Evening star., 1944-10-04


liant figure. He used words like q
sharp knife to cut through am
biguities and misapprehensions. His
phrases were peculiarly his, the
complement Of his incisive thought.
In his first speech at Omaha, deal
ing with farm questions, he at
tempted to present simplified In
depreciation Of the complex McNary-
Haugen farm relief bill. He made =
clean-cut discrimination between
the principle and the mechanics of
the measure. It was regarded widely
as clarifying analysis.
After an exhaustive series of
swings around the Nation, Mr.. Smith
wound up his campaign in = huge
Madison Square Garden rally in his
native New York City. All during
his tours. with exceptions here and
there-notably Louisville-Mr. Smith
was greeted by great popular demon
strations comparable to the out
pourings that marked Bryans cam
paign appearances.
Crushed by Hoover.
On election day, however, Mr..
Hoover was victorious in an unpre-
cedented turnout that gave the Re
publican candidate "A electoral
votes. Mr.. Smith carried eight
States for 81 electoral votes.
Hoover's popular vote was 81 ,392,-
1870; Smiths l5,016.443, and the total
for all candidates of 36,879.4l4 was
nearly 5000, 900 above the combined
Coolidge, Davis and La Toilette pop
ular vote in 1924.
About two months after his defeat
Mr.. Smith concluded his fourth
term as Governor and insisted he
never would again return to public
ofnce. Asked If that meant he was
not going to take further interest in
politics, Mr.. Smith replied:
TT does not. This State has been
very good to me. 1t has done more
for me than it has for any other
citizen. The fact that I am not
holding ONCE does not mean that
am not as much interested in poll
tics as ever.
1T would be disloyal and migrate
full for me not to be as active as
ever. What would people say? oh,
AL is not running for Office. so he
has laid down on the job,' and they
would be justified, too."
True to that promise, the former
Governor took part in the New York
City campaign in 1929. He became
possibility for the Democratic
presidential nomination in 1892, and
subsequently was sharp critic OF
his party's national administration
in the New Deal" days.
Took a Walk in 1886"
Mr.. Smiths aversion to the New
Deal brought him back into the
forefront of the political arena a.
an opponent of his old friend
Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1886. II
was in the beginning of that yeal
that he made his famous take q
walk" speech.
Addressing the American Liberty
League at dinner here on January
i25, 1886, he prefaced a lambastine
of the New Deal with this con
|fession"::
Il am here because I am q Demo
lcrat. I was born in the Democratic
party and I expect to die in it.
1t Is not easy for me to stand up
here tonight and talk to the Amer
lican people against the Democratic
administration. That is not easy
1t hurts me.
But can call on innumerable
witnesses to testify to the fact that
during my whole public life I put
patriotism against partisanship
And when I see danger to the
fundamental principles upon which
this Government of ours was organ
lied, it is difficult for me to refrain
from speaking up"
After detailed exposition OF
charges that the New Deal had
carried the Roosevelt administration
away from the principles of the
Democratic party, he said there was
only one of two things for the
disciples of Jefferson, jackson and
Cleveland to do:
I'VE can either take on the
mantle of hypocrisy or we can take
a walk, and We will probably do the
latter"
Backed Gov. Landon
Mr.. Smith carried out the take q
walk" threat and supported Mr.
Landon in the 1886 campaign, al
though insisting that he had nc
grudge or ill-feeling against Presi-
dent Roosevelt himself.
After war broke out in Europe, in
1899, Mr.. Smith made severa.
speeches in support of the Presi-
dents foreign policy. His first pub.
lie support of a major measure
advocated by Mr.. Roosevelt was ir
a radio address on October l. 1899
urging the Nation to stand solidly'
behind the Presidents fight tc
amend the Neutrality Act in order
to remove the embargo against
arms shipments to the Allies.
In the spring of 194l-months be-
fore the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor-Mr. Smith made other
broadcasts under the auspices OF
the Committee to Defend America
by Aiding the Allies. appealing for
national unity in the emergency
indorsing lease-lend legislation and
urging stepped-up wartime" pro-
duction.
His support Of the Presidents S
foreign policy did not interfere with
Mr.. Smiths dislike of the New
Deal, however, and 1910 found him
particularly opposed to the third
term. He made several speeches in
support of Mr.. Willkie, declaring in
one at Chicago that when he took
yoi~ eYtr1 a. 1ooc 10 r.. a.l,4