Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
The Attack on Bishop Cannon.

Tne Woe ana prominent puDllCdIlOI
of the fact that Bishop James Cannon
jr.. militant prohibition leader and
anti.Smith Democrat, had dealt In
stocks in the New York market, his
friends say, is actuated by de-
sire on the part Of enemies Of pro-
hibition and the enemies of the Anti
Smith Democratic party in Virginia
to stick knife into both. His enc
mics expect, through attacking Bish-
op Cannon, to attack the cause Of pro-
hibition and to attack the thousands
of Democrats who declined to follow the
banner Of Alfred e. Smith in the last
national campaign. In other words. the
publication of stock transactions OF
Bishop Cannon is political matter. In
a measure, 1t may be considered re-
taliation for the determination of Bish-
op Cannon and other anti-Smith Demo-
Gratis to keep alive the feud In the
party against the leadership which
nominated Mr.. Smith. placed John j
Raskob, . wet like Smith. in charge
Of the Democratic high command and
which still keeps Mr.. Raskob in that
position.
It remains to be seen whether these
tactics are good politics on the part
Of the anti-prohibitionists and the OPP
ponents Of the anti-Smith Democrats
Last Tuesday the anti-Smith Democrats
nominated at q State convention in
Roanoke DR.. William Moseley Brown. q
college professor, for governor. The
gubernatorial race this Summer and
Fail in. Virginia Will perhaps tell the
tale rs to whether the effort to dis
credit Bishop Cannon personally has
reacted favorably 10 the vets and
against the anti-Smith Democrats.
Senator Carter Glass OF Virginia, in q
statement issued in Lynchburg, asserts
that the charges Bishop Cannon had
been dealing In stocks on margin had
been brought to him in the closing
days Of the presidential campaign last
FAN and that II the matter had been
put out 1T would have had bad politi-
cal effect and would have enabled Bish-
op Cannon to claim that he was being
prosecuted for opinions sake" Senator
Glass in his statement also said that
for the same reason he now deplores
the publication Of these charges. SEN
ator Glass Is accounted a shrewd poll
tician. 1t may be that his Judgment is
correct in this matter and that in the
end the causes which Bishop Cannon
has espoused will lose nothing politically
from his personal attack upon the
bishop. AT any rate, Senator Glass i,
apparently clearing his own skirts Of
any possibility Of being held responsible
for the present attack upon Bishop
Cannon.
Bishop Cannon deliberately entered
the field Of politics and consequently is
not In . position to complain Of at
tacks actuated by political desires of
his opponents. He was q prime mover
In the organization Of anti-Smith Dem
ocrats in Virginia and other States OF
the South last year His opposition to
Mr.. Smith was based, according to
many statements of his own, on the
fact that Mr.. Smith was o wet. Al
though Bishop Cannon did not attend
the Roanoke convention of anti-smith
Democrats, he sent . letter in answer
to an invitation to attend which showed
him strongly back Of the movement
for the formation Of the new, inde-
pendent Democratic party in the State
It is good politics on the part of bish-
op Cannon and his supporters to assert
that the publication of his stock trans
actions Is merely for political purposes
and q measure OF persecution on the
part Of his foes. II it makes a martyr
Of him in the eyes Of the people of Viz
ginia, the result of the coming guber-
Material election In the Old Dominion
may prove q surprise to many persons.
Without approving or disapprovins
the activities of Bishop Cannon, either
In the field of politics or in the New
York stock market. it is possible to con-
slider the probable effect on Virginia
politics Of the concerted attacks being
made upon the bishop in many of the
newspapers. II the upshot of the whole
matter Is to place Bishop Cannon In
the role Of martyr, suffering perse-
cution at the hands Of his enemies ir
the interest of prohibition and the Dem.
ocratic opposition to Mr.. Smith and Mr.
Raskob. his enemies are not likely tc
gain from these attacks.