Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-23

were advisable. The Secretary of Com
merces name was placed before the
convention at the earliest possible mo-
ment. in order that the delegates might
demonstrate" in his honor with the
minimum of delay. II there is to be,
according to present plans, no such
precipitancy at Houston, as far as
Smith Is concerned. New York Is to
walt for its name to be called In alpha
betical order and not seek an earlier
chance to launch Smith by getting on
one of the Abe States to yield" in
the Empire States favor.
If this procedure Is adhered to, many
of the favorite sons will be cantering In
the pre-balloting paddock ahead of
Smith. Georgia can trot out Senator
George; Indiana can bring forth Evans
Woollen; Nebraska can present Gilbert
N. Hitchcock; Kansas can introduce
representative Ayres, and Missouri will
have opportunity to offer the noblest
Roman OF all the anti-Smith brigade,
Senator James A. Reed. Practically
only one candidate. Representative Hull
OF Tennessee. but Tennessee, If 1t wishes,
could crowd In ahead Of New York by a
yielding arrangement with another
State
AS AIS strategists now figure 1t,
Franklin d. Roosevelt will bring up the
rear when he places Gov Smiths name
in nomination. The scheme apparently
Is to achieve a climax brought about
naturally and with signal regard for
the rights and susceptibilities of rival
candidates.
Ii the differences over prohibition
and agriculture reach the stages of
fights either In the resolutions commit
tee or on the convention floor 1t is the
Smith program to maintain the utmost
possible neutrality. The New Workers.
people would oppose any attempt to
commit the Democratic party to out
right and specific Endorsement of the
Volstead act, but nothing of this sort is
In sight. Smith will stand, he thinks
logically on an unqualified law enforce
ment platform, and this is a practical
ly certain Houston development What
ever "amplification" or Qualification
Smiths liquor views require beyond that
VIII be made by him personally-first
in his speech of acceptance and later in
his campaign addresses to the country
Agriculture is easy meat at Houston
The Democrats will not give the Nc
Nary Haugenites all they want. but
the farm politicians will get consider
ably more than they obtained at Kan
sas City. They will especially get a
ringing platform rebuke of Republican
farm policy that should go far toward
soothing the sore heads left behind by
the Hoover-Jardine- controlled conven-
ton in Missouri. George N. Peek OF
Moline, Ill, arch-priest of the equal
ization-fee temple and uncompronlis-
ing foe of Herbert Hoover. is on the
Houston scene. He does not expect the
Democrats to indorse the "unsound
economics" of farm relief repulsed by
the Republicans in convention as
sembled. but he has assurances that
some real bread. instead of stone. will
be offered distressed agriculture by the
Democrats
The latter will not 60 the full limit
in appeasing the farmers, at least not
on McNary-H augen lines-but the
Smith ticket will make an unmistak-
able and attractive bid for their sup
port. The necessity of super Liberal
atty with the rural West is fully
recognized by the Smith general STAFF
conscious as 1t is of the wet-religious
and Tammany handicaps under which
the New York Governor enters the lists
in the Mississippi Valley