Despite the plank in the platform of the Democratic Party favouring the enforcement of prohibition, Governor Al Smith, the Democratic candidate for the Presidency, telegraphed to the Convention to-day reiterating his belief that there should be a fundamental change in the present regime of prohibition throughout the United States, Al Smith declares that common honesty compelled one to admit that there "is corruption. among the officials appointed to enforce the prohibition law while bootlegging and lawlessness are prevalent throughout the country. While ie, believes that saloons should always be defunct institutions, he says that he is sure that real temperance and respect for the law can be secured by the application of the Democratic principles of self-government and State's rights.
Senator J. T. Robinson, of Ar-aus, has been nominated as the Democratic candidate for the Vice-ce, of the United States, ity "of Arkansas he was admitted. to the Bar in 1895 and is nowa partner in a legal firm at Little Rock, After being 'Governor' Arkansas, he. was elected to. the United States Senate in 1913 and has been re-elected regularly: ever He is the leader of the Democratic Party in the Senate and the first Southerner to figure in the Presidential election for either of the big parties in the past sixty years.
Senator Robinson is an ardent advocate of prohibition and supportfers of Governor Al Smith look to: him to gain the sympathy of the. south and west,.which is tradition ally opposed to the Catholics and to the "wet" element in the east, which Al Smith represents, Senator Robinson received 1,032 out of a total of 1,099 votes cast His nearest rival was Major-General Allen, formerly commander of the 'American forces in the Rhineland, who received 21 yotes. Seven' other candidates were proposed Democratic candidates for the Vice-Presidency, including Mrs. Nellie Ross, former Governor of Wyoming, who received two votes.
There was an amusing scene itr the Convention when the Chairman lof the Mississippi delegation rode down the crowded entre of the Hall astride a diminutive don-'Key; the traditional symbol of the:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.