Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1928-01-19
GOVERNOR SMITH
OUTLINES VIEWS
New York Executive Tells Democrat
ic Leaders that Party Must Ad-
here to the Principles of Jeffer-
son and Jackson

governor aired +. Smiths letter
read at the Jackson Day dinner in
Washington last Thursday night:
1T is a matter of deep regret that
the pressure of official businessi
makes it impossible for me to leave
the state. | should like to join with
my fellow Democrats throughout the
country in celebrating the birthday
of Andrew Jackson. | take it that
when group of Democratic leaders
from various parts of the country
come together, something must nat
urally be said of interest to the coun-
try and to the party.
"The Democratic party deserves
success in the nation, but, in my
opinion, cannot attain it by relying
wholly upon the mistakes of its po-
litical adversaries. 1t should in
spire confidence by a constructive,
forward looking platform w t hi
promises of material .betterment for
the nation. There should be no
western, no eastern, no northern, no
southern Democracy. Jeffersonian
Democracy is built upon proposals
sufficiently broad and liberal to en-
list all men who believe in the prin-
ciples of representative government
We must think nationally, not local
ly.
'If | may be pardoned for a def
ture to say that the declaration of
party principles might we'll be ten
tatively drafted at the earliest pos
sible moment. | believe we have
erred in the past by waiting for the
national convention to undertake the
entire task of preparing q platform.
In the heat and rush of conven-
tion, the platform, when finally writ
ten is, to my way of thinking, not
sufficiently understandable to the
masses of the people. There is too
great tendency to speak of the
evils that beset US and to fail to sug-
gest any specific remedy. Party
platforms of recent years have been
too general in their terms and i'm
portant questions have been neglect
ed by platform builders in the spirit
of compromise with the great prin-
ciples. We cannot carry water on
both shoulders. The Democratic
party must talk out to the American
people in no uncertain terms.
"The national committee could
render a great service to the party
and to the country as well by the
formulation far in advance of the
national convention, of a definite
party policy on lines from which
there can come during the course of
the conventions deliberations a plat
form upon which our cand dates may
present their cause to the country.
at is my deep conviction that our
platform should be built by applying
the fundamental principles of Jeffer-
sonian democracy unflnchingly to
each specific problem of the day. !
"The greatest degree of local self
government by the states, the mini
mum of Interference by the federal
government or any state with local
habits and concerns fany other
state, legislation for the interest of
all, and not for any class or group,
non-interference with the internal
affairs of other nations, tolerance of
conflicting opin.on-these are our
articles of faith.
when we follow these, we suc-l
ceed We should follow them now.
I'VE should study and treat in the
:ight O. these principles our foreign
relations, prohibition, agriculture,
reform of tho governmental machin-
cry, economic policy, conservation
and development of our public nat
ural resources and in fact any other
question which arises. We will
solve these specific robleMs rightly
only if we fearlessly meet them in
full reliance upon these traditions of
our party. l for one, am for thus
meeting them without equivocation.
"The success of the Democratic
party IN the state of New York lies
in the fact that it has had clear
cut, definite platform, and from
Long Island to Lake Erie the Demo-
cratic party stood as one man until
the people of the state achieved the
full benefit of the promises made at
each of our Democratic state con-
ventions.
"Indecisive declarations of politi-
cal faith, get the party nowhere. We
have had sufficient experience along
that line in the past and as a lesson
from that experience, | offer these
suggestions herein contained to the
leaders and to the rank and file of
the party as in the interest of the
country and of the party of Jeffer-
son and of jackson.