New Britain Herald Newspaper, October 19, 1928, Page 28

RITCHIE DERLARES SHITH IS CLEAN Democratic Candidate Own Mas- for, Maryland Governor Asserts Stamford, Oct. 19—Governor Al- fred E. Smith's Tammany record has been an open book for 30 years ané for the past 15 years especially thousands of his political enemies have turned their microscopes upon it but have been unable to find & flaw, Governor Albert C. Ritchie, of Maryland, stated at a democratic m meeting here last night. He spoke on the subject, “Governor Smith and Tammany Hall.” Every time any investigation has been started, Governor Ritchie said Smith has come clean. “Tammany Hall no more dominates him than I do0,” he declared. “If there is any dominating, Smith dominates Tam- many. He and his colleagues have made Tammany an agency for good government in New York city and he has a right to we proud of that. The S8mith anti-Tammany crusade is just as unjust to him as 1s the anti- Catholic bunk. B8mith is his own master.” Goverror Ritchie spoke as lows: “I am told that, like Rev. John Roach Straton, who perhaps loves the Lord almost as much as he loves publicity, there are many who pro- feses to think that Smith, as a pro- duct of Tammany Hall, doesn’t re- flect a sufficiently uplifting force, and is not good enough or great enough to be president. *“Well, goodness and greatness are almost as difficuit to define as they are to achieve. The Bible says, ‘b «their fruits ye shall know them,’ and if that be true then I need not stopte prove that Governor Smith is blessed with goodness and has achieved greatness, even if he never reaches the presidency. His record is open and clear and clean. The voters of New York year after year and the keenest minds of the nation regardless of politics, have endors- od it “One of the things that renews our faith in democracy and in the ability of our fellow men to do jus- tice, is the way everybody who Xnows gives Smith this high praise and concedes his superior qualities of head and heart. Read what men like Chgries Evans Hughes, Elihu Root, Nicholas Murray Butler, all republicans, say sbout him. Note how most of our independent, non- partisan writers and intellectuals bear similar testimony. They recog- nize that in this son of the East 8ide of New York the common peo- ple have once more cast up a great man and a great leader, just as they did in the case of Jackson and Lin- coln and Cleveland. There is noth- ing artificlal or manufactured about Smith. Perhaps that’ why some people can’t.compass him, just as at first they couldn’t compass Lincoln or Jackson, or Jefferson, or even ‘Washington. “You can, of course, reject Smith, if you are built that way: because of his humble origin; or for speak- ing the truth as he sees it on ques- tions like prohibition; or because you don’t agree with him that the nation must come to the relief of the farmer; or because you don't share his faith in the right and ability of the people to govern themselves; but you can’t refect him for lack of ability or for want of real greatness and goodness. Neither if you are true American, can you reject him because he is a Catholic. And, it you are fair, you can’t re- ject him either because he belongs to the local democratic party organ- fsation of Manhattan, known as Tammany. Ponts at Republican Machines *“Let me analyze this anti-Tam- many stuff. I could, of course, dis- pose of it for any fair minded man by pointing out the hypocrisy and the effrontery of any attack of any kind on Tammany as a democratic organiztion by a party which relies for its life and sustenance on the Vare machine in Philadelphia, the Mellon-Magee machine in Pitts- burgh, the Crowe-Thompson ma- chine in Chicago, the old Cox ma- chine in Cincinnati, the Watson stgte machine in Indiana and the small state machine in Illinois. Be- sides the corruption, the blackjack- ing and the other sins and deviltries of these republican machines, with the penitentiary often and rightly following in the wake, the Tammany of today is, to say the least, a very mild-mannered proposition. “And in truth criticism of Tam- many or of anything else comes fol- with mighty poor grace and with | anything, but clean hands from the party which gave us Fall and Daugherty, which pillaged and wast- ed the funds the people had dedi- cated to the disabled soldiers, and which burglarized our naval ol re- nerves. just told me what you had planned “But I wish rather to answer this Tammany talk with a few matter of fact observations. “Nothing so well illustrates our | American habit of being influenced and befudiled in polities by a name or @ whisper as this absurd confen- tion that Smith would make a bad | president because all his life he has heen a member of Tammany Hall That is equivalent almost to saying that no democrat from the City of New York is eligible for president, cause there are few New York city democrats who are active party men who do not belong to that or- gamization. Tammany Historic Name “Tammany is simply the historic name of the demceratic party or- ganization in Manhattan: and this great hody of men of all classes needs nefther eulogies nor apologies from me. It has had its black sheep, and it black and white days. as every party organization has had in every state, city and county of this unlon; and it would be just as reasonable to hold Hoover or Cool- idge responsible for the notorious scandals of Grant's days, as to hold Smith responsihle for the iriquities of Tweed or Croker. Tt is neither the Tammany nor the G. O. P. of vesterday, but only that of today and and tomorrow that concerns us no “It we are to judge a political leader by the speclal integ-party or- ganization to whiclihe belongw. then surely we must look to the part he L plays in it. Is he one who leads or is led, and if & leader, how does he lead? Smith's Tammany record has been an open boek. for thirty years and for the last fifteen years especially thousands of his political enemies have turned their micro- ascopes on that record to find some flaw, some bit of evidence or cor- ruption, or some sign of silent ac- quiescence in a corrupt use of poli- tical place or power; and always Smith has come clean. Tammany Hall no more dominates him than 1 do. If there is any dominati g, Smith dominat:s Tammany. He and 'stand, while another didn't even hit | than four. That's his colleagues have made Tammany an agency for good government in New York city and he has a right to be proud of that. The Smith anti- Tammany crusade is just as unjust to him as is the anti-Catholic bunk. Smith is his own master. Politiclans and Statesmen “There is a rather wide-spread confusion of ideas about practical politics and party organizations. Hosts of good people actually think that practical politics must be cor- rupt because it iy practical, and that a practical politician is of necessity the very antithesis of a statesman. I dare say there are many practical politicians who are anything but statesmen, but in any political sys- tem there are few statesmen who can do effective and constructive work if they are not also practical politicians. They must have a party behind them, and no party can exist without organization. There was never a more accomplished practical politician or practical party organizer than Washington or Ham- ilton or Jefferson or Jackson or Lin- coln, or most of our other great leaders. Yet all of them were bit- terly assailed by the superficial critics of their day as being politi- clans and subservient to some Tam- many Hall somewhere, “We are never fair to our po- litical leaders. We admit, for ex- ample, that 8mith has made a great record, but criticize him for using the only party instrumentalities by which he could make that record. It is always a condition rather than a theory that confronts your political leader. No leader in action can always be governed by counsels of perfection or convert all hi aspirations into 100 per cent accom- plishments. If he is a practical man in politica he knows this. He knows that for party exigencies, or the at- tainment of larger ends, he must often yleld to party loyalties, or to compromises and expediencies. The real test of the political leader aside from his ability and his political experience, is his intrinsic honesty of heart and sincerity of purpose. If in action he must often com- promise, he can still keep his in- tegrity of heart and purpose pure and undeflled. To damn a man be- cause he is identified with any po- litical organization, or to condemn any political leader because all of his following are not saints, Is simply to condemn popular govern- ment. Politics Needs Honesty and Vitality “That political organizations the world over are held together by all sorts of cohesive forces, hoth good and bad, goes withdut saying. It will be so as long as popular gov- ernment lasts. The great thing is to find and to follow the man who can make such organizations work beneficiently and for the public good. S8mith has demonstrated he can de this in New York: and he can do it in Washington. He can make party government work. He can put honesty and courage and vitality into politics,—and heaven knows we need it. “If you belleve that Smith Is personally honest; that he has cour- age: that he has the God-given ca- pacity for statesmanship and leader- ship—if you know his record you cannot belleve otherwise—then it is his training in Tammany, in party organization, that should give you hope and faith in his ability to ac- complish great things as president. A man might have all the wisdom of all the schools and be the smart- est engineer that ever experted a mine, and yet, in this turbulent world of political whirlpools and cross-currents, fail dismally if he did not know how to lead politi- cally; for a president has to deal not only with figures and facts, but with men and movements .in all their welter of human conflict and weakness, Native genius and long experijence have equipped Smith to do this. When he promises re- sults, he gets them. CASE NEARING JURY Providence, R. 1., Oct. 19 (M — The Woonsocket still case, in which eight men are being tried in the United States district court here for alleged conspiracy to violate the prohibition laws, will go to the jury on Monday afternoon, Judge Ira Lloyd Betts announced at the eon- clusion of this morning’s session. During the morning, Frank C. Leary, a Woonsocket mill superin- tendent and one of the defendants, denied all knowledge of the distil- ling operations. Y.M.C.A. CLASSES for beginners in Boxing Tumbling Fencing (French-Folls) Wrestling A course of ten lessons in any of the above classes costs $5.00. Classes open to young mea 16 years and over. Classes are under the su- pervision of competent instructors. Registration Week Oct. to 27, 8 p. m. to 9:30 p. m., Main Office Physical Department Y. M. C. A. 29 % NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1928, BOARD OF FINANGE APPROVES So40.000 FOR H. 5. ADDITION (Continued from I'irst Page) be carried out because it would not the program, Mr. LeWitt said. Questioning by Mr. Kelly brought cut the fact that the auditorium will | cost about $125,000. “That's rather expensive,” Kelly opined. “It's economical,” Mr. LeWitt an- swered, “the Strand theater cost more than half a million dollars.” “But,” Mr, Kelly shot back, “you're not building theaters, you'se building schools.” Burr Speaks for Auditorium Committeeman Henry T. Burr was asked to discuss auditorium from a teaching standpoint, Mr.| Burr having had wide expericnce as | an educator before entering the in- | dustrial fleld. He said that audi-| toriums are not a notion of the New Britain school board, but that they have been put into every large high school built in this section of the | country for the past 50 years. These ! halls should be large enough, and usually are, he said, to accommodate all pupils for whom the building is intended and he would regret it were he a school principal without an auditorium large enough to meet all his pupils at one time. It would be an innovation not to have a large auditorium, rather than to have a small one and he insistsed that the burden of proving its case rests with the group which would exclude auditoriums, Daily assemblies, group singing. student councils, dramatics and public meetings should make an auditorium usable at least once a day and usually two or three times a day, he pointed out. Mayor Paonessa stressed the need for careful study because of the city’s financial condition and the straitened circumstances in which many property owners now find themselves. Delay is justified, he argued, because the proposition is a large one and the school comumit- tee has not always conducted itself without mistakes. “In a proposition as large as edu- cation, wouldn’t it be strange if there were no mistakes?” Mr. King| asked. “That's quite correct, Mr. King," answered the mayor, “but it wasn’t necessary for the school board to! create this rumpus.” Mr. King explained that the board had ordered him to bring the ques- tion to the board of finance and tax- ation and that he was only doing his duty. Paonessa Criticizes School Board “Four or five years ago,” the mayor began, “the school board came out with a statement that a great many pupils were going on part-time, and they were put on part-time. One week of investiga- tion reduced the number on part- time by 50 per cent. At the same time Mr. Holmes came out with a financial statement, which 1 studied and found to be incorrect. Later on your hoard sent children to the Stanley school in the cold. There was no heat; the children were re- quired to go to their homes shiver- ing from the cold. I took steps to have the heating pfpes connected. It was a small job, but it wasn't he- ing done by the school hoard. Yet T was criticized. T feel it is my duty, and instead of criticism, the school board should give me an op-| portunity to investigate. Fears 31 Mill Tax “We must have elementary schools. The $540,000 the school committee wants means the equiva- lent of five mills, which with our present rate would be 31 mills. We would have to spend on elementary Mr. e S 2 THING c\ o CHILDREN’S FUR CHARGE Come in and HUNTING PARK | minding the group that arrangement | submitted a typewritten resolution; | tee make its report to the common PHILLIP LADIES’ FUR TRIMMED COATS Sport and Dress Models at Incomparable Prices. Decidedly New Dresses Charming Styles, and Sizes to Fit Everyone. OPEN A MEN'S WINTER OVERCOATS New Styles, Patterns and Fabrics. Fully Guaranteed. BOYS’ SUITS AND OVERCOATS schools enough to add another three | when outsiders investigated put 600 |olic church itsaif, mills, making it 3¢ milla. “The property owners of New Britain are in a bad fix. Every day you read of foreclosures, people los- ' ing their homes because, they can't meet their mortgage payments, in- terest. taxes, etc, “I was criticized and was called & kaiser. If the criticiam was justified I would not have appointed a com- mittee but would have tried to be | the boss. I also appointed a commit- | tee on the water project because, i my opinion, eight heads are bette: just how 1 fel about the school project.” Mr. Burr asked former Mayor ! Quigley when his committee would | report, and he was told that the ! work will probably be completed | next month. H “That's the second committee, isn" it?"” George P. Spear inquired. The mayor answered that the first | committee didn’t investigate fa enough, some members did not at tend a meeting, some had their minds made up before they came onto the committee, and that the re- port was not unanimous. During a discussion of the proper procedure in bringing school prob- | lems to the board of finance the | situation became somewhat involved, the mayor claiming it was agreed | that no bids would be sought until the board had reviewed the plans, | Mr. King insisting that it was order. | ed that a bona fide bid be had before the plans came to the committee, ! Mr. Young pointing out that the board had been told to proceed along | the lines it had. and Mr. Hall re- was made because of the impending | election and the uncertainty as to| who would be mayor and what at- titude he would take. Spear Sponsors Appropriation After the school committee mem- bers had been excused, Mr. Spear: to recommend a bond issue covering the new building, and his resolution was seconded by Joseph C. Stone. Mr. Spear said that he has no argument with the mayor, but felt that the board should take definite action and have the survey commit- council. “Isn’t that ‘passing the buck.," the mayor asked, whereupon Mr. 8pear argued that final action must be taken by the common council anyway and that the council could consider both sides of the case be- fore acting. Thomas H. Kchoe favored tabling the matter to allow study by mem- bers of the finance board of the | arguments offered at the meeting. A letter from F. A. Searle approv- ing the plan of the school commit- tee, was read. His request that his vote be recorded in favor was denled, the board considering the procedure irregular, Mr. Quigley In answer to an in- quiry, sald the Franklin, Washi, zton, Stanley, Northend elewntary schools are now filled to capacity and the junior high school situation is becoming an acute problem. Tn his opinion elementary schools are need. ed at once. Paul Nurczyk asked how the Bart. lett achool, now in service, and the abandoned Monroe school compare. | Monroe School Renovation Mr. Quigley answered that the Monroe school 15 a very good build- ing and is well constructed. Tn his opinion the Bartlett building is not hetter than the Monroe, and the lat- ter could be made first class by | spending $15.000 on repairs. | “I don’t want to say that the | school board has exaggerated, but T | feel the menior high school matter can be delayed without injuring any. one,” Mr. Quigley volunteered. t By way of discrediting the school committee, Mayor Paonessa recount- | ed its experience in the prevoca tional school where it accepted a | plan for a building which sagged soon after it was built and cost the | city $27,000 to reconstruct th foundation: that the committee put | 1,240 children on part-time, nnd: —_ S O INC, TRIMMED COATS ACCOUNT look over our LINE OF SUITS— back on full time within & weel that Mr. Helmes presented a finan- cial report that was found to be in. correct, With reference to the last claim, the mayor said: “I showed Mr. Holmes he was a perfect liar, and he had to admit it!" e & On the vote to recommend a bond issue, the following voted in favor: Mensrs. Stone, Macomber, Willlam Kelly, Stanley, Bacon and Spear. hose opposing were T. H. Kehoe, Francis Kelly and Paul Nurczyk. ayor Paonessa and Chairman Hall id not vote, GATHOLIC SPEAKER TALKS FOR HOOVER Miss Byrne Urges Disregard of Religions Prejudices Bridgéport, Oct. 19 (M—Any re- publican woman who is planning to split the ticket and vote for Gover- nor Alfred E. 8mith for president on the ground of religion alone is not only going against the constitu- tion but the (atholic church itself, declared Miss Katherine Byrne, re- publican national committec woman for Connecticut, in an address be- fore 400 republican women workers of Bridgeport at dinner in the Strat- field last night, With Miss Byrne as speakers at the dinner were: J. Henry Rora- back, national committeeman; Go - ernor John H. Trumbull, State Treasurer Ernest E. Rogers, candi- date for lieut.-governor; Senator Samuel 8pencer, candidate for atate treasurer; State Benator Frederic C. Walcott, candidate for United States senator; Comptroller Frederick M. Salmon, county leader Harry E. Mgckenzie, Mayor Behrens, republi- can town chairman Alfred W. Bur- dick and vice town chairman Bridg- et A. Lester, the toastmaster, “I want to ussure you all that when you total up the figures about 10 o'clock on the night of Novem- ber 6, no republican is going to be disappointed,” sald Roraback spcak- ing he said, as the result of his observation of conditiona through- out the state.” The religious issue, making for cleavage in both parties, has no place in this campaign, asserted Miss Byrne, herself a Roman Cath- olic of Scotch-Irish descent in the second generation. “I am the embodiment of all that is supposed to make for disaffection in the republican party,” she said, “I can still be a Catholic and a 100 per cent republican and in speaking for myself lam speaking for thou- sands of loyal Catholic republican women, “Any woman who is planning to split the ticket and vote for Al Emith solely on the ground of reli- gion is going not only against the constitution, but against the Cath. FREE “Nothing that lowers the moral fibre is a tenet of any religion and 1t certainly is not a part of the fun- damental tenets and teachings of the Catholic churches,” she stated. Loyal republicans can work side by side for their party without re- gard for creed, she continued, argu. ing all to be on guard against apathy and absentees on election day so that the “happy warrior” and his spoke troops will be put to com- plete route. TWO DEAD BODIES FOUND N AN AUTG (Continued from ¥irst Page) the missing woman. The state po- lice then established that she had left the Smith place in company with Bowater. The state police are seeking fur- ther information concerning Bo- water, whether he is married; where he resided in Bridgeport and where the killing of the woman may have occurred. Among the effects found on the man were two bank books, one is- sued by the People’s bank of Bridge- port, and the other by the City Na- tional Bank and Trust company of Danbury. The address on the latter book shows Bowater was employed at the Gilbert farm, Georgetown, when he opened the account. This is not far from the residence of Miss 8mith, Bald Hill district, Wil- ton, and it is supposed the man and woman became acquainted while he was employed there. The gun with which Bowater was shot was a double barreled one. It was found lying on the seat beside the man. Both barrels had been loaded, but only one shell dis- charged. From the position of the body and the wound it would ap- pear that the muzzle of the gun |was held against the left side of the head and discharged. The car had been pulled up to one side of the road and the man was sitting behind the wheel when he Kkilled himself, his body half- falling through the open window of the door. The shot did not break any glass in the body or windshield of the |automobile. The state police learned this fore- noon that Bowater and Miss Mof- fitt had been acquainted about {wo years. She had been employed at the home of Miss Smith about five years. % The motive for the murder and sulcide is being sought by the po- lice, but until the authorities have more information concerning the couple the motive will remain un- certain. READ HERALD CLASSIFIED ADS FOR BEST RESULT good clothes ! A man thinks more of a woman and a woman thinks more of a man when they are both dressed nicely. 413 Main S_t. Near E. Main New Britain CASH NOT NEEDED Our Easy Payment Plan makes it real easy No more waiting for weeks and weeks to save up enough to buy good-looking clothes. You can wear the very latest styles NOW instead of later, simply by paying a dollar or two each week or twp. NO REFERENCES NEEDED! WE TRUST YOU. Come here Saturday and you can DRESS WONDERFULLY THIS SUNDAY! FREE Souvenirs Equalling the Value of Your Purchase Will Be Distributed to Our Opening Days Customers TOMORROW THE WACO OIL CO Will Start Business Tomorrow (Saturday) Under the Management of Samuel E. Gross at (Formerly Singer Oil Co.) 412 WEST MAIN ST. BETWEEN LIBERTY and LINCOLN Saturday Only VALUABLE SOUVENIRS FOR LADIES AND GENTS Will Be An Opening Day Feature } OILS—Quaker State and Mobiloil GAS—Waco and Walburn Ethyl SERVICE Tires, Batteries, Accessories At Reduced Prices for Saturday It Is Our Purpose to Be Konwn as the City’s Most Convenient, Cleanest, and Most Up-to-the-Minute SERVICE and Filling Sation. Will You Call Saturday For One of Our Souvenirs 412 West Main Between Liberty and Lincoln: