The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-18

told the board when 1t met last night, twill be my demand for the resignation of Conner Smith. I am leaving until you act on that re- quest. If your action is unfavorable I shall not return"
 Smith Rebuked Priest
 Gomer Smith Is the part-Indian Oklahoman who stepped to the platform after Father Coughlin's bitter arraignment of the new deal and rehuked the priest for calling President Roosevelt e "liar," 'be. trayer" and double crosser." Town- send objected to the Oklahoman's tactics. The Coughlin speech and one not unlike 1t by the Rev. Smith split the Townsend convention wide open, stampeding many, including pr. Townsend, to support of Lemke and infuriating democratic Town- sendites who foresaw trouble back home if they drifted here with the anti- Roosevelt tide.
 Past midnight the Townsend board members struggled with the problem of Q leader who had taken @ walk and one of their own num- Der whom they would not desert.
 Rejecting repeated telephonic enc treaties, Townsend finally returned to the conference room on the plea of committee which waited in his adjacent quarters and the board announced finally that no one. In- cluding Conner Smith, would be censured for any speeches made here.
 Doctor Slips Out
 But the still angry doctor slipped out of the conference room a modi- flying statement of his own, mak- ing 1t evident that the peace is merely an armistice likely to be in- terrupted by sharp firing when the delegates have gone home and board meetings are accompanied by less publicity.
 Tn view of the stress of other business" Townsend said, mo further action will be taken regard ing MT. Conner Smith, remaining upon the board of directors until aA bSk tAlG COAAVG31blOus
 Several board members interpret. ed the Conner Smith incident to bear directly upon the invasion of the Townsend organization by the Rev. Smith, one-time Shreveport, Lap divine who preached the fu- neral oration over the body of Huey P. Long and now leads the share our wealth organization created by the Kingflsh.
 Smith Defeats Smith
 The Rev. Smith is credited by his associates here with defeating Conner Smith in Oklahoma for democratic nomination for the United States by throwing share-our-w votes to one of his opponents, Rep. Josh Lee. The Oklahoman made practically that charge in his speech here and board members who are alarmed by their eclipse in the shadow of the Louisiana preacher privately expressed fear that If we vote Conner out we will be voted out next"
 The two Smiths met in private conference of their own during the board rebellion and reported finally that all was well between them. But board members remained sceptical of the Rev. Smith and promised to set up regional political arrange ments of their own when they re- turn to their Townsend constituen. cieS. These would be so arranged that southern and far western pen- sion planners, largely democratic, could remain in their own party organization while Townsendies in normally republican territory could endorse candidates of their own political faith-proviCled the candi- dates unqualifiedly endorsed the Townsend plan for $200-a-month to each person of 60 years or more.