AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20320, 31 January 1928, Page 9

AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

NOMINATION CAMPAIGN. RELIGIOUS ISSUE IN FOREFRONT. (Free, Association-By Telegraph—Copyngh!.; NEW YORK, January 29. While avowed and as yet unavowed aspirants for Presidential honours are working with might and main through their friends to obtain promises of support by the State delegations to the respective national conventions, interest in the poliical developments continue unabated.. Dr Butler (of Columbia University) has begun a nation-wide speaking campaign, particularly attacking prohibition. It is known that he desires the Republican nomination.

The New York Republicans have apparently joined the movement to nominate President Coolidge.

The announcement is being made that the New York State delegation to the Republican National Convention will support Mr Hoover only if the efforts to nominate Mr Coolidge fail.The religious issue remains in the forefront. Governor Paulsen, .of Kansas, stated that if the Democrats nominate Governor Smith the Ku Klux Klan will be revived in his State, to which Father Duffy (Governor Smith’s religious adviser and a noted war chaplain) replied that the Roman Catholics in the United States would fight the Pope if he were a civil ruler making war acainst the United States.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE PROHIBITION LEADERS. DEMAND “ DRY ” CANDIDATES. WASHINGTON, January 30. (Received Jan. 30, at 11 p.m.) The concern that prohibition leaders of the country feel over the possible nomination of Governor Smith as the Democratic candidate for the Presidency is sharply emphasised by the publication, on behalf of the Methodist Church Board Conference, of a statement that all the large prohibition organisations would combine against him. The statement added; ” The prohibitionists will demand that only a ‘dry’ candidate shall bo selected by either of the great political parties.” Representative Tilson. the Official Republican Loader in the House, has issued a statement opposing tariff revision prior to the Presidential election, but suggesting that it would be welcome later, as “ changes in the conditions of production here and abroad have occurred since the last revision in 1922, which, doubtless, call for readjustment.”