RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 502, 3 November 1928, Page 1

RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY

BITTER PRESIDENTIAL FIGHT

AL SMITH’S BID IN NEW YORK (United PA.—By Telegraph — Copyriyu* (Australian and K.Z. Press Association> Reed. 9.5 a.ui. NEW YORK, Friday AS was expected, the re-entry of the religious is.--ue into the Presidential election campaign has resulted in exceptional bitterness, and in a statement repulsing the charges of bigotry, the Republican National Committee lias declared : “ The vituperative outcry of Tammany slander-mongers is the most despicable exhibition of bigotry ihat knows no decency that this country has ever witnessed. "

The final sentence in the same statement is probably one of the strongest, bearing the official stamp of the American political party. “The campaign has descended from the side-walks of New York to the gutters of New York." reference here is to the popular song about the footpaths of New York, which has been adopted by the Democrats as descriptive of A 1 Smith’s rise to fame as a city-bred man.

The Democratic National Committee has forwarded to Dr. Hubert Work, organiser for Mr. Hoover, a number of legal documents to prove that the Republicans are distributing literature asking for opposition to A 1 Smith because he is a Catholic, and demand that it should be stopped. Senator Moses, one of Mr. Hoover's campaign managers, was charged with the responsibility. He has replied that he cannot remember whether or not the literature sent out contained religious matter, and added: “Mr. J. J. Raskob (Democratic organiser) and his presidential candidate in the closing days of the campaign are like Mohammedans proclaiming a holy war. The St. Louis headquarters of the Democratic National Committee has been busy for weeks flooding certain sections of the country with vicious attacks upon Hoover's religious faith.” The Republican National Committee declared: “Under the mockery of denouncing it, the Democrats have In-

trodueed the religious issue uutil it is now apparent that this shameful subterfuge has been artfully employed to substitute passion and prejudi* y for serious consideration of thtf

issues.” Whether this new emphasis upon the religious issue will change tho popular trend which is still unmis. takably for Hoover it is difficult of say. It is clear, however, that AI Smith's managers are now ready to employ every device known to political artifice to command popular attention and support.

It is avowed that New York State is doubtful ground. There are no clear indications how it will go, but for a variety of reasons it is clear that AI Smith cannot lose New York: State and win the election, although, the same is not true for Hoover.

New York City is staunchly Democratic in the sense that it has alwaya supported AI Smith as its governor. The campaign managers have therefore decided upon a monster paradn through the. city streets led by AI Smith, and with admitted showmanship, it is conceded that they will so manage, the demonstration as to showpopular enthusiasm even exceeding the reception of Lintlbergh.

The proof that such a demonstration may have a political effect isf even seen in the fact that Wall Street betting commissioners declare that it will probably have a decided effect on the betting odds.

The campaign has entered a phase of so-called “crowd manoeuvring.