New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-08-21
Calls ''Cowardly" Excuse
Offered by Republican
COmmittee-Sh0Ws G. O.
P. Assembly Voted Same
Way He Did on Alleged
Offensive Legislation.

Albany. n. Y, Aug, 2l.-Gov-
ernor Alfred L. Smith today seemed
we'll pleased with the reception
throughout the country OF his
statement earlier in the day regard
ing the charges made and retracted
by William Allen White, Kansas ed
itor. before the latter sailed for
Europe. and then reborn through
the agency of Henry J. Allen. d.
rector of Republican publicity.
The Smith statement goes into the
charges in detail, includes the back
ground of the bills on liquor regula-
ton, gambling and prostitution re-
ferred to in the original W hI-
charges, and charges the Repub-
lican national committee with hav-
ing pursued 'cowardly" course in
attempting to eNade responsibility
by the childish claim that it (pub-
lcation} had been given out by
accident.
Most Republicans in the Repub-
lican legislatures which sat when
the bills complained of were under
consideration vote the same way
Smith did, the statement says, and
the late Rev. Canon John p. Peters,
chairman of the Committee OF
Fourteen, leading anti-vice society,"
repeatedly thanked the present
governor for his cooperation. it is
stated
The governors statement is as
follows:
For some reason best known TO
himself, Mr.. William Allen White OF
Kansas in an interview made SIAN
derous statements about me cnd
nv legislative record, After those
statements had received nation
wide publicity, and on July 3lst Mr.
White said:
"sss The Governor IN casting
those votes against those reform
bills might honestly have felt that
the bills were unconstitutional, or
were not enforceable, or lnfrlnged
upon personal liberty. or encour-
aged police blackmall.
But Governor Smith ceNa'niy Is
entitled to fair treatment. l always
have tried to fight fair. l have
never consciously questioned any
mans motives and SO this morning
before the morning papers have
come and before L know what, If
any reply Governor Smith has made
to my statement Of yesterday, ! de-
sire to withdraw the charges tor
mally In so far as they affect his
votes on gambling and prostitution.
but not his position as TO the saloon,
80 the ten or a. dozen votes on
gambling and prostitution come out
OF the record. l hope now Ameri-
can newspapers, and particularly
Republican newspapers, will give
the same consideration to this state
ment that they gave my statement
yesterday
At the beginning Of this state
ment, l said the reason for the at
tack was known only to Mr.. White.
However, the appearance of the
Republican National Committee in
the controversy indicates that 1t was
a political attack probably inspired
by that Committee, because the Re-
publican National Committee this
week issued an official release to
the newspapers in which Mr.. White
retracts his retractlon. Here We
have an unmistakable evidence of
the Republican National Committee
openly associating itself with this
personal attack. Lacking the cour-
age to stand by its own completely
In the attack, the Republican Drec-
tor OF Publicity the next day states
that he withdraws his issuance of
Mr.. Whites withdrawal Of his with
drawal.
/ am glad to have this matter
taken out of the whispering stage
and put into the open: once and for
oil l shall meet it now. I regard it
~ purely political. and when the
campaign begins, I do not propose
to have the issues of that cam
paign befogged by controversy over
irrelevant things, such as the dis
cussion OF my votes as a legislator
some twenty or more years ago.
My record as an opponent OF I'M
morality is fixed and secure. Pub
licly and by many letters in my pos
session, the late Reverend Canon
John P. Peters, when Chairman of
the Committee of Fourteen. the
leading anti-vice society Of New
York, repeatedly thanked me for
my cooperation with tina, organiza-
ton. No one in all of the twenty
five years of my public life has ever
dared to make the vile suggestions
which emanated from Mr.. White,
with the approval of Henry J. AL
len. Publicity Director of the Re-
publican National Committee. What
a coHardly course the Republican
National Committee pursued 1t is
sued a slanlerous statement
through its official publicity bureau
and then. after its general pub
LEGATION in the press. attempted to
evade responsibility by the childish
claim that it had been given out by
accident. That is not fair play.
] am confident in the belief that
the people of the State of New
York approved OF my legislative
record; otherwise, they would not
have elected me TO the highest Of
flee within their Eift-the Cover
norship Of New York for four
terms.
l cannot. however let 20 unchal-
lnnged the political attempt 10 tear
down my character and reputation
by seeking to align me on the side
OF opposition 10 the regulation of
the liquor traffic and in favor Of
gambling and prostitution.
Ny critics seem to take the posi-