Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-01-29
Chairman Shouse SQUADS Notes OF
warning And Cheer.

warning anu Sn0oTs
In speech at a combined Jackson and
Victory Dinner at Chicago on January IA.
Jouett Shouse, Chairman of the Democratic
National Executive Committee. warned
against overconfdence and fractional feeling
and asked for harmony and united effort.
THE only way we can obtain and retain
harmony in our party" he said, lis by
realizing that neither all the wit nor all
the sincerity resides with the particular
group that represents our state OF mind.
If we are to win, personal feelings must be
subordinated and every Democrat must
join intellectually to elect the can.
didate who gets two-thirds of the votes
OF our convention"
Chairman Shouse denied that there was
any combination involving officials Of the
National Committee for or against any
candidate. He said:
u know. of cour e. that the bulk Of con.
versation Of all the people Of the country
is now devoted to candidates.. That, how
ever. is subject with which officers of the
National Committee will not deal. There
have been certain inspired references in
the newspapers to a so-called Raskob-
Smith-Shouse combination for or against
particular candidate. Let me tell you
right now that this is dream stuff, mainly
Republican dream stuff. We have no
sentiment at National headquarters as to
the candidate beyond an honest desire to
have nomit ated not only the best man but
the man most certain to carry our banner
to victory. 1t makes no difference which
Of the distinguished men who have been
named for the place is finally accorded the
supreme honor. pledge you now for all of
us that whoever he is he will have the
most cordial and hearty support that il lies
In our power to extend. Moreover. whatever
the platform adopted by the coming con-
ventiOn we shall subscribe to it and receive
1t full-heartedly as the true expression of
the sentiment Of Democracy of 1882"
Concerning the Hoover administration
he said:
That administration had its chance for
greatness and dismally failed. Where it
should have been strong it has fumbled
and compromised; where it should have
been certain it has been timid and vacil-
latine. Ii has played politics n matters
as small as the distribution of patronage
favOrs or as great as the huge problem of
unemployment"
The speaker then outlined the Republican
plan of abb and defense. saying:
THE customary G. o. P. war cry will be
much modified this year. The prosperity
that in the past has been proclaimed as a
purely Republican product will be soft
pedaled. Instead of this we must expect
the argument that bad as things are, they
would De much worse if it had not been
for the titanic endeavor and overwhelming
efficiency OF the Great Engineer in the
White House. That is the abb and excuse
OF every failure in every branch of en-
deavor. think we are safe in leaving II
to the people to make proper assay of
this trite contention. We know perfectly
well. OF course. that had Governor Smith
come to the White on March 4, 1929,
Instead of Herbert Hoover the same voices
that are now abiding the President would
have been devoted 10 pointing out that
Democratic responsibility and Democratic
incompetence were wholly responsible for
events as they have developed. Moreover,
u Democrat sits in the White House
next year and business continues bad, gu.
Republican friends may be depended on to
assert positively that the persistence of the
depre sion 10 wholly his fault and that all
would have been well had Mr.. Hoover not
been interrupted in his program Of rehabili-
tation and restoration. On the other hand.
should return Of prosperity be contemporary
with the Democratic administration they
willjust as seriously advance that the Demo-
cratic President had no part in the recru-
oescence OF good times. which according to
them. will have been merely the harvest
OF the seed sown by Mr.. Hoover"
Discussing the Victory Fund Campaisn.
which this dinner and many others on
the same evening inaueurated, Chairman
Shouse said:
"A Presidential election is an expensive
business Twenty million dollars would not
cover the outlay Of the two parties in 1928
II is undoubtedly true that no inconsider.
able part Of our adversaries' campaign fund
Of that year was devoted to expenditures
outside of the Legitimate field Of politics.
Nobody has ever yet been able to gather
the figures Of the money that was poured
out in their undercover and whispering
campaigns Those expenditures were dis
suised, both as to purpose and as to the
identity OF the source of the vicious river
OF money that went to the announcement
OF religious prejudice and other bieotry.
But the actual legitimate activities of
Presidential campaign. the dissemination
OF literature and the enlightenment of the
people as to the issues costs a vast sum.
II Is to raise what the official leaders Of
the organization deem absolutely necessary
that the current Victory Fund Drive was
inaueurated."