Evening star., 1932-07-07
INSIDERS SECUTED
IDEA OF SMITH BOLT
What Happened at Chicago
Called Merely the Normal
Political Procedure.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

The idea that "Al" Smith would bolt
has existed only in the minds Of people
remote from active politics. 1t has
never been in the minds of politicians.
The nominating OF Roosevelt was done
strictly according to Hoyle a. Hoyle ap-
plies to the game of politics. Smith
and Smiths friends in the convention
would have used the same tactics. In
fact, they tried to. The quicker action
of McAdoo. Hearst and Garner beat the
Smith people to it. If the story Is ever
fully told, it may appear that the Cali
fornia and Texas trio beat Smith by
greater expertneSs in manipulating the
long distance telephone, from Chicago
to Washington and from chicago To-
California.
Nevertheless the notion that Smith
should bolt exists in the minds of many
people. Tie phenomenon Is new, and
NAV in future affect materially the
political game. These people were rs
teners on the radio. They saw the sit
uation in terms of game They saw
a lineup of Roosevelt on one sloe,
Smith and his associates on the other.
The first three ballots taken In the
morning seemed to forecast real hgnt
hours of recess, the radio audience Weie
In keyed-up anticipation.
Then. when the balloting resumed,
the radio listeners saw thing for which
there is no analogy in foot ball. oaSe
ball or any other game. They saw
thing which If done on any field o.
snort would have been monstrouS
foul and cheat They saw, so to speak,
two players on one side, McAdoo ana
Garner, calmly and from the audience
point of view with outrageous brazen-
ness, walk over to the other sloe ana
thus decide the game. In foot ball or
horse racing. anything like that would
have resulted in a mobbing.
A Proper Procedure.
Presently the radio audience saw the
terms OF the deal fiauntlngly calIlSo
out. McAdoo of California ana Garner
of Texas, by delivering their w oeIe-
gates to Roosevelt, nominated hLn,
Then with an interval OF DAY ior
decency's sake, the Roosevelt forces oe-
Iivered their strength to Garner ana
made him the vice presidential canol-
date To politicians that was perfectly
prouer. altogether commonplace. 1t mas
happened in both parties, again ana
again as often with Republicans as
with Democrats. One might say prac-
tically it is the normal way OF deciding
such contests. 1t has never occurred
to observers like the writer to be shock
ed by it, but rather to take pleasure N
the superior quickness and hnesse Win
which such deals are conceived ana
carried out.
Apparently, however, existence Of the
radio audience is going to introduce
new standard If the development goes
on, politics may come to have as hlgh
a standard Of ethics as prize fighting.
Politicians managing conventions take
more and more account OF the radio
audience. More and more, in the mech
aniSm Of conventions the audience IN
the hall is subordinated TO the radio
audience. For example, in the recent
convention, a three-hour recess was de-
creed by Gov. Ritchie'S insistence that
the speeches and demonstration for him
should not occur at a time when radio
was busy with commercial and other
programs outside the convention.
good many portentous changes are
taking place just now, and oonTenlon
politics played in difference to coun-
try-wide audience OF listeners may be
one of them. Much of the radio audi
ence last week assumed a principle was
stoned by the way the outcome was
moved to wonder how much change
might be wrought in Congress by in
stallation. of the radio.
Little Detection Expected.
Even though Smith will not bolt.
there remains the question, what will
the radio audience do; and what will
Smiths personal following in the big
Eastern cities do? Doubtless they will
understand ultimately why Smith, with
in the customs of the political game,
cannot bolt. If Smith confines himself
to merely not openly boiling. his fol-
lowers will understand. If Smith, how
ever, should undertake to make strong
speeches in favor of the ticket he would
not help the ticket mucn and might
diminish the reputation for fortnight
candor which is one of his personal
assets. The natural course Of Smith,
according to political standards, would
be to make his perfunctory genuflection
to the ticket, and then be comparatively
silent
Under all the conditions, the Demo-
cratic managers need not anticipate any
great detection as a consequence of the
way Smith was treated in the conven-
ton. There will be some, but it need
not be material The mass Of Smiths
followers have normal stake in the
election which Is higher than resent