The Washington times., 1936-06-24
STIRS
DELEGATES TO
FEVER PITCH
Vast Throng Roars Its
Approval Of Speech
BY Keynoter
CONTINUED from Page u


over the gavel as permanent chair.
man Of the convention.
Senator Robinson was AL Smiths
running mate in 1928, and he has
a score to settle with him in that
regard. What Barkley left unsaid
last night. Robinson will say to-
night. Barkley said:
"We stand before the Amer
lean people without apology and
without retreat. We meet to re-
name and subsequently to re-
elect, to the highest office with
in our gift, q man whose build
up is his record"
Two thousand delegates and al
ternates, plus other thousands in
the galleries, roared their ap-
proval. The Kentucky Senator,
noted for his oratory, was in rare
form and he literally went to
town" in his summation of the
Roosevelt record and in deriSive
comment on the claims of the op-
position.
Delegates At Fever Pitch
Representative Lemke'S third
party challenge, designed to cut
considerable ground from under
the Democrats in the prairie
States; AL Smiths threat to take
a walk" in the EaSt-these twin
threats to Democratic success in
November were we'll nigh forgot
ten as the delegates rose to the
fever pitch of the keynote address.
Barkley mentioned jefferson,
whom he described as "the most
despised liberal of his generation"
He said Jackson was looked down
upon as a vulgar ruffian." He
recalled that they described Lin
coin as a "buffoon" and that
they once called woodrow Wilson
"a dreamy professor" and de-
clared:
Franklin Roosevelt finds him
self in glorious companiOnShip
with these great spirits who
spurned the chariot of futility
and negatiOn."
He picked up and flung back
the refrain that became so popular
during the Republican convention
at Cleveland-the Three Long
Years." dolefully drawn out by the
band to the air of the Three
Blind Mice"
Twelve Long Years"
He recalled that for "12 long
years." between 1920 and 1882, the
Republicans were in the saddle,
and he laid the depression at their
feet.
He spoke of collapsing banks,
of five-cent cotton, of 30-cent
wheat, of the great collapse OF
1929, of the panic which gripped
the economic leaders seven years
ago. He recalled that the captains
Of industry had appealed to Mr..
Roosevelt in those dark days Writ
ually to take charge Of their buSl-
neSSeS.
He did not overlook an oppor-
tunity for a direct thrust at the
Republican nominee, Governor
Alfred M. Landon. He added:
"Need I remind you that the
Republicans who manipulated
the Cleveland convention nOmi-
mated a man for President who
before the American Bankers
Association denounced Federal
deposit insurance. and as gov
ernOr of his State exerted every
ounce of influence at his COM
mand to prevent the banks of
Kansas from entering the guar
anteed System?"
Concerning the Supreme Court
and the Constitutional issue,
Barkley said the Administration
will abide by the decisions of the
Court, but that the Democratic
Party viii not hesitate to recon-
mend amendments to the Con-
Stttution which will enable the
legislative branch to deal with
economic problems.
Platform Ready
Meanwhile, the platform COM
mittee met today under chair
manship of Senator Robert F.
Wagner of New York, as enthusi-
astic New Dealer" as could be
found in the convention. For all
practical purposes, the platform
already is written. The draft
was approved in the White House
before the delegates assembled
here.
There had been some specula-
tion concerning a possible plat
form fight. Ordinarily, Virginia's
member of the resolutions COM
mittee would be peppery Senator
Carter Glass, a Sound money
man." Senator Glass didn't want
to serve on the platform commit
tee: neither did his conservative
colleague, Senator Harry Byrd.
In the end, the Virginians chose
Governor George c. Peery as
their member of the committee,
thus absolving Glass and Byrd
from any responsibility for the
platform.