Milford chronicle., 1932-04-29
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
(By Charles F. Scott

existed among Democratic leaders
after the banquet was over was very
much after the fashion of that which
results in a hornets nest when
somebody hits it a rOusing whacA
with an elm club.
The wielder of the metaphorical
club in this instance was the Hon.
Alfred Emanuel Smith late COVER
nor of New York, and still later de-
feated candidate for President. Gov
ernor Smith was down for the pFin-
cipal speech, in spite of the fact that
Governor Ritchie, Governor Byrd,
Governor Cox and many other not
ables were on the program. And he
certainly made it! Before he had
spoken five minutes it was obvious
that in writing his address he had
before him copy of the speech
Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt had
made a week previously over a radio
hOok-up, and that he answering it
point by point. 81 can not escape
the conclusion that one of the essen
tials of a national program of res
toration must be to restore purchas-
ing power to the farming half of the
country" said Governor Roosevelt.
''It is a perfectly easy thing to say
we must restore the purchasing pow
er of the farmer. Fine! OF course
we must. But how are we going to
do it? l would sooner have a short
handshake with the fellow who
knows how to do it than listen for
week to the fellow who knows how
to tell you what the trouble is" Thus
retored Governor Smith. People
suggest that a huge expenditure of
public funds by the Federal govern
ment Governor. Smith made that
suggestion in his Jackson Day
speech) and by state and local gov
ernments will completely solve the
unemployment problem. Let us adj
nit frankly that it will be only a stop
gap" said Governor Roosevelt. "Ex-
ceptiOn to this "a Federal bond issue
for public work. has recently been
taken by a prominent Democrat on
the theory that it is stop gap. Who
ever said it was anything else? 1t
is at least better than nothing" So
responded Governor Smith, his last
sentence sounding good deal like
a fist landing on the point of chin.
There we're similar parallels all
the way through Governor Smiths
talk, but it is not necessary to set
them all out. What Roosevelt said
is sufficiently indicated by the Smith
declamations. "This is no time for
the Happy Warrior
declared "At a time like this there
is always the temptation to some
men to stir up class prejudice, to stir
up the bitterness of the rich against
the poor and the poor against the
rich. Against that effort, L set my
self uncompromisingly. I will take
off my coat and fight to the end
against and candidate who proceeds
in any demagogic appeal to the
of the working people in this
country to destroy this government |
by setting class against class and
rich again poor" Bold words, my |
mastersl And nobody had the least |
loubt against whom they were di- !
rected. AS a harmony dinner" the |
Jefferson Day banquet was what the
i'm the language of the
street might call a WOW!
q
But Governor Smith did not give
lis entire time to castigating Gov
,rnOr Roosevelt. Having inefface-
IDLY demonstrated that in his Opin-
on the ID" in the middle of the Ex=
,cutive's name. stands for "Dema-
,ogue", Governor Smith passed on to
the remedies he would ap-
,ly for the relief of the present busi-
less situation if he were the boss.
lie would take the tariff entirely out
# the hands of Congress and make
the job of a commission to fix
ates-a method of tariff construc-
ion that has been tried several times
i the past and always abandoned.
md he would declare an extension
f the debt moratorium for twenty
ears with a palliating proviso that
I the meantime whenever any debt !
r nation should buy dollars worth
{ goods in American markets, that [
alton should be credited 25c on its '
ebt. This idea of scheme for the s
of American prosperity {
as at least the merit of ingenuity. |
obody else ever thought of it be-
,re-and nobody probably will ever
link of it again after the memory u
this remarkable dinner begins to
dc. . .-...t. '.u.-,
There were other speakers at the s
lnquet, but nobody seems to re-
ember what they said AL Smith
Dmpletely stole the show. Among
lose who did not speak, being re-
'rded simply among those pres
It, was John M. Garner He sat at
e head table, as his position as the
an who holds the highest office any
has held since Woodrow
ilson entitled him to do, But no.
'dy called on him to speak and no
eaker made any reference to him.
,nsidering the fact that three
seks ago his name was. on every
ngue and he seemed on the way to
a party hero, Il not indeed to be
G party's nominee for President, it
rs really pathetic. AS an eminent
newspaper correspond
t wrote: There never was a bet
r illustration that the faster they
NIB the farther they fall" iii
SIS
Since this letter seems to have
fitted mainly into the current of
rsonal politics, it may as we'll be
included along the same line by
9 observation that the gentry in
w York City, who presumably
,I,o n living fOmanfinR and hand