Evening star., 1936-06-23
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

Stad Correspondent of The Star
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, June 23.-
''The continuance of the New Dea
Is the issue!"
Big Jim" Farley, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, f1une
this to the roaring, cheering dele.
gates at today's opening session o.
the Democratic National Convention
1t was long after the hour ap-
pointed for the opening of the con.
vention when Chairman Farley raped
the gathering to order. The big clock
hanging in the center of the hall
registered 1902 pm, Eastern standard
time.
Mayor S. Davis Wilson of Philadel-
phia, Republican. and elected over de-
termined Democratic opposition last
Fall. welcoming the delegates, said
that politics is adjourned" in Phila-
delphia for the duration of the con-
vention. The city, he said, was at
the command of the delegates. Even
the weather, the Mayor said, had
smiled upon the delegates, with TO
degree of temperature, which he had
promised the Democratic National
Committee when he urged that the
convention be held in Philadelphia.
Question Clear Cut.
"7The question before American peo-
pie is clear cut and cannot be dis
guised," he continued. THAT question
is: Shall we continue the New Deal,
which has rescued our country from
disaster and despair, or shall the Gov
eminent be turned back to the old
dealers who wrecked it? There you
have the issue stripped of all camou-
fage."
And having stated the issue, Farley
warned the Roosevelt Democrats
against overconfidence in the outcome
of the election next November.
Il want to point out" he said, "that
while the political skies seem fair for
our party and our destined candidates,
and all of us believe that the country
will echo our desires in unmeasured
enthusiasm, and a record majority,
confidence In the outcome is not
enough.
The consequences of the coming
election are vital to the future of this
Nation. Because Of their gravity no
one Of us dares do less than his ut
most toward swelling the majority
that will testify to the national desire
that the processes of recovery, in
itiated and carried on by Franklin D.
Roosevelt shall not be interrupted"
First Note of Caution.
This was the first note of caution
that has been sounded by the Demo-
cratic chairrnan, who has been in
sisting that the Roosevelt ticket will
carry in every one of the 4S States.
Almost Immediately afterward, how
ever, Chairman Farley ridiculed the
Landon-Knox ticket of the Republic
ans and sarcastically referred to the
G. o. P. platform as "straddle."
Landon, he charged, wears the
"epaulets of liberalism" in the West,
and in the East .the insignia of con-
servatism." He assailed the huge
financial interests" that have been the
backbone of every Republican admin
tstration of recent years and charged
them with ingratitude toward Presi-
dent Roosevelt who had rescued them
from the depths of loss" and made it
possible for them to make money
again. Now, he said, these interests
have engaged "in crusade of vitu-
peration and detraction in an effort
to destroy the faith of the people in
the President"
Farley saw in the Republican Ma
tional Convention, recently held in
Cleveland, an "agency which has con-
tributed much to the jubilant feeling
we have in regard to the outcome of
the election in November"
by their platform" he continued,
"they would have assured our VIC
tory, I believe, even had our national
organization remained dormant dur
ing the whole preconvention period.
Confronted by the impossible task of
reconciling the standpat views of the
powers behind the minority party with
their anguished necessity of making a
pretense of liberalism, they turned
loose the most. extraordinary platform
on record In this country.
"our friends the enemy had an op-
portunity to be sincere. If they had
any regard for consistency they would
have renamed Herbert Hoover. They
passed him up. despite his impas-
stoned stampeding speech. For you
(see CONVENTION, Page A-5)