The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-20
BUTLER BRANDS
HOOVER TACTICS
AS 'REPUGNANT'
ASSaiIS Presidents Use of
Patronage to Control
G. 0. P. Convention.
BY FORREST DAVIES
Copyright 1882. for scripps-Howard
Newspapersl

BY FORREST DAVIES
copyright. 1882 for scripps-Howard
Newspapersl
NEW YORK, June 20.-Dr. Mich
olas Murray Butler, fresh from the
defeat by White House patronage of
the repeal movement at Chicago.
predicted today that the Repub-
hcan party will go over the dam"
In November unless state conven-
tions in wet. industriahzed New
England and the middle Atlantic
states repudiate the wet-dry pro-
hibition plank.
Granted such official disavowals
unprecedented in the G.. o. P.
history-President Hoover may, in
his opinion, have sporting chance
OF reelection. Otherwise not
Moreover, Dr. Butler intends ac-
lively to lead a crusade to bring
about reputation by states.
In one of his rare interviews, Dr.
Butler recapitulated for the Scripps-
Howard Newspapers his views on the
Chicago convention, the repeal
fight, the caliber of presidential
candidates. and the autumnal polit-
zeal prospects generally.
Flags Steam Roller"
He regards the prohibition plank
every word Of which was passed
upon by the President" as a "po-
litical blunder of the first magni-
tude' It committed the Repub-
lican party, as DR.. Butler sees it, to
indirect acceptance and indorse-
ment of nationwide prohibition I'M
der federal control"
The administration steam roller,
piloted by Ogden L. Mills, treasury
secretary, and host of federal Of
ficeholders, provided the most
shocking" exhibition of patronage
control of a convention since 1872,
when Ulysses S. Grant won his sec
ond nomination.
DR.. Butler sternly condemned the
use of the patronage whip to steer
the convention, most of whose dele
gates he contends were for repeal,
into Endorsement of plank which
he terms the worst proposal" with
one exception, ever offered to rem
edy the liquor reform dilemma.
"Repugnant to Traditions
Il was told' he said, that six
cabinet members were at the con-
vention, that thirty-seven of the
ninety-seven delegates from New
York, and upward of 400 of the
conventions membership were Of
fice-holders.
That is repugnant TO Republican
traditions In 1904. Roosevelt de-
clared against the election of fed
eral ofice-holders as delegates. And
in 1924, Mr. Coolidge made a state
ment deploring the sending of post
masters and other Office holders to
the convention which nominated
him.
But this year, the postmasters
actually we're whipped up by the
postofflce department, as we saw
by that scandalous incident in
Missouri He referred to a bald
appeal in behalf of Mr.. Hoover's
candidacy by an assistant post
master general at a postmasters'
convention.
Lands Democratic Timber
DR.. Butler asserted that his plank,
embodied in the Bingham minority
report, would have won had the
convention been let alone.
DR.. Butler suspects that millions
of nominal Republicans are pre-
pared to desert the Hoover ticket
on the prohibition issue. Declining
to specify his own intentions in No
vember, he did not close the door on
q personal bolt to the Democratic
nominee, provided the prohibition
plank of that party is honest.
The Democrats, he observed. have
virtual monopoly Of presidential
timber. 1t is their duty to submerge
private" feuds and nominate their
wisest man.
Praises AL Smith
Alfred E. Smith is the best pub
lie servant this country has pro-
duced since Theodore Roosevelt;
broad-gauged, honest and highly
capable"
owen D. Young is "a natural-born
statesman, with a broad, calm, I'M
prejudiced vision"
Newton D. Baker, with wide
political experience in Ohio and
Washington, has very fine mind
and a very great gift of speech and
appeal"
Governor Albert c. Richie is "a
cultivated gentleman and schol-
ar"
Melvin A. Traylor, Chicago bank
er, has fine position in Chicago
and his native state, Kentucky, and
has an international point of view"
Senator Cordell Hull of Tennessee
is an able leader whose recent
speeches on the tariff recalled the
great debating days in the senate"
A wealth of material. he finds in
the Democratic party and a dearth
in his own.
He did not refer to Governor
Franklin D. Roosevelt, leading
Democratic candidate in point of
pledged delegates. He refused to
discuss the Governor when the
omission was pointed out.
Franklin and I are friends. his
father and mother and my father
and mother were friends. He is the
Governor of our state and I prefer
not to discuss him in this category"
said DR.. Butler.