The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-09-29
DEMOCRAT KEYNOTER
ATTACKS G. 0. P. IN
CONVENTION SPEECH
Says Prohibition Worse Than
Ever; Pledges His Party to
Cleanse Itself of Scandals

syracuse, N. r, Sept. 20.-H-1n
his address as temporary chairman
OF the New York Democratic state
convention here today. United States
Senator Robert F. Wagner declared
whoever ''attains judicial or other
public office by dishonest means
should be driven thereform, Is also
from the ranks Of our party"
This declaration waS al indirect
reference to the grand jury investiga-
ton Of alleged judicial scandals In
New York city.
'The Democratic party" Senator
Wagner said, "has always stood for
the highest probity In public office.
Wherever and whenever one has been
found wanting in honor or derelict
in. duty it gave its best effort and
bent every energy to rid the office
of its incumbent. Equally insistent
has it ever been n its demand that
public office must b attained only
by honorable means.
II know that I speak for the heart
and the conscience Of the great rank
and file of the Democratic party in
our state when I say that he who at
tainS judicial or other public office
by dishonest means should be driven
therefrom, and also from the ranks
OF our party"
Discussing national affairs, Senator
Wagner said the last Is months in
Washington had witnessed:
The collapse Of the presidents
panacea for farm relief; the collapse
Of the hope for tax reductions: the
collapse of our foreign trade and
collapse of domestic industry and
tremendous increase In unemploy.
ment; the collapse of the alleged
economy program: and the collapse
of the administrations scientific pre-
tensions"
Prohibition, the major source Of
controversy at the Republican con-
vention, was discussed at length by
Senator Wagner.
Attacks Dry Law Anew
"At q convention Of the Democratic
party Of the state Of New York." he
said, lit is unnecessary to repeat the
bill of complaint that vi have an
nually recited against the prohibition
amendment. We know that 1t Is bad
in principle and wors in practice.
Since we last assembled, not one Of
the abuses Of prohibition has abated.
"Au have increased in volume and
intensity. Public patience Is being
rapidly exhausted. Popular demand
is becoming insistent and persistent
that relief from the present mockery
of the constitution from hypocrisy
and from law-bred crime and corrup-
ton shall come, not In the next gen.
Grafton, but now so that we our
selves may ono again enjoy the bless
ings of civilized government.
"Our party is united on this propo-
sition that every state recover the
right to solve the problem Of temper
ance in its own way. That involves
repeal without reserve Of the eigh-
teenth amendment. But that Is not
all. The struggle against prohibition
must meanwhile be fought on many
fronts. It involves action against the
Volstead act. It implies resistance
against the jurylesS trials proposed BY
the Wickersham commission. It calls
for. an alert and constant guard
against the juryless trials proposed
by the Wickersham commission. It
calls for an alert and constant guard
against similar proposals, destructive
of our government and our liberties.
It demands leadership in conducting
the offensive intelligently and sue
cessfully.
ut requires all this because two Inn
portant principles Of government are
at stake. Prohibition represents q
serious encroachment by the federal
government into the domain OF the
states and it constitutes q dangerous
penetration Of law into the sphere OF
private conduct. It Is q glazing x
ample Of intemperance in govern
ment itself"
Senator Wagner paid glowing trib-
ute to Governor Roosevelt's admins
<rotior nf state affairs.