Evening star., 1936-01-27
CHEERING HOUSE
|ND0RSES ATTACK
0NSM|TH SPEECH
''He Took His Walk in Chi
cago," Representative
Woodrum Declares.
JACKSON OR JEFFERSON
WOULD FIGHT, HE SAYS
Fish Defends Former Democratic
Nominee-"Feathers Fly Where
Shot Hts" He Holds.

The Democratic House Endorsed an
attack or Alfred E. Smith today with
standing ovation, only to hear from
RepreseE' 'ative Fish. Republican, of
New York that where the feathers
fly is where the shot hit"
Representative Woodrum, Democrat.
of Virginia dismissed the threat of
the former New York Governor to
take a walk" if the Philadelphia
convention upholds the New Deal in
the words: He took his walk in
Chicago"
The reference was to Smiths
abrupt return home from the 1882
convention instead of waiting to hear
Franklin D Roosevelt accept the
presidential nomination.
The trouble with Democrats, re-
joined Fish, "is that they just can't
take criticism"
Democrats Applaud.
Republican members had listened to
Woodrum intently, but quietly. The
Democrats repeatedly applauded, and
stood when he ended.
Smith says America is being
ruined" Woodrum said, "and what
does he do-takes walk. Can you
imagine Jackson, Jefferson. Cleveland
or Franklin D. Roosevelt taking walk
if the country was in danger"
Protesting he did not want to be
frivolous or personal. Woodrum wanted
to know when did the sanctity of
Democratic platforms become so i'm
portant in the eyes Of this gentleman?"
He recalled the 1923 convention at
Houston, when, he said, both parties
were divided over prohibition.
The Democrats, he said. finally
compromised with q law-enforcement
plank Then he quoted Smiths tele-
gram to Senator Robinson. Democrat.
of Arkansas. in which Smith stood firm
on his belief in prohibition change,
and said, Il feel it to be the duty Of
the chosen leader OF the people to
point the way"
"Writes Own Plank"
He wrote his own prohibition plank
and started to run on it." Woodrum
summarized.
Heckled from the Democratic side,
Fish challenged ANY Democrat to
take the floor and deny the specific
charges made. one by one, or fepudi-
alton of the Democratic platform.
He called the Woodrum speech an
attack and fiasco" and no answer to
the criticism by Smith.
Declaring Smith had never been
identified with socialism" Fish asked:
How could Gov. Smith walk out
on the Democratic party when his own
party had gone socialistic?"
Addressed As Rubber Stamps"
Addressing the tense legislators as
my fellow rubber stamps" a char
acterization used by Smith. the Viz
ginian proceeded with the first of
series Of counters to the New Workers.
charge that the 1882 platform had
been betrayed.
1T was a strange gathering" Wood
rum said, land I was wondering while
the gentleman stood there, his un-
equalled ego feeding on the applause
of that gathering; I wonder if Es
realized that IS per cent of those who
sat there in 1928 started a certain
we'll known whispering campaign"
Explaining they were pointing q
finger of scorn" at Smith because,
among other things, "his table man.
ners were not just what they might
be in polite society,"" he related that
there they were " enjoying his
jibes ="
Cites Election Comment.
Citing the Smith admonition to
Congress Ito forget the election" and
his look ahead to the convention with
Roosevelt having the nomination,
Woodrum remarked:
"At least I'll say he is a good
prophet.
"A very definite, subtle effort was
made to make it appear to the coun-
try that because the Democratic party
had left its platform there was
a great Democratic chieftain who had
found it necessary to leave the party"
How well we remember Chicago.
with little Johnny Raskob and Jouett
Shouse and those other little spoiled
boys who couldn't take it."
Reelection Of President Roosevelt
was considered more certain than
ever" by Speaker Byrns. He criticized
Smith for failing to assert what he
would have done had he been Presi-
dent.
Representative Bankhead of Ala
bama, who heads the party forces in
debate, said Smiths personal record
and ofncial record make him very vul-
nerable.
ay, tho 1904 y,rosidentioI roce and