Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-08-23
: .rnOr Al Smith Defines Position
Campaign in Acceptance Speech
Vi our children.
Party Responsibility

In the rugged honesty of Grover
Cleveland there originated one Of
our party's greatest principles: "Pub-
lie office is a public trust" That
principle now takes on new mean
ing. Political parties are the vehicle
for carrying out the popular will.
We place responsibility upon the
party The Republican party today
stands responsible for the widespread
dishonesty that has honeycombed its
administration.
During the last presidential cam
paign the Republic>l managers were
partially successful in leading the
American people to believe that these
sins should be charged against the
individual rather than against the
party. The question of personal
guilt has now been thoroughly dis
posed of and in it's place, challeng-
ing the wisdom and good judgment
Of the American people, is the un-
Questioned evidence of party guilt.
The Democratic ra-ty asks the
electorate to withdraw the conf
dence from the Republican party and
y
p.edged to continue those standards
u unblemished integrity which char
sc:erized every act of the admins
t,s.ion of Woodrow Wilson.
A Constructive Campaign
But I would not rest our claim for
the confidence of the American peo-
pie alone upon the misdeeds of the
opposite party. Ours must be d
constructive campaign.
False Prosperity and
Unemployment
The Republican party builds its
case upon a myth. We are told that
only under the benevolent admins
tration of that party can the coun-
try enjoy prosperity. When four
million men, desirous to work and
support their families, are unable to
secure employment there is very lit
tie in the picture of prosperity to
attract them and the millions de-
pendent upon them.
In the year 1926, the latest fl
cures available show that 1-20th of
l per cent of the 100000 corpora,
tions in this country earned 40 per
cent Of their profits; 40 percent of
me corr orations actually lost money;
IA of 1 percent of these corpora
ions earned two-thirds Of the profits
# all of them. Specific industries
are wholly rrostrate and there is
widespread business difficulty and
discontent among the individual busi-
ness men Il the country.
Prosperity to the extent that we
ave it is unduly concentrated and
as not equitably touched the lives Of
he farmer, the wage Garner and the
dividual business man. The claim
governmental economy is as base
,ss as the claims that general busi-
ess prosperity exists and that it
an exist only under Republican
administration.
allure To Consolidate By Reorgani-
zation Of The Federal Government
When the Republican party came
into power in 1921 it definitely pro-
missed reorganization of the mach
inery of government, and abolition
or consolidation of unnecessary and
overlapping agencies. A committee
was appolnted i. A representative Of
the President acted as Chairman. 1t
prepared a plan of reorganization.
The plan was filed in the archives
1t still remains there After seven
years of Republican control the struc-
ture of government is worse than it
was in 1921. 1t is fully as bad as
the system which existed in New
York State before we secured by con-
stitutional amendment the legisla-
tion which consolidated more than
one hundred offices, commissions and
boards into eighteen coordinated de-
partments, each responsible to the
Governor. In contrast with this, the
Republican party in control at Wash
ington when faced with the alterna-
tive of loss of patronage for the
faithful or more efficient and econo-
mical management of the government
permitted the old order to continue
for the benefit of the patronage
~aekers.
Increased Federal
ADDrODriationS