Evening star., 1932-02-08
Press Divided on Smith
Southern Papers in General Regret Former Coy
ernor's Sfand-Di,ision Of Democratic
Party Seen BY Many.

/ pale, compromise conservative Oh tIle
| Garner Robinson type, who would out
| Hoover Hoover
The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser
OF course, Mr.. Smith has right to be
candidate. He is well within his priv
ileges, but he is merely inviting an
other great disappointment for him
J self, and is inviting furious 1ntra-
party war that may leave some unfor-
| tunate scars. . There is something
unpleasant about his candidacy in the
circumstances. Roosevelt deserves
better deal at the hands of Smith.
The Memphis Commercial-Appeal-
Gov. Smith makes his position clear
but he might have made it clearer with
the frank statement that he is a cam
| didate. The fact appears that the
undercurrent of his important an
| nouncenent is that he is a candidate
/ for the nomination, that he would ac-
| cept it gladly, and that although he
himself is not making a pre-convention
campaign to secure it, he rather expects
his friends to work toward that end
| Boston Globe-He (Smith) may or
may not prove to be the favorite son
| of New York. but there may be other
Commonwealths in the Union which
| prefer him to any one else In the field
against Mr.. Roosevelt Mr.. Smith is GER
tainly the leader
Manchester, N. H, Union-The brief
statement is loaded with dynamite,
fraught with potential destruction to the
candidacy Of Gov Roosevelt. The i'm
mediate reaction in New Hampshire was
not startling, probably because its
tenure was anticipated.
Galveston (Tex) Tribune: Smith
took the only position possible as a
Democrat and the nominal leader of
his party. He could not afford to come
out openly against Gov. Roosevelt
especially since it is possible that he
may have to support the New York
Governor in the election campaign
next Summer.
Helena (Mont) Independent: No one
| can object to his remaining on neutral
ground during the pre-convention cam
paign The Independent Is
opposed to the nomination of former
| Gov. Smith.
Boston Herald: "Al's" failure to say
that he now looks with favor on the
Roosevelt movement is equivalent, I'M
der all the circumstances, to declar
alton that he is tentatively against the
! Governor. Let it be noticed, however,
that Mr.. Smith has SO phrased his
statement that he may eventually be-
come pro-Roosevelt or pro-anybody in
order to avoid a deadlock and a Mad
| ison Square Garden ruction.
Good News for Republicans.
Denver Post That is the best news
the Republicans have had since Hoover
polled 444 electoral votes to 81 for
Smith in the 1928 campaign His an
nouncement indicates he is determined
to rule or ruin his party.
Albuquerque Journal: We can think
of nothing more fortunate for the Re-
publican party. His candidacy will be
accepted as an effort to kill off Gov.
| Roosevelt. The voters decided four
years ago against the Smith-Raskob
| leadership.
Hartford (Conn) Courant: His
| (Smith's) announcement that he will
accept the nomination If rendered to
him undoubtedly is made in good faith,
but he doubtless knows only too well
the nature of the opposition that would
inevitably raise itself against him, and
in all likelihood he envisions himself
| less as the nominee Of the convention
than as its dictator, with the power to
name a nominee other than himself.
Damaging to Roosevelt.
| Providence Journal: The effect Of the
Smith statement is primarily damaging
to the Roosevelt candidacy 1t implies
the election of a group of Smith dele
gates from New York itself though
ordinarily the incumbent Governor
would be assured of the States undi-
vided support The Ex-Governor
- may easily develop into a for
| midable candidate before the winner
of the prize secures the necessary two
thirds majority If Mr.. Smith fails to
win the nomination, he may, neverthe-
! less, be able to dictate it.
ST Louis Globe Democrat: It's mean
| ing for 100000 Democrats can be
appreciated by imagining that it was
of opposite effect and that he would
make fight, with the division of coun-
sci and dissension fight by Al Smith
would engender. The path to the NOM
| nation of Gov. Roosevelt ought to be
made easy All things considered, it
must be pronounced a very wise deci-
sion on Mr.. Smiths part one that again
evidences his political astutenesS and
one also that will much improve the
technical position Of his party in the
| 1892 campaign.
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Neither
| friends nor foes of the Roosevelt cause
can get much comfort from the Smith
| statement. *gThe Smith candl-
| dacy is no more asnfenace to the hopes
of Roosevelt than it was before Mr..
| Smith made his statement. When
the smoke of battle clears, both are
likely to be on the ground, with the
prize being carried away by one whose
entrance has been less spectacular. We
trust he will be Newton D. Baker.
1928 Vote Cited.
Boston Post: Alfred E Smith in 1923
polled 15,916,443 votes for President.
Only three men in the history of the
| United States ever received more
emphatic Endorsements from the cleo
torate Therefore, Gov. Smiths
entrance into the 1882 contest
is an event second to none in current
political history Only the withdrawal
! of President Hoover or the candidacy
of Calvin Coolidge could be of more
far-reaching effect.
Boise Uoaho) Statesman: 1t has
| long been apparent to close political
observers that Mr.. Smith has been
grooming himself as dark horse can
didate He virtually admits that
he expects the convention to 60 into
deadlock and find it necessary to agree
upon a compromise candidate.
| GreenVille IS. c. News: Mr.. Smiths
statement will be received with Satisfac-
ton by numerous friends and support
ers in 1928 and by Democrats generally.
Millions who supported him IN 1928 and
who still hold him IN the highest esteem
are convinced that the party should
select another nominee this year. They
will receive Mr. Smiths statement IS
assurance that he will take no personal
initiative adverse to that course and
will devote his most vigorous efforts. in
any event, to the support of the party's
cause.
Raleigh IN. c. News and Observer
Gov. Smith has had his chance. The
disastrous effects of his candidacy on
The Democratic party are too well known
to admit of argument. No counting of
the popular ballots can temper the final
argument that the Democratic party
will not unitedly follow the leadership
| of Smith