The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-23
AL Smith BLOCKED Walsh
AS COMPROMISE CANDIDATE
IN 1924 CAMP AIGN, Says NYE
Supported John w. Davis,
of House of Morgan
Says Letter.
SENDS REPLY TO REBUKE
Accuses New York Governor
of Giving Aid, Comfort
to SCoundreIS.
R,N United press

WASHINGTON, March 23.-
Supporters of Al Smith blocked the
nomination of Senator Walsh of
Montana and supported John w.
Davis of the house Of Morgan in
the 1924 convention, Chairman Nye
of the Senate Teapot Dome Com
mittee charged today in a letter to
Smith.
Nye said he based his charge on
an analyis of the vote in con-
vention.
In his first copy of his letter
issued, Nye directly charged Smith
with responsibility for rejection of
Walsh as a compromise candidate.
In a correction half an hour later
Nye amended his charge to lay re-
Sponsibility upon supporters OF
Smith"
Walsh and Smith are now can
didates for the Democratic presi-
dental nomination.
Aid to ScOundrelS
Nye made the charge in reply to
Smiths recent letter accusing Nye
of "demagogic SANDER" because of
Nyes statement in the Senate that
Smith had appointed Harry Sinclair,
indicted oil man to the New York
State racing commission after Sin
clair had been liberal contributor"
to the New York Democratic COM
mittee.
Nye said Smith declined to accept
Walsh as a compromise candidate
at the Madison Square convention
in 9124.
Nye also charged Smith with
giving laid and comfort to every
scoundrel whose infamy has been
exposed, by seeking to undermine
public confidence in the fairness and
impartiality of the committee in the
midst of it's investigation"
At another point Nye asked Smith
might it be that your reticence to
speak out against these scandals
sooner is attributable to the fact
that Harry F. Sinclair was a men,
ber of your official family and had,
as newspapers now report, con-
tributed in 1913 when you we're
successful candidate for Governor,
to the Democratic committee in New
York.
Nye said at the start of his 1900
word letter to Smith that he had
not charged Smith with being con-
nected with the oil scandal. On the
contrary, Nye said, he had informed
the Senate the committee would
not call Smith, because it did not
consider this material to its in
quiry.
Trace Bonds to G. o. P.
"You gratuitously charge me with
being a party to plot to enable the
Republican party to escape in some
measure the penalty for the dis
graceful record Of the party in con-
nection with these scandals" said
Nye.
I'm other words, you impeach me
as the chairman of the committee
in charge of the investigation as be-
ing engaged in an effort to protect
culprits whose exposure by the COM
mittee would injure the Republican
party. There is just a bit of humor
in your charge.
Surely you cannot be ignorant of
the fact that upon my own initiative
and responsibility and without the
suggestion of any other member of
the committee, Republican or Demo-
crat, I appointed an investigator, on
the basis of information privately
furnished to me, who traced bonds
of the Continental Trading Com
pany owned by Harry F. Sinclair di-
rectly to the Golfers of the Repub-
lican national committee through
the banks of New York City.
"You cannot be ignorant of the
fact that following my public an
nouncement of this fact on Feb. II,
recalled Will Hays, chairman Of the
Republican national committee to
the witness stand for further exami-
nation.
No Fear of Humiliation"
"You cannot be ignorant of the
fact that the resolution under which
the committee is now acting was
drafted and introduced by Senator
Norris, not a Democrat but Re-
publican, and the leader of the
nrOpreSSiVe prOl1n with which have