Evening star., 1932-04-14
Smith Proposes 2OYear War Debt Delay and Bond Issue
FNEGAr
)F NEGATIVE THIS YEAR.

ruin by trying to make them believe
that they can get employment before
the people who would ordinarily en-
ploy them are also again restored 20
conditions of normal prosperity. rae
tory worker cannot get his job back
until business conditions enable the fac
tory owner to open up again, and 10
pormiSe the great masses OF WORKING
people that they can secure renewed
treachery to those working people, TO
the principles of the Democratic party
and to tbs United States itself.
l have recently stated that, while l
would accept nomination for the
presidency if it were rendered me by
the convention. that until the conven-
tlon assembled I would not be for or
against any candidate l announce to-
night an exception to that statement.
will take off my coat and fight TO the
end against any candidate who per-
slstS IN any demogogic appeal TO the
masses Of the working people Of this
country to destroy themselves by set
ting class against class and rich against
poor
No relief can come to the country
from constant fault-f1nding. Construc-
tive proposals are the order of the day,
ana written across the Democratic ban
ner must be the single word Fair -
falr treatment to everybody. to capital,
10 LABOR: to the farmer and if here and
there capital abuses its privileges, do
not condemn capital as a whole, but
root out the evildoer; and where unfair
practices creep into the labor unions do
not condemn the entire labor movement,
put rather sustain it and strengthen 1t
by roofing out the evildoerS. Fair treat
ment to everybody, special privilege to
none whether they be rich or poor. Is
the basic theory of democracy and one
upon which it has the right to claim
the support and the confidence of the
rank and file of the people no matter
what their condition of life may be.
CIeveland's Words Recalled.
It will not do for the Democratic
party to seek victory at the polls simply
upon the theory that there will be re-
ward in store for the faithful in the
way OF patronage, and the desire to ac-
complsh victory simply for patronage
| purposes seems to lie behind the cry for
party harmony at the expense of party
principle. One of the greatest and most
heroic leaders CT our party. Grover
Cleveland, after he had been once NOM
mated and elected to the presidency;
once nominated and defeated and be-
fore ne received his third nomination,
/ which resulted in his second triumphal
election, said: What is the use of elec-
ton or reelection unless we stand for
something and 1 purpose that we shall
definitely and affirmatively stand for
something in our Chicago platform.
Some Democrats say Give us a
snort convention; others say, "Nomi-
nate a candidate against whcm moth
ing can be said, while there cannot be
much said for him" The disposition
to gloss over controversial questions in
an attempt to please both sides of the
argument will bring forth a meaning
less document, a colorlesS candidate
and weakened party. Expediency
will win nothing for democracy.
! l. would be better that the conven-
ton remain in session all Summer and
/ give to the people a vigorous. strong.
! clearly defined platform and candidates
/ capable of fighting for it. than to hurry
/ away from Chicago with a half-baked
proposal to offer to the people of the
1 country.
We will not win and we shall not
! even deserve to win if we turn our
national convention into a mere cheap
coSpiracy to obtain the spoils of public
| office
At no time in the history of the
country was there offered to any po-
litical party the opportunity that is
today presented to the Democratic par
ty for constructive effort and construc-
tive achievement in the interest of all
Of cur people. There is a lot of whis-
pering going around to the effect that
the party must be harmonious. When
| We speak about the party winning we
| should mean that the country is to be
the winner Only by courage, by fore
sight and by careful preparation of the
platform without compromise, without
the give and take processes that set
principle at naught can the United
States win and if the United States is
not going to win, what difference does
it make which party wins?