Smithisms

Terseness has been Calvin Coolidge's contribution to modern political speech in the U. S. Studious, abstract prolixity has been Herbert Hoover's. Plainness, homeliness, informality, which some called "cheapness" and others "humor," what some called "smart" and others "clever," what none denied had drive and excitement characterized the campaign utterances of Alfred Emanuel Smith.

Last week, having elaborated governmental issues as far as he thought was desired by the people he expected to vote for him, Governor Smith conducted a "cleanup" campaign of undisguised political debating. The speeches were more memorable for fragments than in full. Excerpts that will be remembered as typical Smithisms:

At Baltimore

"What gets most on my nerves is the hollow mockery of it, to raise between heaven and earth, the emblem of Christianity, as a defiance to a fellow citizen, the Executive of a great State. As far as I am concerned, I would sooner go down to ignominious defeat than be elected to any office in this country if I had to have--if to accomplish it I had to have the support of any group [the Klan] with such perverted ideas about Americanism."

At Newark

"Why is it that Governor Hughes is not running for President? Why didn't he take that nomination? He is doing more work to elect the Republican President than the nominee himself."

(After repeating his Water Power stand) "Now, I have made that perfectly clear. . . . I ask Mr. Hughes to ask his candidate the same question that he asked me."

"Talking about fooling the people--let's devote just a few minutes to this question of prohibition. . . . I know perfectly well that the President of the United States cannot amend the Constitution. Mr. Hughes does not have to tell me that. I know that, and what is more, I know that he knows that I know it."

"He [Mr. Hughes] himself was responsible for the statement made before the Bar Association that I am a past master in the art of politics. At the same time he says that you cannot take the tariff out of politics. Now, if both statements are right, let him leave that to me. I am the man."

"The Republican candidate takes the credit for everything that has happened in this country that is any good to anybody. . . . Why, he even spoke about the increased number of children in the public schools. The Republican Party was not responsible for that. Thanks be to God, everybody had a hand in doing that. In my time I did my share."

"I believe that it is an insult, a coldblooded insult. . . . It is a foolish attempt to get the American workingman to believe that the Democratic Party under my leadership is going to prostrate him, drive his children out of his house and leave him helpless and homeless. What a stupid performance--of all the men in the world to urge that against a man who came up from the ranks of labor himself, and if elected President I am going to drive them all out of their home!"

"Well, I am not a new hand in executive positions. Unlike my opponent, this is not the first time I ran for public office."

"The poor old gentleman who symbolizes the G. O. P. had to go up and hide away the full dinner pail. He worked it until he had it all worn out and when this campaign opened up he quietly went up into the attic and had a little piece of chamois cloth and was getting ready to polish it all up and see if he could not pass it around again."

At Brooklyn

"Wise fellows--I call them wise guys."

"Here is one for you. This is warm."

"The Egyptian Sphinx is a Victor talking machine compared to it."

"The Republican candidate is what we call a wet dry."

"There ain't going to be any report, because there ain't going to be any commission.''

"The nerve, the brass, of a Republican to walk down on Long Island and talk about what their party is doing to give the people parks."

In Manhattan

"Why, the term bootlegger, with all that it means and all that it implies, is known even to the children in our public schools."

"I do not believe that there is anything that the American people cannot do with their own government."

"We have had in this country, in my opinion, about all we could stand of the 'spokesman' idea."