The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-02-13
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By FRANK P. LITSCHERT

There can be no question that the
most important development politically
for some little time was the address
! delivered recently by former Governor
Alfred E. Smith, of New York, at the
banquet of the Liberty League, attack
ing the New Deal, with especial atten-
ton to the now apparently forgotten
Democratic platform of 1882. The fact
that the speech had it's effect is indi-
| Gated by the many answers which were
made to it, by members of Congress,
by Secretary Ickes, of the Presidents
cabinet, by John w. Lewis, head of
the coal miners, and last but by no
means least by Senator Joseph E. Rob-
inson, of Arkansas, administration
leader and candidate for Vice-Presi-
dent on the same ticket with Governor
Smith in 1928.
*xw .- u
Despite the personalities which have
been flying thick and fast, it ought to
be possible by those who are outside
the path of the missiles to get fairly
calm view of the development of the
situation to date. One of the note
worthy facts seems to be that, whether
we like what Governor Smith said or
not, the answers which have been made
to his address in the main have not
been replies to the charges which the
New York Governor made against the
New Dealers for their policy in repu-
fdiating the platform and adopting prin-
ciples which seem to be decidedly OPP
posed to the 1882 declarations, but
have in the main constituted attacks on
the Governor himself. In short, instead
of denying the Smith charge that the
administration has turned its back on
the platform, failed to balance the
budget or trim autocracy, the strategy
of his opponents seems to be to say
to Governor Smith, you're another"
For example, instead of dealing with
Mr.. Smiths charges one by one, as to
their soundness or fallibility, Senator
Robinson declares that governor
Smith not only has changed sides in
the great battle, but his whole out
look seems to have undergone trans
formation" Again we are told that the
"brown derby has been discarded for
the high hat" and that Governor
Smith at one time approved the NRA,
farm relief, federal spending and pub
lie works. All of which may or may not
be true, but it must not be forgotten
that Governor Smith is not a candidate
and it is not his administration which
is on trial. ..-
81. .-+ ***
Again John W. Lewis, president Of
the mine workers, is quoted by news
papers as calling Governor Smith a
"gibbering political packanapes" and
declaring "a billion dollar dinner was
given here the other night and that
dinner was addressed by man who
had made a reputation for himself as
a great commoner" but who appeared
before that billion dollar dinner and
performed for his masters" Others of
those who replied to the Smith address
did so by accusing the Governor of in
gratitude to his party and of selling out
the common people to the wicked plu-
tocrats.
/ In other words the defenders, in
stead of analysing the contents of Mr.
Smiths snowballs, merely rolled UP
some other ones and threw back. We
are still in the dark as to why the Dem
/ ocratic platform declarations, and tbs
pledge of loyalty made to it in 1882 by
the national leader, were so quickly
/ supplanted by the New Deal, the leg.
islation for which was already drawn
up for approval of Congress when il