The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-04
Governor of Empire State
Clearly Pictures His
Entire Creed.
LET THE PEOPLE RULE
Fewer and Better Laws, His
Plea; Deals Fully With
Liquor Question.
BY PERCY SCOTT,
United Press STAFF CORRESPONDENT

AAIIcu u. OmlGH, VINO rose
from New York 3 East Side to
the governorship Of the State,
enunciated his political faith
today in a message to the Leg
iSlature.
In a 40,000-word statement,
the man who may be the Demo-
cratic candidate for President
in November revealed for the
first time his entire creed of
government.
The message was directed at the
law makers of this State, but its
discussion of every important phase
OF Government made it clearly q
disclosure of Smiths views, to be
read by the voter in California as
well as the citizen of New York
The basic theme of his doctrine
was: Make the people the Gov
ernment."
He expressed it this way: ''The
Old World concept of Government
was that the people existed for the
government. The underlying theory
Of American democracy is that the
Government exists for the people
and the Government which is clos
est to them and most responsive to
the demands upon it, economically
and efficiently managed, is the best
form of Government"
Commission Would Sentence
His message included among other
things, a revolutionary proposal to
take the power of sentencing GRIM
inalS from judges and placing 1t in
The hands Of an examining commits
sion.
He advocated fewer laws, suggest
ed restrictions on the use OF tenn
porary injunctions in labor disputes;
referred to "the sacred duty" of
maintaining the Eighteenth Amend
ment and the Volstead Act; and
called for equality of the sexes, ex-
cept where laws are necessary to
protect women from oppression:
Further he urged a minimum
wage law and "one days rest in
seven" and advocated the direct
primary in place of the party con-
vention system.
After referring to New York'S
futile effort to be allowed to make
its own definition by law Of what
constitutes an intoxicant, Smith said
such power is focused in the ma
tional legislature at Washington.
Voices His Beliefs
Governor Smith, his message
showed, believes among other things
in the following:
Government ownership Of power
resources; municipal ownership Of
public utilities; more pay for teach
ers; State aid (not a subsidy, and
cooperative marketing for farm re-
lief; abolition of grade crossings;
State development Of aviation; an
all American waterway connecting
the Great Lakes with the Atlantic
ocean; the initiative and especial
ly the referendum; extensive labor
laws; rigid protection of women and
children in industry; extensive
health and welfare work by the
State and aid to mothers; no CEN
sorship Of movies: publication of
campaign expenditures before elec-
ton, not after.
Smith devoted a large portion of
his message to labor and made some
Of his most emphatic announce
mentS therein.
Pleads for Labor
"In the field of industrial relations
generally" he asserted, "I renew
my recommendations for enactment
into law the declaration that the
labor Of a human being shall not
be treated as a commodity or article
of commerce and that legislation be
enacted that would prohibit the
granting Of a temporary Injunction
in industrial disputes without pre-
liminary hearing to ascertain the
facts.
"The use Of the big stick in the
f1eM of industrial relations is a
thing Of the past. The employment
of mediation and Cancellation is pro-
ductive Of better results.
With regard to women'S rights,
he said:
II renew my recommendation that
we remove from the statute books
of the State all laws that unjustly
discriminate against women.
"The new places occupied by wom-
en- in business as well as in public
life makes this necessary. I am,
however, entirely unwilling that
such enactment interfere in the
slightest degree with the policy OF
the State. set up by statute for
the protection Of the health and well
being Of women in the home and in
industry"
His proposal for dealing with
criminals was:
Because of my belief that JUS
tice sometimes miscarries because