The Bismarck tribune., 1928-09-21
SMITH FORCED
T0DRAG FAITH
into CAMPAIGN
Makes Declaration in Okla
homa City Speech Scoring
Intolerance
STRATON ON PLATFORM
Water Power Probable Third
Speech Topic as AL Turns
Towards Denver

(H)-Governor Smith wants the
American people to decide the No
vember election on the records Of
the two major parties and their
nominees and not on religious
grounds.
Before q demonstrative audience
that packed this city's coliseum last
night to hear his second speech Of
his western swing, the Democratic
presidential nominee minced no
words in an effort to drive home
this point.
Declaring he had been forced to
drag the religious question out into
the open because of IAN apparent
widespread attempt" to distract the
American secret propaganda involv-
ing his Catholic faith, and moral
habits, the governor struck blow
at those he believed responsible,
challenged his opponents to find a
single scandal" in his long legisla-
tive and gubernatorial record and
appealed to the people not to be
swayed by religious prejudice in
casting their ballots.
The Republican national commit
tee, Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt,
assistant attorney general; the Ku
Klux Klan, the Fellowship Forum,
a fraternal publication of Washing
ton, D. c., and former Senator Owen
Of this state, . Democratic bolter-
all were mentioned by name in the
address, which the governor said
would be his last on the subject of
Whispering" tolerance and Tam
many. Now he said, he will devote
himself to what he considers are the
"real isues" such as farm relief,
water power, government reorgan-
ization and other topics.
Water Power Topic
H. Water power. probably will be the
theme a0f his third speech Of the
western tour and today he turned to-
ward Denver, where he will deliver
that address tomorrow night.
With the Rev. John Roach STRAIT
on, New York Baptist clergyman,
and the Rev. Mordecai Ham, Okla
homa City Baptist minister, two Of
his critics, on the platform, the gov
ernor told his audience last night
that Zone Of the mcanest things" he
had seen in the campaign was a cir
cular sent to him by q Masonic
friend Of his and purporting to have
been sent out under Catholic aus
pices to Catholic voters"
Quoting from it, he said, it "tells
now we have control in New York,
stick together and we'll get control
Of the country" He said it appar-
emily had been sent to the Masonic
order in New York because $50
many members Of that order are
friends Of mine and have been vot-
ing for me for the last 10 years."
He disowned any connection with
the circular and said he would take
. chance that nobody inside of the
Catholic church has been stupid
enough to do q thing like that"
And then, as the crowd cheered,
he added: LET me make myself
perfectly clear. l do not want any
Catholic in the United States Of
America to vote for me on the sixth
Of November because l am q Cath
olic. If any Catholic in this coun-
try believes that the welfare, the
well-being, the prosperity, the
growth, and the expansion Of the
United States is best conserved and
best promoted by the election Of
Hoover, / want him to vote for
Hoover and not for me-"
Raps Intolerant Voter
"But on the other hand" he con-
tinued, II have the right to say that
any citizen Of this country that be-
licves I can promote its welfare,
that I am capable Of steering the
ship Of state safely through the next
four years and then votes against
me because Of my religion, he is not
q real, pure, genuine American"
The governor continued: "Of
course it Is very fine for the Re-
publican national committee and the
Republican chairman to disown all
this. It Is very easy for them to
say, We disclaim knowledge Of it
and responsibility for what Mrs.
Willebrandt said. She is Z deputy
attorney general of the United
States. She went before Z Metho-
dist conference Of Methodist preach
ers and said to them: "'There are
COZ, 900 Of you Methodists in Ohio
alone, enough to put this election
over. Write to your people,"
There j. separation Of church
and state for you," the nominee as-
serted, andthen asked amid applause:
what would b said around this
country il . member Of my cabinet,
II IN attache Of the Democratic id.
ministration 1t Albany, were to ap-
pear before . convention Of Roman
Catholic clsrics and make that kind
Of statenAent?"