Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-25
Houston Harmony.

The Democratic donkey gives no evil
dence so far of kicking up his heels
and behaving like Texas steer al
the coming national convention in
Houston. Indeed, the Democratic dom
key has assumed for the moment an
attitude of patience and calm which
has been decidedly foreign to his ma
ture in the past.
But donkeys, Democratic and other
wise, are strange beasts. 1t is difficult
to foretell what a donkey will do under
a given set of circumstances. The
Democratic donkey may yet become
mulish, notwithstanding all the at
tempts Of party leaders to go along
at the convention in harmony. The
wet and dry issue gives most promise
Of trouble ahead.
This much can be said: The Demo-
cratic leaders who have assembled in
the convention city preparatory to the
opening of the big show on Tuesday
are bent on harmonious gathering.
Whether they viii be able to control
the delegates themselves. once the con-
vention has opened. remains to be seen.
The convention has all the markings
Of hot fight, with Al Smith of New
York, wet, Tammany and Catholic, on
the one side, and the dry, Protestant
and anti-Tammany candidates on the
other, with Senator Reed of Missouri,
a wet and a Protestant, occupying
somewhat middle ground. But the soft
pedal Is on None of the candidates
for the presidential nomination Is en-
gaging in personalities or saying any
thing that might hurt the feelings of
his opponents in the race. The same
is true of the managers of the candi-
dates. No one in authority has UNI
dertaken to bawl out Gov. Smith or
Tammany.
II the Democrats, meeting in Hous-
ton tomorrow, can wind up their pro-
gram with the adoption of platform
and the selection of presidential and
vice presidential candidates without a
ruction, it viii be a triumph of peace
IL viii be in sharp contrast to the
national convention of 1924, when at
Madison Square the Democrats staged
a sixteen-day fight and emerged there
from a mass of scars and sore spots.
The word has been passed around In
recent months that the party must not
have a row at this convention; that If
it does there will be little hope for the
national organization for many years
to come.
Tales have gone out from New York
of the great vote-getting strength of
Gov. Smith, and these tales have in
clined some OF the Democratic leaders
OF the South TO try out the governor,
on the chance that he might carry
the national ticket to victory in No.
vember. There are still other Southern
and Western leaders, however. who
have resigned themselves TO defeat
which they expect-provided they can
be rid of Gov. Smith as a presidential
candidate four years from now. For
diverse reasons, therefore, spirit OF
apparent harmony has been developed
in Houston among the leaders.
The candidates opposing Smith for
the presidential nomination, too, are
none too hopeful regarding the value
OF the nomination to any one OF them
If Smith Is turned down by the con-
vention. That lack of hope is not CAL
culated to bring them TO desperate, last
ditch methods TO prevent Smiths nom
nation.
There is always the possibility that
stick Of dynamite may be dropped
under the business end of the Demo
cratic donkey at this convention. II
might come in the shape of recon-
nendation from Gov. Smith for a plank
proposing the modification OF the dry
laws. That, indeed, would throw the
carefully built harmony machine com
| pletely out Of gear.
! Texan poets make a delicate but i'm
/ DOrtant distinction. Mockin9 birds are