Evening star., 1944-10-04

turned to the circle of Tammany
sachems. But during the years he
was out he refrained from speaking
against the hall and took the stump
for Democratic candidates.
With all his Tammany upbring-
ing. Mr.. Smith grew beyond the
--edo of personal aggrandizement
He became a specialist in govern
mental administration. His educa-
ton was derived from this context
and the great bulk of his training
was pointed in this direction.
In the 1928 presidential campaign
Mr.. Smith contributed what can best
be characterized as the educative
phase of national politics He in
terested an apathetic public in po-
litical questions which he brought
down to discussable terms. He hu-
manized politics, made it a warm
lively enterprise rather than a dead
| ly prearranged machine-like system
| Starting Up the Ladder.
Following the district election OF
1894, Mr. Smith did no active cam
! paigning until 1901, when he aided
Thomas F. Foley N the latter's sue
cessful battle against Pat Diver
district Tammany leader in Mr..
Smiths neighborhood.
The campaign with Mr.. Foley was a
turning point, for it was that Tam
many leader who gave Mr.. Smith his
actual start up the political ladder
Out of the relationship of 1901 grew
/ a deep loyalty that never was shaken
In "The Citizen and His Govern
ment," Mr. Smith gives Foley all the
cerdit for his success.
"If it had not been for Tom Foley
leader of the assembly district in
which I was born and raised, and
for the genuine care he took in fos-
tering my career anc giving me an
opportunity to get ahead in public
affairs, should certainly never have
been able to trayel the long road OF
politics which l have seen in my
lifetime"
In the fall of 1908, Mr.. Smith was
nominated for the State Assembly
The election was largely formality
| Met Jimmy" Walker.
Mr.. Smith went to the capital on
a freezing January night and set
tied down to legislative career in
an Albany rooning house.
At this time, too, came Mr.
Smiths first meeting with James j
Walker, who was destined to become
Mayor of New York. 1t happened
when Mr.. Smith made a New Year
call on Mr.. Walkers sister. Mr..
Walker, "a little bit young for the
party" Mr. Smith recollected, was
sent to bed. The next time Mr..
Smith and Mr.. Walker met was in
Albany in 1910, when Mr.. Walker
came to the State Assembly.
Mr.. Smiths first two legislative
terms were a blank" to him. He
once said that during his first term
the speaker of the House did not
know his name until three days be-
fore adjournment, more than three
months after the session started.
But, while still observing Mr.. Foley's
advice to keep quiet and vote
right" Mr.. Smith came under the
eye of Speaker James w. Wads-
worth, later United States Senator
Mr.. Wadsworth took an interest in
the young New Yorker and placed
him upon interesting committee as
signments.
Successes in Broader Fields.
From then on, through term after
term, Mr.. Smith grew in leadership.
In 1911 he was named leader of his
party in the Assembly as chairman
of the Committee on Ways and
Means and he became speaker in
1918.
In 1p15 he abruptly closed his leg
iSlative career. Tammany Hall
cognlzant of Mr.. Smith as a vote
getter, decided to test him beyond
the confines of his assembly district
and ran him for sheriff of the
County of New York, embracing all
of Manhattan. Mr.. Smith was
elected overwhelmingly, holding the
office through 1915-l917.
In 1917 Tammany ran Mr.. Smith
for president of the Board of Alder
men of Greater New York. That
put him to the test throughout the
five boroughs of the city. He again
was victorious and took Office jan
uary /, 1918.
When Mr.. Smith first took office
as Governor on January /, 1919, the
United States stood at the end OF
an old era and at the beginning OF
a new one. Mr.. Smith was able tc
grasp this fact, and his policies al
Albany were always in line with the
lnew feeling for social advance.
Three Main Lines Of Action.
i Within his four terms as Gov.
ernor, Mr.. Smiths policies were
translated through legislative actor
| into three classifications: D Reor-
ganization Of the State government
i 90 preservation of State political
individual and legal rights. and 81
i promotion of welfare legislation.
His thoughts on low-cost housing
were similar to New Deal" policie.
that were to come forth years latel
from washington. He pushed public
health legislation, child welfare leg.
islation, and supported the theory o1
personal freedom by upheldine
liquor repeal and signing the Mul.
lan-Gage act to cancel State en-.
! forcement of the Volstead Act ir
4 New York.
/ He championed labor and was q
strong believer in the conservation
] of the States power sources. One
1 OF his first acts upon assuming