Evening star., 1928-11-14
Smiths Final Plea
Asks Party Unity in Defeat, Renews Faith in
Principles and Asks Non.Partisan
Support of Victorious Rival.

/ ~ the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, November 1.-THE text
of Gov. Alfred E. Smiths radio address
last night, as reported by Associated
Press stenographers, follows:
Now that the dust and smoke Of bat
tie have cleared away, I am grateful foT
the privilege extended to me by the
Democratic national committee OF
speaking to millions of my fellow citi-
zens and of presenting to them some
reflections of the campaign just ended
Party Survives Defeats.
The Democratic party is the Oldest
political organization in the United
States. So we'll defined are the doc
trineS and the principles upon which 1t
| is founded that 1t has survived defeat
after defeat. In the 65 years that have
passed since the Civil War, only two
Presidents were elected on the Demo-
cratic ticket. No political organization
otherwise founded would have been able
during all these years to maintain an
appeal to the people that brought to the
polls on election day fourteen and a
half millions of voters, subscribing once
more to its platform and renewing their
pledges to the principles which 1t has
upheld throughout its long history.
The verdict of the American people
last Tuesday was not q crushing defeat
of the Democratic party that some OF
the headlines In the public press would
have us believe. On the contrary, let US
see what the facts are. Take the popu-
lar votes - @
= A change of 10 per cent Of the total
number of votes cast would have
changed the popular result. Considering
1t from the viewpoint Of our electoral
college system. change Of less than
500, 900 votes spread around the country
would have altered the result.
Two Parties Necessary.
We have, therefore, the assurance
from the election returns that the DEM
ocratic party is 1--we, vigorous and a
forceful one. Existence of such party
is necessary under our system of gov
ernment. The people rule negatively
as we'll as aff1rmatively, and vigorous
and intelligent minority is necessary
check upon the tyranny OF the majority.
Experience has always shown, even IN
our small political subdivisions, that
when the minority party Is weak and
hopeless, grave abuses creep into the
structure Of government and the ad-
ministration of its affairs.
when the majority party believes
that 1t has everything its own way 1t
loses It's fear Of repri5ais at the polls
for Acknowledgement or misconduct Of
the Government. A political party is
organized to help the country and not
merely to achieve victory. 1t survives
not On the basis of the reward IL Sc
cures for its followers, but on the
strength and the Soundness Of the
principles for which it stands. A po-
litical party can only Justify its ex-
istence Insofar as it operates for the
purpose Of promoting the. welfare, the
well being and the best. interests of
the people.
Democrats TO Garry On.
The principles for which the Demo-
cratic party stands are as great in de-
feat as they would have been in victory,
and it Is our duty to carry on and vim
dicate the principles for which we
fought. The Democratic party today is
the great liberal party Of the Nation.
It leads the progressive thought in all
the countries. It holds out the only
hope of return of the fundamental prin-
ciples on which this country was built
and as a result of which 1t has grown
and thrived.
TO the young men and women Of the
country the Democratic party, with its
fine traditions and its breadth of vision,
offers the only inspiration. The Demo-
cratic party would not be In a position
four years from now to solicit the con-
fidence and the support ofsthe Ameri-
can people II during that period it neg
Iected 10 build up a constructive pro-
gram and relied entirely upon the fall
ure of the opposition party. That can
not ba done by the minority party. per-
rnftEng itself to become a party OF de-
struction' and opposition for political
purposes only. We have seen too much
of that In this country and In many OF