Evening star., 1936-10-09
SMITH EXPLAINING
CAUSES FOR WALK
Roosevelt Reputation OF
Platform AssaiIed in Phila.
delphia Address.
b the Associated Press.

b the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, October 9.-Al-
fred e. Smith. former Democratic
candidate for President, indicated to-
day his two remaining speeches IN
the campaign would be devoted to
giving hts reasons for taking walk"
from his party and supporting Gov.
All M. Landon, the Republican presi-
dental nominee.
He started his explanation in a
speech here last night by telling an
audience of 4,500 the chief reason for
his walk" was "the almost complete
abandonment Of the Democratic plat
form by the so-called Democratic"
administration.
Never as far back as can remem-
ber or as far back as I am able to
read history" he asserted, did ever
see so complete a reputation OF
platform in letter, in spirit, IN princi-
piles and in detail"
Danger to Democracy.
He made no mention in his speech
of Gov. Landon, but warned his audi
ence of great danger to our demo-
cratic form of government" This. he
said, lies in the possibility that a
majority Of the people may put the
stamp of approval upon political
party that abandons its platform and
goes back on its promises"
For years." Smith said, II was
ready at the drop of the hat to hop
all over a Republican who said any
thing. can't do it this year. I will
tell you why. When you hop at
fellow you have got to be right your
self"
Outlining his plans for his future
speeches, he said:
During the rest of the campaign I
propose as far as it is humanity posi-
bic to do it to develop my reasons
for the walk"
He is scheduled to speak in Chi
cago October % and Albany, N. Y,
October 81.
Smith stated he would show in his
later speeches lust exactly what the
New Deal party did with the promises
they made in 1882 and to assure the
Democrats" that they need have no
fear of being accused of walking out
of the party"
Left High and Dry.
Far from it." he added. The party
has walked away from them. 1t has
left them high and dry, and the
meanest thing that can happen to
the rank and file of the party is to be
put into a position where it has to
defend or apologize for what a party
was in honor bound to do.
THE people that voted this admin
istration into power on the assump-
ton that they stood for certain set
of principles found out afterward that
they had been entirely misled. and they
put at the head of the Government
a group of men, bent upon a program
that has angered millions of citizens
throughout the United States, citizens
of both political parties. who trusted
in the honesty of the platform and
the honesty of the men that were
elected upon it.
IT will speak for myself. If ]
thought that I was going to get the
platform of Norman Thomas rather
than the Democratic party, I will tell
you what 1 would have done. I
would have done something for Hoover
that he didn't do for me. I would
vote for him.
Il am not responsible for the sins
Of commission and the sins of omis-
sion On the part of the leaders of my
party when they betrayed the trust
Of the people in the reputation. not
only Of the party platform, negatively
and affirmatively, but betrayal of the
fundamental principles upon which the
party was constructed"
A large part of his speech was de-
voted to discussion of the agricultural
plank Of the platform and the New
Deal agricultural measures He termed
the A. A. A. "a colossal flop" He also
touched briefly on the 1882 pledge to
reduce Government bureaus and agen-
cies
He concluded his speech with an
appeal to his listeners to separate
the political bunk from the facts"
between now and November and to
induce their neighbors to do the same.