The Daily Alaska empire., 1928-01-24
SEEKS EARLY DRAFT OF PLATFORM.

Gov AT Smith who was prevented by the press of official business from attending the Jackson Day Dinner held in Washington last week by the Democratic leaders. gave the party chieftans some sound advice in his letter that was read at the banquet table. He urged upon them the political wisdom of drafting the party platform several weeks before the next national convention is held at Houston, Texas. It is mistake he said, for the Democrats to hope to win solely by depending upon mistakes that the Republicans may make And this is undoubtedly true. It is not necessary that the Democratic Party await the drafting of the Repabliean platform before it proceeds to build up one Of it's own The issues of the campaign will have been largely made before either party gathers in it's uuadriennial conclave and what is written in the platform of either will do little to change them. As Gov. Smith wisely pointed out, 1t IS almost impossible to write the best statements of policy in the heat and excitement attendant upon such gatherings national conventions of politi- cal parties.
 Write it as early possible. Write it in language so plain and in terms so unmistakable that the mass of voters will have difficulty in understanding what it is all about. Make it specific rather than general, and confne Ii to those public questions of national import which will appeal to all of the people. Such a plat form written well in advance of the convention could be forcefully and intelligently discussed before and at the convention and mean something to the candidates who must ago before the elec- torate upon the principles and issues it embodies as we'll to the people to whom it is addressed And what should the platform be like? Gov, Smith gave almost the answer to this question as that given by Caud G. Bowers nrncipal speaker at the Jackson Day Dinner. He said:
 It is my deep conviction that our
 platform should be built by applying the
 dop +ol4 ,rip pin pf JpffprSOQlan
 Democracy unninichingly, to each speci-
 fe problem of the day.
 The greatest degree of local self
 government by the States the minimum
 of interference by the Federal Govern
 ment or any State with the local habits
 and concerns of any other State, leg
 islation for the interest of all and not
 for any class group, nonlnterference
 with the internal affairs of other na-
 tions. tolerance of conflicting opinion
 these are our articles of political faith.
 When we follow these, we succeed.
 We should follow them now.
 We should study and treat in the
 light of these principles our foreign re-
 lations prohibition, agriculture, reform
 of the government machinery, economic
 policy. conservation and development or
 our public natural resources and in fact
 any other question which arises. We
 will solve these specific problems rightly
 only if we fearessly meet them in full
 reliance upon these traditions Of our
 partly I, for one am for thus meeting
 them without equvocation-
 It is along these lines that Gov. Smith has lead New York Democracy to repeated victories in the past decade He speaks from the prac- tical experience of victorious leader and one of the most successful Governors any State in the Union had That his advice in such matters is sound few will question, It is worthy of the most serious consideration by the leaders of his party and it's entire mem bership