IN
ers.
Presents Real Issue.
The Smith men realize that pro-
hibition presents a, real issue in the
pre-conyention campaign for the Dem
ocratic nomination. They fear 1t
much more than they do the religious
issue, so called. Many OF them would
like to soft pedal it, But others fear
that any pussyfooting on the part Of
the governor will injure him in the
Northern and Eastern States. And,
after all, if Gov Smith be nominated,
the general election viii be won or
lost in those States in all probability.
Few States. If any, in the Middle
West or West, viii give an electoral
vote for Smith. The South, on the
other hand, If Smith be nominated,
will cast it's electoral votes for the
Democratic candidate.
Possibly later on Gov. Smith may
make a statement about prohibition
and his stand thereon, if he be press
ed to do So Today he has no such
| intention. There are two reasons. IT
he should issue a statement now
about prohibition, the second issue
raised against him for the presiden-
| tial nomination, he and his friends
| could scarcely continue to say that he
| is not an active candidate for the
| nomination. The second reason, ad-
vanced by one of his lieutenants, is
psychological, and takes into consid-
Grafton his recent apparent success in
| dealing with the religious issue.
Regarded as Bad Policy.
"If you should build beautiful
| temple, towering and impressive,
would it be good sense to attempt to
| build another similar temple just
across the street," he asked.
In other words, it is not good policy
to attempt to repeat too quickly a
course of action which has once won
approval.
When it comes to politics. Gov.
Smith is wise himself In his long
public career he has made few polit-
icaM mistakes. If he needed an object
lesson he would not have tc look
further than the White House. Presi-
dent; Coolidge, with many Republicans
clamoring for his denomination and
reelection, is saying nothing. Gov
Smith. when he speaks, makes him
self understood but 1t is on the cards
that for Aome time to come the gov
ernor wNI let others do the talking.
His hooniA is so far advanced today,
more than a year ahead of the con-
vention. that there is danger there
may be a reaction before the days
come for the actual drive.
Word brought to New York by
Southern newspaper publishers ana
politicians ia fp the effect that the
electoral votes Qf the "solid South, :"
cast traditfonaIly' for the Democratic
national ticket. wiz be cast for Gov.
Smith next year III he be nominated.
This despite his membership in the
Catholic Church or his opposition TO
prohibition. A prom uent newspaper
publisher from Alaba.4 MA told me To-
day that his State would vote Ter
Smith in the general election, although
the delegation to the nat Dnal conNen-
ton would oppose the noVnlnatlon OF
Smith.
"The vote for President,, il Coy.
Smith be nominated. would be CUT
from the normal vote posSAbly by
many thousands" he said. sMany
Democrats would not vote for the, New
York governor But they wouh not
vote the Republican ticket. The re-
suit would be the same as if same
other Democrat were the nominee; IKE
electoral votes of Alabama would Ae
Democratic. There is no indication
now Of a third party"
Similar views were expressed by
Mississippians. Indeed, there is
growing group of Southerners who
believe that Gov. Smith is the party's
best bet for 1928.
No Appeal for West.
From the West, however, comes the
word that Smith makes no appeal to
the people across the Mississippi
River The great agricultural States
of that section would not support him,
but would go Republican, it was said.
whether President Coolidge or another
be the Republican nominee. There
are three reasons given for this: First,
that the people in that section are
dry; second, they do not look with
fayor on Democrat from New York
City, and third, they are opposed to
Catholic for President.
Gov. Smiths supporters in New
York City are back-pedaIfng on the
suggestion that Tammany establish
branches Of that society in States out
side of New York. They are not un-
familiar with the thought of the rest
of the country about Tammany. One
of the sachems of the wigwam in.
sisted that the movement for expand
ing Tammany, recently started, would
go no further.
There is no gaiDsayfng the fact that
some of the New England Republicans
look with disquiet upon the possible
nomination of Gov. Smith for Presi-
dent They fear particularly what
may be the result in Connecticut, even
| u