Evening star., 1936-06-22
Five Walking Democrats.

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On the night of January Is last, at
a dinner Of the Liberty League in this
city, former Governor Alfred E. Smith
of New York made memorable speech
in which he recounted the grievances
of certain individuals and groups of the
Democratic party against the legislative
policies and administrative practices of
the administration of President Roose-
Velt in the course of which he said:
There is only one of two things We
can do. We can either take on the
mantle of hypocrisy or we can take a
walk, and we will probably do the latter"
This was Immediately accepted as a
specific protest against the renomi-
nation of President Roosevelt. 1t was
belittled by representatives of the ad-
ministration, was countered by Senator
Robinson in what was recognized as the
response of the administration. Mr..
Smith was in effect dared to take his
walk as a gesture of individual dis
comfture without significance or effect
upon the purposes and the fortunes of
the Democratic party.
Now Mr.. Smith has taken his walk,
in undeniably respectable company.
He and four other eminent Democrats
have sent a letter addressed Ito the
delegates to the Democratic National
toh &c 10 10 10
morrow at Philadelphia, scoring the
policies and practices of the Democratic
administration during the past three and
a quarter years and asking the putting
aside of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the
substitution of some genuine Democrat
The substance of the declaration of
independence thus delivered on the
eve of the Philadelphia convention is
contained in these words:
I'VE hope for the best and call upon
you to stand for Democratic principles
50 that the coming contest may be be-
tween two great American groups, which
have honest differences of opinion within
the framework of the Constitution. If
you do, you will deserve success and
honor-no matter what may be the out
come of the campaign, for in either case
American institutions will be safe If
you fail, then patriotic voters of all
parties will know unhesitatingly to what
standard they must rally in order to
preserve the America of the great lead
ers of the past
In other words, if the Democratic con-
vention renominates President RooSe-
velt-Which, of course, it will do, on the
first ballot, unanimously-these five and
such followers as they may influence
will take a walk" out of the Demo-
cratic ranks into those of the opposition.
What the effect of this challenge and
threat will be upon the voters of the
country is now the question of impor-
tance. What is the numerical size and
the influence of this boiling group, in
cluding former Governor of New York
and a one-time candidate of the Demo-
cratic party for the presidency, former
Democratic Secretary of State, former
United States Senator, a former Gov
ernor of Massachusetts and a former
justice of the Supreme Court of New
York?
Four States, normally to be regarded
as essential to Democratic success in a
national campaign, are represented in
this declaration, Massachusetts, New
York, New Jersey and Missouri. What
influence in these States have the five
who are now taking walk? How many
of the rank and file will follow them in
their perambulation? Those questions
will give the managers of the campaign
which is formally to open tomorrow at
Philadelphia seriously to think, though
they may not in the least degree affect
the ticket to be named or the policies
to be declared in the platform.