Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-22
Smiths Boom Will Not Down.

Tho Al Smith boom not only refuses
to down but grows in strength. No
candidate for a presidential nomina.
ton OF . major party ever faced
graver opposition. AS a wet and as q
Catholic Gov. Smith has been de.
nounced by Democrats in many States.
But his achievements. political and adj.
ministratiye, in New York, and his
gift Of winning men have kept him in
the forefront Of the Democratic race.
1t is astonishing that this should have
been so. In 1924 the opposition to the
nomination of William Gibbs McAdoo
rallied largely about Gov. Smith. 1t
was a question then, not of electing
Smith. but Of stopping McAdoo."
But today it Is question of electing
Smith.
Marion L. Fox. executive secretary
OF the McAdoo organization in 1924, in
the September issue Of the Atlantic
Monthly. gives Smith the best chance
for the Democratic nomination next
year. Furthermore. Mr.. Fox asserts
that the New York governor is the
only Democrat who has a chance of
election. The politicians. Mr.. Fox de.
clares, have sensed the latter condi-
ton, and are bent upon the nomina-
ton of Smith. He sees the failure Of
Smith to be nominated as a death no.
tice Of the Democratic party in the
North and East, where he says the
Catholics cast fifty per cent of the
Democratic votes. A rejection of
Smith by the Democratic convention,
he argues, will be attributed by the
Catholics to the fact he Is a member
Of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mr.. Fox attempts to analyze the
general election, predicting that he
can carry one hundred electoral votes
in the East, hold the solid South for
the Democrats and pick up the rest of
the votes needed to elect him in the
Middle West and West. Smiths sue.
cess in the East he predicates on
Smiths ability to carry New York
State in a presidential election. While
the New York governor is undeniably
strong in his own State, it is many a
year since the State went Democratic
in presidential election. New York
clings to the Republican party when
1t comes to the control OF Federal
Government. Whether Smith could
carry the State against Mr.. Hughes,
for example. or Mr.. Coolidge should
the latter finally be drafted for the
Republican nomination requires some
consideration.
Mr.. Fox Is even more optimistic in
his prediction that Gov. Smith could
carry States of the Middle West. He
lists Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin,
Kentucky. New Mexico. Arizona,
Nevada and Oklahoma as probable
Smith States. Several Of these States
have been consistently in the Repub-
lican column in national elections, in
Guiding Missouri. in recent years.
From the chairman Of the Demo
cratic State committee Of Missouri.
Samuel w. Fordyce, however, has
just come a prediction that after Sena-
tor Jim Reed the Missouri delegation
would favor Gov. Smith. This perhaps
has greater significance in connection
with the Democratic nomination than
| with the election. Mr.. Fordyce in CIV
| ing his support to Smith, should Reed
miss the nomination, declares that
Missouri is wet" He describes him
| self as a Scotch Presbyterian, but in.
! sists that Smiths Catholicism will not
prevent his supporting the New York
governor.
Gov. Smiths candidacy for the
Democratic nomination. IL it may be
| called such In view Of his constant
denial that he is a candidate for any
| office, may not succeed in the end. but
the feeling will not down among Demo
cratic politicians that they are forced
to take him in 1924. Some Of them
will take him hopefully, and others
with the hope that his defeat at the
polls will finally eliminate him as a
storm center in the party.
|