The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-23
AL SMITHS ACCEPTANCE

AL SMITHS ACCEPTANCE
As a highly successful state executive Gov Smith
views presidential issues and responsibilities naturally
from the angle Of his experience. Beyond the
problems Of New York state the Democratic candidate
for president has had little experience in public
affairs For that his acceptance speech deals
in generates. He hedges carefully in most instances
but the whole, Gov. Smith has written most read
able and impressive message from the Democratic
angle of the presidential controversy
At the outset, he that his political faith
is grounded in the principles of the Democratic party
$50 eloquently defined by Woodrow Wilson" AS he
gets warmed to his subject however, he declares free
dom from entangling alliances is fixed American
policy" In other words the Smith campaign is not
going to be embarrassed by the League Of Nations
issue. It the policy Of the Democratic party I'M
der President Wilson to praise nternatonasm and to
make foreign issues this nations business. 1t
that well defined policy of the Wsonian admnistra-
ton voiced by Cox, that the nation so
triumphanty for Harding. Candidate Smith is q
wise, Tammany trained politician. He is not going
to get too serious about issues. In fact his whole
acceptance speech more or less begs the great
issues of the day. It lacks the drectness the insight
and the seasoned viewpoints Of Herbert Hoover. Such
is to be expected One speaks solely from the
experience of state executive; the others contact
with national and world problems stamps the great diff
ference in the types of candidates selected by the
dominant parties.
Chief interest centers in AL Smiths stand upon the
liquor issue. Like Hoover he promises to make an
honest effort to enforce the 18th Amendment and all
other provisions Of the Federal Constitution But he
views with alarm the situation into which he feels
prohibition has plunged the nation. He declares for
a vital change in the federal dry laws. Candidate
Smith would make prohibition strictly state issue,
permitting each state to decree itself wet dry But
he voices objection to return to the old saloon
with its brass rail- He would have the issue Of altering
the 18th Amendment resubmitted to the people to the
end that leach individual State itself only after ap
prova by referendum popular vote of it's people,
have the right wholly within its borders to govern the
sale Of liquors, the sale to be made only by the
itself and mot for consumption in any public place."
This should please the most hardened "wet" and
alarm the arid "dry Thus is the issue in the DO
ltical hopper. Candidate Hoover is definitely dry"
and Candidate Smith is as definitely "wet" The
American people to hear a great deal in the next
few weeks about "Demon" Rum; they are going to
hear also much about the advantages Of alcoholic
beverages properly manufactured and distributed as
against the bootleg system is prevalent. Can
ddate Smith has indicated that the issue is to be dis
cussed frankly and that the Republican administration
of the Vostead Act is to be roundly attacked is in
dicated in these words:
"The corruption in enforcement activities which
caused former Republican Prohibition Administrator
to state that threefourhs of the dry agents were po
ltical ward heelers named by politicians without re-
gard to civil service laws and that prohibition is the
new political pork BARREL will ruthessy stamp out
So much for the prohibition issue in the acceptance
speech 1t is direct challenge to the dry forces of the
nation and the lines already laid for vigorous
campaign to combat any changes in either the 18th
Amendment or the Volstead Act.
Some considerable space is devoted to the issue Of
agriculture. He charges the Republican party with
ignoring obligation to the agrarian interests He
bames deflation in agricultural products upon the
failure of the Republican party to take adequate
steps to forestall such crisis.
His solution however, is not definite. After rather
patitudinous discussion of agricultural conditions, he
comes out for form of controlled sale of export
able surplus He scouts relief by tariff declaring it
imperative affecting commodities of which there
exportable surplus. That is as closely as Candidate
Smith touches the much discussed equalization fee Of
the McNary Haugen BILL The mechanics" of solu-
ton as he phrases it remain to be determined This
may may not satisfy the belt the wheat belt
farmer Smiths proposals most general in terms
and lack the precision Of the Hoover plan to bring aid
to agriculture.
Candidate Smith is unconvinced upon the Great
Lakes Waterway He declares that personally favors
the All American Waterway, but on this issue he is
open to CONJUNCTION by others who possess more tech
of international reputation, after close study Of the
two routes is definitely for the Great Lakes nerna.
tional Waterway upon which the Northwest farmer
dependent for cheap outlet to the great markets of
the world. Here again the Hoover viewpoint should
meet with greater approval than the vague and in
definite stand Of Candidate Smith who honestly pro.
that he is not sufficiently informed on the is
sue to make decision.
His discussion Of the foreign problems is based lar
gely upon the utterances Of Woodrow Wilson. It is
the Wsonian theory promulgated during the war and
which did not impress the nation during the first days
Of postwar adjustment. But Candidate Smith again
deals in gensrass and avoids mention Of the League
Of Nations Or the fourteen points.
He fouts the contention Of the Republican Party
That thers has besn governmental economy Candidate
Smith would apply some Of the reforms he enacted %
Governor d New York to the federal system. He
xoald eliminate goysrnmsntel agencies that duplicate