DEMOCRAT CONVENTION

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 June 1928, Page 5

DEMOCRAT CONVENTION

HOT TIME IN TEXAS GOVR. SMITH SUPREME ' (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Recd. June 26, 10.25 a.m.) NEW YORK, June 25. Houston, where the Democratic Convention is meeting, is a half-grown torrid little city of Texas, in which living is made nearly unbearable by hot winds, sweeping in from the Gulf of Mexico. It is swarming, overcrowded and frightfully uncomfortable but trembling with excitement. Talk is loud and pugnacious, centreing chiefly upon Prohibition. The actual situation has not changed. One Tammanyite arriving here summed it up graphically: “You ask what is our platform Smith is a platform in himself.”

Governor - Smith dominates and inevitably he will dictate. Senator Reed is ruled out from serious consideration, either as a candidate or leader of the Smith opposition. The latter duty now depends upon Mr Callow, an inexperienced politician, Dan Moody, Governor of Texas, and a small fervent group of Prohibitionists, most of whom are women. Actually only seven per cent of the delegates are women, showing a marked decrease since the Democratic Convention of 1924, but their absolute honesty and intense sincerity mark them as a ponderable political force that is Gargantuan, but a veryreal figure. Mr Bryan is absent from the Democratic Convention for the first time in a generation. There is no one to take his place.

If one remembers that this Southern section of America is traditionally democratic, it can be seen under what peculiar circumstances this Convention will be conducted. It will be a family affair. The Convention of 1924 was smallowed up in large New York, and soon became a laughing stock because of its political barbarity, but here it is' a vastly serious business. Aammany will sway the decisions. One can therefore expect shrewdness and long practised analytical gunning. It is expected that to-morrow the Convention will organise, adopting a platform on Wednesday or Thursday. The Presidential nomination will probably occur on Thursday, and the. Vice-Presidential nomination on Friday, with an immediate adjournment thereafter.