Milford chronicle., 1928-08-10
THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES
ISSUED BY THE ASHEVILLE CONFERENCE

IAN opportunity of performing some
constructive service by helping re-
lieve the country of the damnable
affliction of prohibition.
Such a clear-cut, definite repudi-
alton of the action taken at Houston
and such vicious assault upon pro-
hibitiOn as a "damnable affliction"
demand like clear-cut, definite re-
pudiation by all dry Democrats of
the wet Tammany nominee of the
Houston Convention, Governor AL
fred E. Smith. And we fatty and
unequivocably refuse to accept or to
follow such faithless, immoral lead
ership; and we affirm that we are
standing for the highest moral in
terests of the Democratic Party in
thus rejecting the insolent dictator
ship which has thus been ruthlessly
assumed by Governor Smith and by
his quondam Union League Club Re-
publican Chairman, John Jacob Ras-
kOb.
The statement notices that the
outstanding leaders of the Smith
forces at Houston were Olvany of
New York, Hague of Jersey City and
Brennan of Chicago, "all leaders of
city organizations whose openly rec
ognized reason for existence is not
to support or to advance great par
ty principles, but to plumber and pill
lage in variety of ways the people
of the cities in which these men are
publicly acclaimed as bosses. With
this element of the Democratic Par
ty Southern Democracy has nothing
in common
at was this element, - read Bishop
Cannon, (which fought Tilden,
which tried to compass the defeat of
Grover Cleveland, which knitted Will
liam Jennings Bryan, by the repudi-
alton of which Bryan secured the |
nomination of Wilson; which, al
though electing a wet Tammany
leader, Alfred E. Smith, as governor
of New York four times, utterly fail |
ed to deliver its vote either to Will
son, Cox or Davis. Its usual rela-
tionship to the Democratic party has |
been that of traitor. The nominal
ton of Gov. Smith was in defiance of |
the known wishes of the Democracy
of the South, "the votes of which are
essential for a Democrat
ic victory. Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, AL
ALBANIA, Tennessee, Texas and Miss
issippi openely opposed the nomina-
ton of Governor Smith. The dele
gates from Louisiana were appoint
ed by a process of handpicking, and
the delegates from Kentucky and
Arkansas were organized and voted
with reference to the Vice-Presiden-
-ial ambitions of favorite sons. Gov
ernor Smith was nominated by those
sections of the country which rarely,
f ever, are found in the Democratic
and it will be impossible
or him to be elected President of
he United States without the cleo
oral votes of those Southern States
which were openly opposed to his
for the Presidency"
And in conclusion, the advice is
given to vote for Hoover as the
most direct and effective way, in
Iced the only way in which to insure
he defeat of this wet Tammany
candidate. Herbert Hoover, in the
words of DR.. E. Y. Mullins, Presi-
lent of the Southern Baptist Theo-
ogical Seminary and a lifelong
Democrat, "is the world citizen, the
-reat humanitarian, the great or
anizer, the man of world vision.
he man with expert knowledge of
ood control on the Mississippi, the
IAN nominated by the people, not
y the politicians, and the man
hose personal habits, conscientious
onvictions and political creed on
roh1b1tion are in harmony with his
latform and on the right side"
In conclusion, we would empha-
ze once again the imperative duty
all Anti-Smith Democrats of vot-
lg for our dry Democratic Senator
i, Congressional and State nomi-
ees in order that our Southern
emocracy may come out of this
ampaign freed from the faint of the
ct Tammany defilement, but with
control of the State governments
I'D with its Congressional represen-
ton unimpaired."