THE DEMOCRATS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20183, 27 June 1928, Page 7

THE DEMOCRATS

CONVENTION IN TEXAS Presidential Nomination is Expected To-morrow GOVERNOR SMITH DOMINATES i By Telegraph—Per Pross Assn.—Copyright ] I Australian Press Assn. ] 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 is trembling with excitement. Talk is loud and pugnacious, centering chiefly upon prohibition. The acutal situation has not changed. One Tammnyite arriving here summed it up graphically “You ask what is our platform. Smith is the 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 1 latter duty now depends upon a cal|low, inexperienced politician, Mr 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 decrase since the Democratic Convention of 1924, but their absolute honesty and intense sincerity mark them as a political force. That gargantuan but very real figure, Mr Bryan, is absent from the Democratic Convention for the first, time in a generation, and 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 swallowed up in large New York and soon became a laughing stock because of its political barbarity, but here it is a vastly serious business.

It is expected that to-morrow the Convention will organise, adopting ; ts platform on Wednesday or Thursday. The Presidential nomination a. ill probably occur on Thursday, and the VicePresidential nomination on Friday, with an immediate adjournment.