Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-09
SIMMONS IS REPORTED READY
TO TAKE STUMP AGAINST SMITH
Senator Continues to Be Big
Surprise in North Caro-
lima Politics.
Opposition to Nominee Up
sets Predictions of
Party Leaders.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
RALEIGH, N c.. September g.
Senator F. NJ. Simmons at the age Of
"A continues to be the big surprise
element of the political campaign il
this State and politicians of both parties
have now abandoned efforts to appraise
his activities to date and are wondering
if he has anything else in store.
The latest surprise has been the
report that the Senator will take the
stump against Smith. If this happens
it will be the first time that Senator
Simmons has done any active cam
paigning in a number of years, but will
only be one of a series of actions which
have surprised the State generally and
bewildered his erstwhile close associates
Perhaps all of this surprise, and the
extent of it can scarcely be exaggerated
has been due to the fact that the State
generally and politicians particularly
were positive in the correctness of their
conclusions concerning the head of the
so-called Simmons machine. which has
functioned for 80 years without a seri-
Gus setback. It had never occurred to
any one that Senator Simmons would
continue to lead where his machine
refused to follow or that the Simmons
MOulu CNCl NC VII ally ObIlS1
path than that of strict party regu-
larity.
Forms New Alliances.
The first surprise, a mild one, came
early in the year when Senator SIM
percentage CT his henchmen in his
fight against the nomination of Gov.
Smith, formed new alliances and with
the aid Of new supporters. carried his
fight, as far as this State was con-
cerned, to a successful conclusion.
But during that fight the universal
assumption was that the moment Smith
was nominated, Senator Simmons would
fall in line, IN just the way that other
Southern Senators have done
Therefore, it was a somewhat bigger
surprise when weeks passed after tbs
nomination and no statement of Sena-
tor Simmons support was Forthcoming
But the first really big surprise. one in
the nature of shock, came when
Senator Simmons relinquished his
membership on the Democratic national
committee, position which he had
keenly desired in 1924 and for the re-
tention of which very active efforts had
been made in his behalf in 1928.
Even then, however. the assumption
was lIldG OeIlaJOr summons OdQ gone
as far as he would go; that he did not
wish to participate actively in the Smith
campaign, but that he would vote the
straight ticket from top to bottom as
he had always done and had always
urged others to do.
Ready to Resign.
When the announcement was made
that Senator Simmons would vote for
neither Smith nor Hoover, it seemed
that anything that might follow would
necessarily b. in the nature of an anti
climax, But 1t has not worked out Just
that way.
The meeting of the State committee
two weeks ago was preceded by sugges-
tons from several small newspapers
that Senator Simmons ought to resign
and a runor was that the meeting
would bring forth similar expressions.
Senator Simmons let it be known that
if the committee wanted his resigna-
ton. it could have it, accompanied by
an announcement of his candidacy to
succeed himself. The net result of that
was a record for brevity at the COM
mittee session and omission of any men,