Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-07-05
Smith and Robinson
Will Lead Democrats
New York Governor Receives s49
Votes on First Ballot, While Rob-
inson Gets All But 81; Harmony
Marked Closing Session of Con-
vention

NAhoA @AiAI GU A)iilCii VI 4NCW VI n
and Senator Joseph T. Robinson of
Arkansas.
The party standard was placed in
their hands by the Democratic ma
tional convention which adjourned
Houston Friday. Governor Smith
was nominated Thursday night, a
solitary ballot sweeping him far be-
yond the two-thirds majority needed
to nominate.
Friday the convention was called
together to complete its work by Sc
lecting it's candidate for the vice
presidency. Leaders among the
Smith supporters had been in confer
ence during the early morning and
although Senator Robinson, the con-
vention chairman, had been the ia
vorite for second place on the ticket,
others were also under consideration.
Senator Robinson was nominated on
the first ballot, receiving 1,03212 of
the LOO votes.
Harmony Prevails
In contrast to the bitter animosi-
ties that surrounded Smiths unscuc-
cessful bid for the presidential nomi-
nation four years ago in Madison
Square Garden, impressive gestures
of harmony and Cancellation preced-
ed and followed his selection Thurs
day night as the leader of his party.
Just before the ballot was taken a
party platform, contrary to the usu-
al case, was adopted without fight
in open convention. After the
nomination had become a fact, his
most active rival for the honor, Sem
ator James A. Reed of Missouri,
went to the convention hall and told
the delegates that no one would be
more loyal than he to the newly
chosen nominee.
The prohibition issue, which had
been intertwined with the Smith and
anti-Smith tug OF war from the be-
ginning, disappeared from the con-
vention picture almost as if by magic
just before the nomination was
made. After many hours of debate
in committee and subcommittee,
plank was found that satisfied the
most prominent of Smith and anti
Smith leaders alike. Composed Of
but two sentences, it declares the
Republicans have not enforced the
prohibition law, and pledges the
Democratic nominee to make an
honest effort for enforcement of
that and all other statutes.
A long program of nominating
and seconding speeches preceded
consideration Of the platform on the
convention floor, and even after the
platform was approved and the
nomination made to the tune of
long and loud demonstration, the
convention stayed on until well
after midnight hearing exhortations
to battle. Besides Senator Reed,
John w. Davis, the party nominee
four years ago, was brought to the
convention platform. He told the
cheering delegates that the call of
the party in 1928 was harmony un-
der the leadership of Smith.
In the final tabulation of the vote
by which the New Yorker was
chosen, only five states appear as
having failed to give the leader at
least part of their support, and one
of them was Reeds own state of
Missouri, which was blocked by con-
vention rules when it sought to turn
the bandwagon movement to Smith
into a nomination by acclamation.
The others were Florida, Georgia,
South Carolina and Texas-repre-
senting the remnants of what the
anti-Smith leaders had once hoped
to build into an irresistible bone-dry
and anti-Smith phalanx against the
nomination of the New York COVER
nor.
The final totals of the official
ballot, revised to show switches to
Smith after his domination became
inevitable, tells impressively the
margin of victory:
Smith, $40 2-3; Senator George
of Georgia, So 1-2; Senator Reed of
Missouri, So; Representative Hull of
Tennessee, SO Sc; Jesse Jones of
Texa, 43; Chief Justice Watts of
South Carolina, 1S; Senator Harri-
son of Mississippi, 8 1-2; Evans
Woolen of Indiana, z; Governor
Donahey Of Ohio,5; Former Senator
Pomerene of Ohio, 3; Former Sena-
tor Hitchcock of Nebraska, 2; House
ton Thompson of Colorado, 2; Cover
nor Bilbo, Mississippi, 1; not voting,
21-2.
1t really was Ohio that consum-
mated the nomination. When the
first call of the roll had been COM
pleted Smiths total stood at 725 %,
or nine short Of the number needed
to nominate. But having paid their
tribute to their respective favorite
sons, half dozen states were ready
to change their votes and get aboard
the bandwagon. For several min
utes presidential nomination hung
in the air, while delegation chair