The Washington times., 1931-03-05
SOUTHERNERS
CHEER HIS
!. SPEECH
Senator Morrison Remains
Suspicious and May Ask
Resignation Of Chairman


(Continued From Page -
policy-that being the function
Of the national convention, Wnlcn
adopts a platform.
Urges Careful Study
He did believe, however, that
the national committee should
start acquainting itself with what
the convention is going to face,
in order that an informed opinion
should be created in advance OF
the 1882 gathering. To that END,
he said, he was going to intro
duce some proposals, copies OF
which would be placed in the
hands of all the members, and
added:
81 am content our policies
will be better adopted lat the
convention after mature de-
liberation"
Then the chairman announced
that the committee would listen
to Jouett Shouse, executive chair
man of the party, who has been
In charge of the Democratic or
ganization headquarters in Wash
ington for a year past and has
kept up running fire OF criticism
Of the Hoover Administration,
Telegram From Davis
Before turning the meeting over
to Shouse, RaSkob read a tele-
gram from John w. Davis, the
1924 presidential candidate, which
said:
Nothing should be more
helpful than frequent meetings
such as this One-Scare head.
lines to the contrary nOtwith-
standing. / am sure the meet
ing will pave the way to the
convention and clear the path
FOR a victorious Democracy"
.+Of the 10 members of the ma
tional committee half were rep
resented by proxy.
Neutral On Candidates
= Shouse made it emphatically
clear that the national organiza-
ton, directed by Raskob and him.
self, is, strictly neutral as to can
didacies. This also brought ap-
plause. for there have been ru-
nnors and suspicious on the part
Of. friends of Gov. Franklin D.
Roosevelt that the national or
ganization was unfriendly to his
candidacy. Shouse said:
"The national organization Is
not interested in any candidacy.
. We shall refuse to be interested
in the candidacy OF any man
S.or any office. We are in favor
0S,taking counsel with Demo
,Efats everywhere. Only on such
q basis can there be Demo
cratic success"
# Gives RaskOb Credit
= - ShouSe rendered an accounting
Of his stewardship at the party
helm in Washington. Credit for
the establishment of a militant
organization here he gave to
Chairman Raskob. He stated:
"ThiS noble experiment.
which the Democratic party put
into operation as of May l, 1929,
is net yet two years old. You
will remember at that time the
fortunes of the party seemed at
low ebb. We had achieved a
large popular vote in the 1928
campaign-the largest ever
given the Democratic party
but a much larger vote was re-
Ceived by the opposition. We
lost States that were normally
Democratic. Members of the
party throughout the country
were diSheartened and diScOur-
aged. There was even discus
sion heard that the party was
dead and that another must
rise to take its place.
Offices Established
''In this dar., hour, John J.
RaSk0b, our chairman, con-
ceived the idea of establishing
permanent national headquar-
terS in the Capital, and in the
pursuance of that plan the
party organization has carried
on activities of some moment
and some scope ever since"
He expressed the opinion the
country has been very we'll in
formed. from the Democratic
standpoint" since the headquar
ters were established, and for this
he gave a large share of credit to
the loyal cooperation" of the
Democrats in Congress.
To the efficiency and activity
of the party organization set
up by Chairman Raskob. he gave
credit for the sweeping gains
which the Democrats registered
last November-gainS which have
placed them within a hair-breath
of controlling both Houses OF
Congress. He asserted:
81 make bold to venture that
without the organization the
gains would not have been half
SO sweeping"
ShouSe said that, in effect, the
Republicans lost control Of Con-
gresS in the last election, and he
predicted that the loss would be
followed by Republican loss of
the Presidency in 1882.