The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-18
SMITH ATTACK
IN 1928 TO Be
PRIMARY ISSUE
North Carolina Democrats
AsSaiI Senator for
Boiling Party.
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer

RALEIGH. ". c., March 81
would rather be dead. 1 would
rather lose my right arm. I would
rather have my tongue cleave to the
roof Of my mouth than to vote for
Al Smith"
This imprisoned utterance against
his party's presidential candidate by
Senator Furnifold NJ. Simmons, for
thirty years the Democratic car OF
North CaroIina-made at bhe climax
of fiery three-hour speech at a
Raleigh mass meeting on Oct. %,
1928-has been revived today as the
issue in the states hottest sena-
torial campaign in generation.
Senator Simmons, now rs and
candidate for a sixth senate term OF
six years, faces the issue of party
regularity. Opposed to him in the
Democratic primary to be held June
7 is Josiah w. Bailey, 81. Raleigh
lawyer and regular Democrat" who
led the fight for Al Smith in North
Carolina.
Supported Hoover
When Simmons bolted the Demo-
cratic party to support Hoover he
carried out with him, as we'll as can
be estimated. 10000 votes-this be-
ing the difference between the
Smith vote and that of o. Max
Gardner, successful Democratic can
didate for Governor. Hoover got
348,923 and Smith 286,227.
The state went Republican for
President for the first time since
Grants election in 1876. The
Democrats lost two congressman,
eight members Of the state senate,
fifteen members of the house and
great numbers of county offices.
Even Rowan county, home of SEN
ator Lee S. Overman, went over
whelmingly Republican. Governor
Gardner, however, survived.
This Democratic disaster now is
being charged to Senator Simmons.
And Bailey, who prides himself on
his lifelong Democratic regularity. IS
waging his campaign on those lines.
The Hoover Smith battle of 1928 is
being fought all over again.
Led Vigorous Fight
Although he led the North Caro-
lima fight for Smith, Stumping every
county in the state, Bailey never has
seen Smith in his life, nor had any
correspondence with him except
once, when he asked him to auto
graph a book for an old lady. So
he told this writer here.
Bailey is the son of Baptist min
lister; for seventeen years he was ed
itor of a Baptist church paper; he
has filled Protestant pulpitS on
many occasions, and was head OF
the North Carolina Anti-Saloon
League from 1903 until 1907. AS
such he led a vigorous fight against
liquor in numerous local option
campaigns, and when state prohi-
bition arrived in North Carolina in
1908 liquor had been voted out Of
all the rural districts and all but
twenty-one cities.
Why. then, did he support Al
Smith7
With many southern Democrats,
Bailey included, party regularity
has been a sacred-and almost in
Standardization since the car
pet-bag days, marked by Negro
political power under Republican
rule. Just after the Civil war.
Succeeded Butler
In mis- speeches, this prohibition
ist defended Smith like this;
Prohibition is the established law
Of the land. Smith couldn't change
the Constitution If he wanted to.
moreover Smith has solennly
pledged himself to enforce prohi-
bition, land had rather trust him
with enforcement than Mellon, an
ex-diStiller, or Hoover
In 1900 Simmons was elected to
the senate to succeed Butler, the
Populist. Today he is the Oldest
senator in point of service and, if
elected for his sixth term Of six
years. will be SO years old when it
expires. He contends that it waS
Al Smith who bolted the Demo-
cratic party-not he.
Just now it appears 1t will be a
neck and neck race until the pri-
mary polls close on June with
result that will be equivalent to
election in November.