Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-29
LIFE IN EAST SIDE
HELD DIM FUTURE
Made Most of Surroundings
and Determined to ADJ
vance Himself.


again would he play such parts.
Father Kean did not give him an
answer that night, but sent for him the
next day He was kept waiting a while
IN the priests study and then with a
characteristic gesture Father Kean
LOOK on his glasses, put his hand in a
Iatherly way on the young mans
shoulder and said
Alfred. We have 200 orphan girls
next door 1t is getting harder every
year 10 feed and clothe and care for
mem; Inc proceeds of these plays go
for their support"
Ihat was all AL replied in four
words III keep the part"
Enjoys Conversation.
Al Smith remembers Father Kea,,
aside from his reverence for him on
religious grounds, as one of the nest
friends ne ever had-a tireless. self
sacrificing, devoted spirit.
Smith loves to talk. Persons vino
used to know him at Albany and be-
fore he went there describe him with
a host Of relatives and friends in a
restaurant. or with group of fra
'boys" chatting indefinitely at son,s
well known resort frequented by pei
iticians. On such occasions Smith VS.
the life of the party He took the lead
IN the conversation in a way that il
not easily transferred to the printed
page.
He is full of hveliness, bubbIing fun
that kind of good nature that is iovec,
by Americans, especially Irish Amer
cans-Which depends upon high shirts
and good will and which loses most of
It's effect when it is written. He can
zen a story in an inimitable manner.
with mimicry that is captivating. but
IL the same story is repeated BY sore
one else it loses its flavor.
Smith kept a Scrapbook. He nasfed
cnppingS and programs of entertain
ments in which he took part in Wells
Fargo Express order book. One of
these newspaper clippings reads: al
Ireo Emanuel Smith. the orator of the
Seymour Club OF the second Assembly
district. was hard worker in the last
Two campaigns. He is ambitious IN
become member of the Legislature
and is looking for the nomination in his
district. Henry Campbell, president
OF the club. and owner of 25 tenement
houses IN the seventh ward. was back
ing MS friend and fellow bieyclist for
the pace. Other friends were helping.
Goes TO Assembly.
1t was in 1903. when William Travers
Jerome was district attorney IF Neu,
FORK and the famous COMMITTEES ~
nIteen was trying to clean IN the MOI
son spots OF the city. that Smith first
went 70 the Assembly at Albany. He
was a real greenhorn. So dazed was
ne az tne end Of his first term that
ne toio Tom Foley he wanted In
gut because ne didn't know what it
was all ABOUT. Foley told him IN stici-
and master it. He did lust that
When he had gone to AIbanv the
dlTSt time. Foley had admonished him.
+, never make a promise unless Won car
keep =, and always tell the truth "
9Hlitn mad been following that advice
from the wise old district leader and
ne continued to follow it when he re
turned to the Assembly for mis- next
term. He began to learn the rllles NJ
procedure and TO study especially the
revenues and expenditures Of the state
government. He made friends fast
aIlong democrats and Republicans. The
sp-9taVe Republicans from the cross
much as the city men did that Vas
the beginning of the "Al Smith legend ;,
when mas meant SO many votes for the
East Side boy '-
Democratic Floor Leader.
One of his friends was James "
maoSWorth, Ir.. blue-blooded aristocrst
at.a VIC oroa0 GeneSee Valley, who
ator. When Wadsworth became Spestsr
ne promptly appointed Smith On tha
insurance committee OF the House. That
MAS ~ 1906 when Charles Evans Huches
MAS MAS juggling into the insurance business
very member or the committee was
marked man. From that time ~, Sy,;.t
Thought and slept government In ioij
ms party won the Assembly and Charles
murphy, Tammany leader n,ads
ohilth the Democratic floor leader All
siaiIinan or the ways and means con-
naS'es; IN 1918 he became Speaker
aa.u tiieTs was little criticism OF his
conouct OF that Office. When tbs r.
puohcanS came into power in 1oft
floor leader. W ~ H'''io''1S
another big opportunity came To hjr,
When the Legislature decided i'm IaI5
that New York needed a new const,f,,-
eton ana called convention for that
summer. Delegate Smith went ~ that
convention and soon GemonStrateS fbst
ne nc was one OF its most able uler,bsrs
DuLing us deliberations Elihn Root con-
&C. nss' ,H, chairman and one of the great
Ia iesMi Iniilos ana statesmen New YORK
S ssns eNsL produced, publicly praised
S s,sn lor MS grasp of the technjral-
tues or State government. Trily tbs
EAST Size boy was arriving.
Receives High Tributes.
:, After the convention was over that
n sssa.louS new York lawyer, Delaney
.' Sal0 that Smith was sthe ONLY
~ 1i"n AZ uls convention who knew what
ne was talking about Charles x,,.SS,s
Hughes, afterward a Justice III the g.
pfeme Court of the United States ea,,-
aiuate Tor President. and SecrefavN, ~
otSte. Sal0' Elihu Root planted tie
crop ana Smith watered It," Root him.
seIl Salu that AL Smith understood the
business OF the State better than ay,-
Body else. He also referred ~ him ss
the member OF this convention, Who's
attractive personality has irnpreSSe5 a..
sen upon every member" C;eorve W
Wie&erSham. famous lawyer and one
time Attorney General said that Snltc
was the most useful man in the con
teotlon, All THIS was pretty gooa Cor
an SSSt SIDE BOY who had graduated
INTO pohtlcS from the r, r, M-Fslltrp
Z ISL N@fket~-~aS ne himself expressed It.
Human Touches in Speeches.
Al Smith has direct, human WAY
OF making speech. He never rtyss
an impression that he Is coming down
70 his audience: he doesn't have 10 do
that, Yet he can talk "un" ~ Az
audience Of educated. polished me, ana
women about something with which ne
Is familiar. lie has y habit too. Of
making himself familiar With a sub
lect before he speaks about it. If ne
doesn't know about it hEnSelf~-aS ne
often does not goes To somebody
Who does and finds cut.
Ills speech ia favor Of the minimum
vase Tor women. which was finally
oeaten ia the constitutional conyeutiOll
II characteristic Of his STYLE.
one Of the arguments against the
minimum wage. he said, That can b
0lNAknAteM into thin ain hN a AA-AAa ~