The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-01
Protest Intervention in China Central Opera House-e
GOV. SMITH USING TRANSIT PROBE TO-
ADVANCE HIS POLITICAL FORTUNES

Continued from Page Ono)
more efficient administration. The
previous Transit Commission had
represented the old line Of which
Jimmie Walker and his circle are the
descendants. Al. Smith, the present
transit commissioners and the former
police commissioner, Mclaughlin, are
of the new Tammany Hall lineage.
Gilchrist Is A Pal of Smith.
John f. Gilchrist, the chairman Of
the commission, is an old Tammany
standby but primarily the personal
friend Of AL. Smith. That he is the
right-hand man in the governors
move for larger slice Of graft than
can be obtained in New York State,
becomes evident to anyone who notes
carefully the details of the hearings
now being conducted at 270 Madison
avenue. He is a friend of Thomas l..
Chadbourne, millionaire lawyer for
the B. NJ T. and one Of its con-
trolling powers.
Let Gilchrist explain if he will, the
basis of this friendship between him
self, the paid servant of the people.
and this Mussolini of the traction
game. an individual so contemptuous
of the public as to insult common in
telligence with his obvious perjury in
testifying that he had no knowledge
of an understanding" to purchase I.
r. T. stock by his own group.
Codiev Tammanv Man
The second member Of the COM
mission is Leon G. Cooley. Cooley is
a Tammany faker from Brooklyn and
another Of Smiths personal friends.
He was appointed by the governor
over the numerous other recon-
mendations of Big Boss McCooey.
who had made the fatal mistake in
1926 of backing Hylan. Cooley, in
his earlier years, was associated with
McAneny and a firm of traction law
yers. He and Gilchrist make a hand
some pair to back up the desperate
efforts now being put forth by the
Catholics, the Knights of Columbus,
the Militia Of Christ, ETC., in their
attempt to place a Catholic in the
White House.
The desperate effort being made by
the Catholics to revive their waning
influence through the prestige Of run
ming a presidential candidate goes a
long way to explain AL. Smiths tenn
porary "break" with the traction ring.
Wall Street, with it's hand on the ma
tional economic pulse, is in a position
to gauge accurately the approach of
the coming depression.
Is Smith Doomed?
Frightened at the many signs, the
financial interests have given the
order at the last moment for the re-
election Of a republican. Smith is
being forced, however, to take up the
challenge to his ambitions by move
ment far larger than himself. I'm
less he had behind him large and
organized backing, Smith would not
dare to come out with even such a
camouflaged opposition to the trac-
ton interests as is now being dis
played by the hearings. The question
still to be cleared up is; Who is be-
hind AL. Smiths open challenge TO
the traction ring?
The third member of the commits
sion is Charles C. Lockwood,
staunch republican. The appointment
Of a republican would seem to belly
the statement that this is entirely
Smith commission. Quite the CON
trary is the fact. At the time the
present Transit Commission was APP
pointed in April, 1926, it was stated
that Lockwood had not even been con-
suited as to whether he would accept!
In. With Untermyer.
Lockwood's fame dates back to the
building trades Investigations of 1921.
The attorney conducting the prosecu-