Evening star., 1928-06-20

GALVESTON, Tex. June 20.--Gos-
siping and guessing by the Gulf at
Galveston are the pastime and occu-
patton of conventionites who survived
Kansas City and are now condemned
to endure Houston II is for the most
part the convention press gallery that
has hied itself gulfwards for re-
cuperation from the Republican show
and for storage Of energy To meet the
trials OF the Democratic circus Gal
weston Is the terminal of an Inter
urban" so miles away from Houston.
1t hopes for regular stream of COM
muters once the convention gets going
Certainly It's Gulf breezes are worth
the journey. and, II the Democrats
prolong their meeting into a 1923
edition OF Madison Square Garden, Gal
weston may literally become a life
preserver.
We spent just long enough in Hous-
ton en- route from beautiful but broil-
ing Dallas, to realize that the eonven-
ton scity is likely to generate a brand
of weather terrible to contemplate.
With Kansas City's GOODNESS In fra
grant. memory, We face Houston in
fear, trembling and humidity.
~
Galveston is a combination of st. Au-
gustine and Atlantic City. II is filled
with the waving palms and gorgeous
oleanders of the ancient Florida port.
and its sea front Is almost exactly like
the Jersey resorts shore line, minus the
Boardwalk. Like Atlantic City. Gal
weston Is an island Unlike the gay
bailiwick represented In Washington by
Senator Edge and Ike" Bacharach.
Galveston presents the aspect of sea-
side establishment that has seen better
days Perhaps the place was at its ne
NTH In those more thrilling times when
Jean Lafitte. pirate king. sailed the
Spanish main and made the semi-tropi-
cal pearl of the Gulf of Mexico his oc-
caSional headquarters. The city re-
ioices In its legendary past. One of its
hotels is the Jean Lafitte, Another is
about TO be built and christened the
Buccaneer. and second in contempla-
tion will be called the Pirate. Though
Galveston remains cotton port OF vast
importance. 1t long since was outranked
in metropolitan splendor by the Texas
wonder cities of Dallas. Houston and
Fort Worth. Those communities of
skyscrapers, parks. gorgeous residential
sections and civic ggresSiveness--the
products of cotton. timber and oil
open the eyes and excite the enthusi-
asm OF sophisticated newcomers from
the North and East. They are modern
America at It's newest and finest
y 4 4
r. b. Creager, Republican commit
teeman from Texas, once said that
| II AL Smith Is the Democratic nomi-
nee for President the Lone Star State
will be doubtful In November. No
one has yet been encountered south
OF Denison who agrees with Creager,
| On the contrary. persons are plentiful
who will wager 10 to | that Texas
will go Democratic in 1928 by any
| thing from $50. 1000 up. Cox carried
| 1t by 5000 IL 1920 and Davis took
il by $4,000 In 1924, Few deny that
the wet. religious and Tammany factors
| between them would cut heavily into
| the Democratic vote II Smith heads
| the ticket, but the possibility that
| Hoover will take Texas into the
Ia. O, p. column seems 10 nc one OF
| the things John j. Ingalls, called
"iridescent dreams.
| When Herbert Hoover returned from
| the Mississippi flood district last sum
mer aurel-crowned, sycophantic ad'
| mirers purred into his ears that II
| The q. o, r. put him up for President
| In 1923 even States like Arkansas
Louisiana and mississippi would bt
| battle grounds, TO Hoover's credit
and as evidence OF mis- newly acquired
political sense, be II said that he never
permitted himself to he deluded bS
such moonshine. He knows, like every
body else In the South knows, thai
with the Democratic gentlemen ol
| Dixie it's not so murh case of loving
| Al Smith less as of loving the plumt
of Democratic administration more
| II the governor l00aS 10 be the most
likely distributor OF post Offices Judge
ships prohibition enforcement APP
pointments and other patronage fruit
during the next four years. deserving
Democrats aereabonts may be relied
upon 10 swallow their pre1udices and
c0mpoft themselves accordingly oI
| election day,
"
J II II comes 10 a tug of-waf Ia thf
Houston convention with an unbreak !