Show Plebeian as Lincoln BE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT NO 8 Wants Practicality t a 4 i int nt t ft t i W t T t A 3 j r f Ju I f N t-f t e l J t H. H P. P Burton v By day ByH ALBA ALBANY ALBANY- Y- Y N N. Y March 6 It It has been been- beena a long time Ume Since an Horatio I Alger has h had d a current inspiration I I for tor one one of ot those racy President American From Canal Boy to to to President stories for tor strictly modern instances of ot tatters reaching the White House have been strikingly lacking i But Dut if It Alfred AUred E. E Smith chief executive tive tivo of ot the state of ot New York and known knows as Governor Al AI should by trick of at fate or politics arrive there In 1921 all an the old Lincoln Garfield brand of ot romance may immediately be revived OF OF poem POOR PARENTS PARENTS But Dut Al AI Smith although modern as George Ade is as plebeian pl beian as as' as Abe Lincoln Although of ot rich New York he was born as poor as the rail ra splitters splitter's splitters splitter's splitters splitter's split split- ter's son and his fathers father's Bowery ten tenement m nt had no no more graces gaces graces than the little mUe Lincoln Lincoln- cabin t Alfred Altred Smiths Smith's birthplace was was' inthe Inthe in the center of ot the fa famous Fourth ward a fascinating area that holds not only the Bowery but Cherry Hill HUl and Mulberry Mulberry Mulberry Mul Mul- berry Bend Baxter street and ChInatown Chinatown Chinatown China ChIna- town in its embrace He lie was about 3 years old when they started calling him Al AI When ho was 6 his father fath-er died and his mother a widow with two children and no money money money mon mon- monI I ey opened a candy store She sent I Al to to- St. St James' James parochial school and when he was 13 he went want to work In Inan Inan an oil stone stole quitting four years later to clerk clerIc in th the Fulton fish market In the evenings the real Al appeared the the Al that b became came famous In fn the whole district as the best monologist in Henry Campbells Campbell's Club for Boys Campbell soon decided Al At was too good for tor the fish market and asked the district leader leader- to get him a job and he ho was appointed server of ot Jury notices at 1000 a j year ear Then Al AI married a Cherry street girl sister of ot a policeman They took a four- four room tenement in Peck Slip and the first baby was born Dorn there in 1901 when Al was 28 28 GOVERNOR AT 45 At 45 Al AI Smith was governor of ot the I state of ot New York By chance the district leader who had given Smith his first r real tl l job and the assemblymen assembly assembly- men from tram Smiths Smith's district had a fallout fallout fall tall out and at the eleventh hour they needed a man Campbell suggested Al AI Thus he went to the assembly in 1904 as he lie himself admits the greenest member that had ever en ent entered entered en- en t red Albany But up there a new man was created created cre cre- by virtue of ot responsibility placed upon him In two or three years Al Smith I knew more marc about t a state than anyone anyone anyone any any- one else elJe in the assembly He was practical al and had a powerful memory Eleven years later In the constitutional constitutional constitutional convention Ellhu Root and George Wickersham complimented this young opposition Democrat on his knowledge of ot the affairs of ot New NewYork NewYork NewYork York state It It is practicality today that we need said Smith in discussing the Issues he thinks will come before the people in the presidential campaign Of course the great issue to be settled settled set set- tied now is the peace treaty if it set set-I we weare weare weare are to take our appointed place Inthe in inthe inthe the world PRACTICALITY AN N ISSUE If perchance it is settled then I think our main issue becomes one of ot Intense practicality the practicality the issue of ot how we shall return t to normal life Ute Wel VeI We Ve l I have got gat to get set down to brass brags tacks and c cut t down the high cost of ot living not nat merely talk about it We must reduce our enormous taxes Work Is plentiful l and peoples people's prosperity is shoWn by the savings bank deposits But Dut there ther Is no reason for tor continuing the burden of at the high cost cast of ot living longer than absolutely necessary The peoples people's candidate will have to promise them a quick sure return to prewar conditions now the war Is over v r and and- hell he'll have to be beable beable beable I able to td sho show them ho po knows how to effect it it |