The Washington times., 1936-09-29
n. Y. LAUNCHES
BIG GP0L|7|CAL
CAMPAIGN
BY EARL GOODWIN

both starting off the campaign in
New York State today and to-
night, Empire State politics are
boiling.
There's a State with Al electoral
votes, and every one of them solid
gold as far as either candidate is
concerned. President Roosevelt's
hackers say he can win the elec-
ton without those At New York
votes-but even if it true, how
good it would make Chairman Far
ley, of the Democratic National
Committee, feel to deprive his
authenticated opponent, John
Hamilton, of the satisfaction OF
bagging that tremendous prize.
Democrats say that New York
city and environS will give PreSi-
dent Roosevelt a majority OF
100000, which is more than
enough to offset an upstate Re
publican majority. Again, if this
is true, it is something of tremen.
dous value to Mr.. Roosevelt and
it is something that Alfred E.
Smith would like to wipe out as
much as possible.
Political Speech
President Roosevelt admits that
his speech tonight before the New
York Democratic State convention
is to be a political one. That's
the first speech this fall which
the White House has failed to call
"nonpolitical." There is a peculiar
air around this campaign as far
as the President goes. He is still
the President of the United States,
even though he is a candidate for
reelection.
The Democratic State conven-
ton will renominate Governor
Lehman and after that President
Roosevelt will talk. President
Roosevelt'S speech will be the
start of a New York State drive.
The President will return to Wash
ington and be here Wednesday
for an important conference with
power magnates and Federal en-
gineers looking to grand coopera-
tive pool" of power facilities in
the IVA region. The President
then leaves for Elkins, w. Va,
where he will speak and on Thurs
day night he will speak at Pitts
burgh.
Night of Politics
That night the air will be bulg-
ing with politics. Not only does
the President speak, but he will
be preceded on the air by Col.
Frank Knox, one of the Presi-
dents severest critics. He will be
followed by Alfred E. Smith, who
gave up time which conflicted
with the Presidents. There does
not seem to be any doubt that
Alfred E Smith will severely
criticize the Presidents policies as
he did on the famous occasion
when he threatened to take
walk" with other "Jeffersonian'
Democrats on election day.
Somewhere, sometime in the
days to come the President is ex-
pected to crack back at Governor
Landon for the Governors severe
castigation of the Administra-
tion's social security act. In the
speech the Governor delivered at
Milwaukee Saturday night he
made what manS of President
Roosevelt's friends declare was
the most damaging attack yet
made on major New Deal fea
ture-the social security act is
one Of the Presidents pet meas
ures. In fact the President has
stated that the whole recovery
theory and the social progress
planned by this Administration
depends on the social security act.
Amendment Needed
President Roosevelt stated on
more than one occasion that the
social security act would have to
be amended, and that similar acts
in foreign countries had been
amended many times before the
law was finally smoothed out in
all particulars.
Governor Landon's promise to re-
peal the social security law and to
enact a better one in it's place
means, of course, that the Repub-
licanS believe in the principle of
old age pensions and unemploy-
ment insurance but they feel they
can do it better, with less expense,
more security and less red tape
than under the present act.
Governor Landon called to the
attention of domestic servants and
farm laborers the fact that the
present social security law does
not cover them at all. Whether
or not the G. o. P. candidate has
a detailed method of providing for
unemployment insurance for these
types of workers remains to be