Evening star., 1928-10-02
TEXT OF GOV. SMITHS SPEECH
l., BEFORE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

To the Editor of The sYag =, :ae
ROCHESTER, N" Y. October g
The speech delivered By Gov. Gmi:h {
the Democratic State Feca1yesftfptl her
last night as reported by sten-graphsr
follows:
Fellow Citizens: ~ ~ f,-.
There is something wrong. san1ettin
wrong. There has been a crossing Q
the wires or a missing of signals. Wiaa
the Congressman introduced the chief
tain the band played The Chocolet
Soldier" daughter itte band the
played, as the Congressman said a
some early hour this morning We cam
across the border into the State nf NcF
York after our Western te,lr. Take 1
from me, never 1'ad such time il
my life. Uaughter)
Enjoyed Western T-i,.
I enjoyed every minute Of i. I toll
personal pleasure and personal deiigl1
in looking into the ccuntepsnceS of s.
many fellow American oitizsns a,r
whether they were on the far North
western plains or in the central par
of the West they just look like cur ows
neighbors here in New York.
I report a little bit short on sleep
on the Western prairies and they were
knocking ca. tlle, window SIS, earlY, IA:
half, past 6 and 7 o'clock With the IA,
nliliar shout, Come out here, AL, ane
give us lock at you" daughter AMI
applause)
am all even on meals. daughter.
I brought back an elegant black ant
white Harlequin Gfaat Dane. He is
down aboard the train waiting for me,
Los. Two Derbies..
I lost two brown derbies. daughter }
Outside of that there are no casualties
to{report. =
Here we are tonight in the Demo-
cratic State convention. the supreme
bokly of the party in the State Of New
York, assembled for the ncnination OF
the State ticket At midnight cn tbs
31St of December leave the en-
ploy of the state after period pune
tured here and there by intervals OF
only a few years at time. going back
over a quarter of century.
In one of my speeches in the West
spoke about party responsibility and
made my mind up that when 4 came
before the State convention as duty
TO- the party and to the State, there
would be no subject so fitting for me to
address,. it on tonight as the subject of
party responsibility. (Applause)
! Holding Parties Responsible.
Now unless we are going to hold the
parties accountable. unless we are going
to, fix responsibility on them, We might
as, well stop going through this idle and
senseless and useless performance of
meeting in convention and making
wHtten promises in the form of plat
form pledges. We might as well wipe
ou$ the party lines, get away from regu-
laGon of political parties by the State
itself, and make it a free for all and
let everybody run for governor
The party who gets the greatest num-
Der of vots will be elected.
IF we are going to have the party
g&tsm of government, if we are going
tolllave organized political parties legu-
lated by the State itself by statute, we
ark compelled, if that system Is to be
successful. to hold the party TO strict
accountability; and party nsibilitg'
ought 70 be- the Keynote when VIE look
back over the record
The Republican party in convention
assembled about three or four days age
adopted platform that Is, as mean
ingless as anything lever saw in my
life. daughter and applause.)
Personally, after looking at it, could
get more comfort from q Chinese
laundry ticket. %Laughter.)
Reminds Of Fish Market. 2
It took me backAover some 35 years
All you .have got a do is pick it up
and you would imagine that you were
in the Fulton Market in the dead of
Winter, picking Up fish. daughter
and applause.S
My purpose here tonight is to COM
pare that platform with tle3[ecord and
give the "details of the Repustican rec
ord. ] win be able to demonstrate, If
not in the time given me tonight, surely
before this. campaign is over, that not a
single Constructive achievement that
took place in the government of this
State in5the last six years had Repub-
lican support until they were beaten
down toi the earth. (Applause)
Let us take No. ], the reorganization
Of the government. A great constructive
reform that is being copied throughout
the comhlonwealths of the country. In
their platform this year they take the
credit for it. Gaughter) !
Cites Opposition.
In thep,atform of two years ago they
took thel credit for it. And history in-
dicateS chat from 1920 up to the time
that it was finally submitted. they op-
posed il hot only in the Legislature, but
they opposed it as a party at the polls
In 1871 it could have been accom-
plished, four years earlier than the peo-
pie got the bensft of It, And what hap
pened? The new chairman of the Re-
publican Estate committee, the Speaker
Of the Assembly, after it had passed the
Senate, threw it into the wastebaSkct.
He won't deny that, he can't deny it.
1t is history. =
If you want confirmation of the state
ment that it was opposed by the Re-
publican party as party. look at the
returns Id the various coLnties of the
State. Look at Livingston Coungy, the
home of the United Stctes Senator lead
Ing the Republican fc:~cs, and you will
fad thatSthe salutary provision for tie
reorganization Of the government was
defeated IN that year by over 5000 p.u-
rality. (Applause.)
How qnick they would BE- ready to
apply this test o. my sincerity II one cf
those amendmerss had been beaten on
Oliver street. RAugnter)
After the ameNament was adopted it
was necessary to appoint committee 10
bring thes statute N& Of the State, the
department. law ofs{he State, into con-
fornity vsith the constitution. You all
Enow wl,crn the Republicans desired for
chairman; Of that COMMITTEES.
yCi.i.ns on Hushs.:: - -:
They suggested Nj. lracEo,d. this
man that tortured it to death, the man
that strangled it. ar the ons VIM
selected eX-Cov. Hug.l"s. +-CApoiahrsc0 D
] am taking the Crea43 f1r thct b2cc;c ;;,.G5cc ;,G5c
it belong8 to me (AppiauSc)"
Now, let Us pass alcnJ to another
constructsve reform. Less electAon tiaG
nine amendments to thc constitution,
were. offered to tha peop,c Cf the STATE
of New York. With Discriminating In
telligence. they acccpted eight Of them
and rejected Gre. Tiev reJect5d In.
four-years term becsug, toy d'GcNvc~ed
that the sRepubliecu na"ty'@1s trvi''c