New Britain herald., 1928-06-25
Smith NOW SEEMS
almost CERTAIN
On Day Before Convention, Back.
ers Claim All But 80 Votes

M ualm All But W votes
Houston, June Is R,-Winding
up almost in silence one OF the
ouietsst pre-convention campaigns
Of . generation. the supporters OF
Governor Smith stood today in the
preeminent position OF having all
but captured in advance the demo-
cratic national convention which
opens tomorrow, and the presiden-
tial nomination which goes with it.
On Threshold OF Victory
As arriving delegates swelled by
hundreds the waiting phalanX be-
hind the New Yorker. it became
apparent even to his still defiant
enemies that he was on the very
threshold OF definite victory. The
boldest estimate OF the minority
strength against him left him with
in less than so votes of the nomi-
nation. No other man so situated
ever has failed of a quick and de-
cisive triumph.
So satisfied were his followers
that many OF them We're talking
more of a running mate for Smith
than Of first place on the ticket. OF
the score OF names brought into the
fast whtrling pre-convsntion gossip.
that OF Evans Wooden. Indiana's
favorite son, found at once place
Of special eminence. Senator Robin
son Of Arkansas was among the
others ardently supported by some
sections of the Smith bloc of dele
gates. but the net conclusion of all
the talk was that the time for
definite measurement OF vice presi-
Dental statures had not yet come.
Prohibition Issue Up
In the final hours before conven-
tion day. prohibition became more
than ever the center of such dis
agreements as remained for the big
party conclave and its committees
to iron out. While a bandless bal
lyhooless. almost voiceless Smith
headquarters received arriving dele
cations with modulated words Of
welcome, there was much tumult
elsewhere. and prohibition was its
dominating note.
Senator Reed of Missouri started
the excitement by firing off state
ment declaring the 18th amendment
must stand until a better method
il found for dealing with the situa-
ton. Called a wet many times by
prohibition leaders, the Missourian's
utterance was embraced Immediate
" by these leaders. and it appeared
likely that he might have attracted
to his slender column of delegate
strength some anti-Smith delegates
who otherwise would have voted
for others.
Just how this was to affect the
final balance. or at what point it
was intended to cut into the Smith
majority. was not apparent. But the
Reed statement greatly encouraged
the drys. and set them to work all
over again. under the leadership OF
Daniel c. Roper Of North Carolina
in an attempt to organize a bloc
sufncient to veto his nomination and
write into the platform the kind of
nltra-dry plank they want.
Smith Offices Silent
Smith headquarters said nothing,
Some OF the lesser Smith Iieuten-
ants. however. passed the word
around that even while Reed waa
preparing his statement and Roper
was gathering his band of drys.
there had been bandwagon Access
SONS to Smith In such numbers
that Z hrst ballot nomination could
be accomplished almost without n
struggle. II II were desired. One
persistent report was that Indiana
would be released by Wooden al
most at the beginning of the BAL
ioung. and would cast most of its
strength for Smith.
The presidential balloting will not
be reached before THURSDAY or
possibly Friday The daen.eved
anu-smith contingent, centerinr
largely In the south, insists that
within this space OF time, all things
are possible In politics. To which
the smithites reply that once =
presidential bandwagon starts on
US way nothing short of a political
earthquake can stop it.
Program Not Complete
Inc convention program ia M,
vet complete. but leaders are CON.
s1derins a plan that would confne
the daylight sessions within the
offefest possible limits. and leave
the real work OF the convention "a
DC done at night. II Is possible that
~nen the 100 delegates come to-
sethef At noon tomorrow. they will
separate again within a few min
utes. after having disposed of nee
e~ary preliminaries only. Tha.
plan would postpone the kevnote
speech until a Tuesday evening Sos
sion ana later on would leave othe,
interesting convention features. in.
Guiding perhaps the nomination u