Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
OLD LEADERS OUT
Of HOUSTON Scene
Smith Alone Remains of 19
Voted On at Madison
Square Garden.
BY the Associated Press.

HOUSTON, Tex, June 23.-Seeking
new leadership after eight years Of tur-
moil and two overwhelming defeats,
the Democrats are mastering in this
Democratic city of the solid South, far
from the beaten track of national poll
tics. to sign and seal a party bid for a
return to power in 1928.
As the delegates came together in in
creasing numbers today and tonight to
talk it over before Tuesdays opening
convention session, the name OF Smith
Of New York was more than ever the
magic word about which revolyed every
conference on candidates, and prohibit
ton was the issue that overshadowed
all discussions Of party platform.
Even the oponents of the New York
Governor conceded tfiat heading ma
iority of the convention Is pledged TO
him for the presidency. His friends
said with q great appearance OF quiet
confidence that they could give him the
two-thirds needed to nominate on any
ballot they chose, and that they ex-
pected to feave 1t over with early In the
voting. The group Of candidates against
him. with Reed Of Missouri standing
defiantly In their midst. refused to ac-
cept this estimate. insisted that they
still might stop the New Yorker, and,
almost forgetting their own rivalrieS,
made an industrious attempt TO organ
ize a bloc of delegates large enough TO
exercise veto.
Anti-Smithites Split.
Much of the talk about prohibition
also reyoiyed around the candidacy
OF Smith, but the division OF opinion
on this issue found some OF the anti
Smith delegates in one camp, and
some in another. As the debate stood
tonight, the fighting point was pro-
posal to some of the drys to put into
the platform a plank indorsing, not
law enforcement merely. but the sound
ness and desirability of the prohibition
statutes themselves. This. neither the
Smith leaders, nor some Of the leaders
against Smith, including Reed, can
accept, apparently the sponsors OF the
movement have little hope that they
can command majority, but they are
threatening 10 fight all along the way.
There is every indication that the
Smith managers are quite Wnnng 10
accent a plank specifically declaring
for Federal enforcement OF prohibition,
now that it is q law, and win make no
serious attempt to incluoe IN the piat-
form any expression OF Gov. Smitns
recently repeated opinion that the law
should be modified.
Thus far, in all OF these discussions,
both sides have expressed an underlying
hope for q harmonious convention and
a horror of any approach to the dis
astrous three weeks that was written
into party history at the last conven-
ton In Madison Square Garden. so
universal seems the desire I'd avoid an
open breach that some leaders even
hope to settle all disagreementS behind
the doors of committee and confer
ence rooms, and everybody expects that
the convention will be over by Friday
night
Unusual Convention.
In many respects this meeting of the
Democratic hosts will be unlike any
that has gone before. The convention
is the party's first In the solid South
since IL emerged from the Civil War.
It meets In a State and section where
opposition TO the leading candidate has
been militant and persistent.
Texas probably Will lead the platform
fight for a dry plank directly at odds
with the opinions OF the New York
Governor, Most of the other States
Of the South are sending delegations
who oppose Smith for various reasons
some on account OF his prohibition
views, some because OF his Tammany
connections. and some. Ike the Helm
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