Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Gov. Smiths determination to devote
his time In Virginia, North Carolina
and Tennessee to conferences with
Democratic leaders rather than to
speechmaking had a reason The rea-
son is the New Workers. desire to ac-
quaint himself at first hand with con-
ditions in Dixie as he finds them and
not as they are reported to be. One
of Smiths specialties In politics Is
facing the music. He has little pa
thence with "boloney," /. e., either the
sweet words which Sycophants pour
into a presidential candidates ears or
the gloom which dismal Jimmies peddle.
The governor has rare capacity for
sizing up situations on the spot. Smith
left New York in the confidence that
by the time he has flashed across the
South he'll have a better idea of how
things look for him there than whole
cycle of indirect information could pro-
vide. The mere fact that Smith Is the
first Democratic presidential nominee
who has ever had to function as polit-
ical re-extinguishing apparatus in the
Solid South" tells its own story The
Democrats know that Dixie is afiame
with revolt.
\
Admitting unreservedly that their
house is afire, Southern Democratic
leaders are impresSively confident that
they can save it before any real dam
age has been done. In other words
they believe that the ia electoral votes
which Cleveland. Bryan. Parker. Will
son. Cox and Davis got will be won by
AL Smith. as we'll. The only difference
and an important one--is that In
1000 noN1narAfir giafnru iY1 ha
must be fought for, instead of taken
for granted Authorities like Pat Har-
rison. Carter Glass and Claude Swan
son. who have jointly and Severally as
sumed responsibility for keeping the
South solid" see salvation In the
hitherto untapped reservoir of Demo-
cratic votes in every Dixie common
wealth. To get out that vote next
month Is the Democrats paramount
and vitality essential duty. If they
contrive to do 1t. not even North Caro-.
I lima, it Is contended, will break away
The Tarheel country Is the most dan
gerous territory, with Virginia and
Florida probably the next most vul-
nerable.
Rum and Rome-Rome rather than
rum-are the overwhelmingly foremost
issues everywhere below Mason and
Dixon's line. AS matter of fact, they're
the chief issues In countless regions far
remote from the land of cotton. But In
the South they are ''ueber allies" The
anti-Catholic element there is almost
exclusively made up OF men and women
who never voted anything but Demo-
cratic tickets in their lives. 1t is In that
otr 81 kof 40 IN GV1rith
Not every anti Romanist" Democrat Is
going to vote for Hoover. Probably
there will be more stay-at-home Demo
Gratis in the South on November s than
"Hoovercrat s"-Senstor Glass pet name
for boilers. No stone will be left un-
turned during the next three weeks ia
remind Dixie of Tammany Halls friend
ship for the South after the Civil War
And, of course an antf-Hoover argu-
ment which will be worked 100 per
cent, and already has been, Is the dis
| tribution of limited number of COL
ored employees among white men and
women in one of the bureaus OF the De-
partment of Commerce.
y **
| Not very widespread notice was taken
of the yelled reference to the South's
eternal race problem in Hoover's Ten
nessee speech on October 6. Eagle eyes
at Washington and elsewhere caught It,
and ear witnesses record that it evoked
| the expected applause at Elizabcthton
II believe in the merit system Of the
civil service" Hoover said and be-
! lieve, further. that appointive Offices
must be filled by those who deserve the
confidence and respect of the COM
munities they serve" Translated into
|
sage would read like this: Il do not be-
| lieve in appointing colored men as post
masters, internal revenue collectors
United States msrshals or prohibition
agents anywhere in the South" The
| coorcd Issue, like so many others in
tnis incRlculahle camnaign. II cutting
both ways, A dining-car servitor ni