The Battle in Gotham
544 THE COMMONWEAL October 13, 1926 T is from this centre," continues the circular, "that Father Martindale...
...men began to see the need for some kind of comproThe personal following of William Randolph mise...
...guidance of national affairs...
...Defining the last he remarks : "Some rallied rather definitely in control of American public opinion...
...But the Governor of New he may be both...
...It may be Shaw, who, in days when the statement had all the averred that the coming state reorganization will proring of paradox, found himself unable to pay any re- vide Tammany, if the slate it favors is elected, with spect whatever to "popular religion, popular mor- an unprecedented opportunity to reap spoils and reality, or popular science...
...It may be that Al worth seems to feel that it is-then Al Smith will Smith will some day have the opportunity to declare enter the national arena without one powerful weapon...
...round the banner of the Revolution and believed they The great army of those who are convinced that a could solve the problems of Spain by simply transmember of the Catholic Church ought not to be en- ferring French culture across the Pyrenees, without trusted with the presidency...
...There is no other Democrat of the same stature...
...It tionalists-were quite as extreme, because they did not is not a highly intellectual organization, but it does recognize the vital principle of the things they were vote and does seat its captains in high places and in defending...
...The others-the tradiand enjoys a rather long and obvious tradition...
...Other conclusions not very different to those of Mr...
...may be...
...Bernard things may be used to disguise this fact...
...Flanking the Capitol on another side is not buttressed by some ruling status, to an automaton, the Bliss Building, home of the Anti-Saloon League, or Robot, whose sole function, in the hateful words which is "specifically the authorized interdenomina- used recently by Mussolini, is to be "a cell of the tional agency of numerous church bodies...
...A queer hush seems to have stricken pactly what Nicholas Murray Butler, dean of Repub- down all the golden voices...
...Then came the great war, which all citizens who reflect upon politics are gradu- "giving Spanish thought time and opportunity to re...
...ous to render comment superfluous...
...not be defeated by men who have not in them the desire to be just, to be merciful, and even self-sacrificTHOSE who use the world war as a handy explana- ing...
...By comparison, Both are irresponsible, one by reason of his lowliness, the Catholic choice of sites must have been made by the other by reason of his uplifting...
...This army is far-flung regard for tradition or history...
...Artigas, young university they may not always be able to distinguish clearly...
...Here is the question to language, and literature...
...The speech which the things at stake, no prominent speaker from outnominated the Governor for his fifth term was flat- side the confines of the commonwealth will venture to tering indeed, but it merely stated a little less com- discuss them...
...Who necessity in politics-and, incidentally, Senator Wads- doubts that they are very wise...
...Smith is, with the exception of Governor Ritchie, the only candidate of importance before the SPANISH ASCENDANCY public whose attitude toward Volsteadism has been frank and consistent...
...ters a few weeks ago, and of which the only adequate notice we have seen reaches us from the special cor- THE BATTLE IN GOTHAM respondent of the London Universe...
...For the evil has worked in two ways...
...Both elude consome shy and erratic genius who could think only in trol, the one by his obliteration in the mass, the other terms of gunpowder and long-range cannon...
...ficies of the past, desperately afraid of all new ideas The enemies of New York as an influence in the and attributing the decline of their country to change...
...These have been at- is colored by a peculiar form of abstention...
...convictions," comments the New York Times ediNo other candidate would, however, present so torially, "will carefully avoid a place where they might definite and direct a figure...
...But it is hard to see where of a system of peaceful penetration which has choked else one, who denies the supernatural order or any and throttled American legislation as efficiently as Von moral law transcending that of the state, is to look Moltke choked and throttled the French at Sedan...
...It is so large, so baffling, so danthis instance, covers, not only a multitude of sins, but gerous in its ramifications that the New York scene also a multiplicity of virtues...
...clear thinker, reaching, from the spiritual approach, But there is really only one issue-Al Smith...
...What is said and done within its confines The foes of liquor modification, wheresoever they may not be conclusive, but it is at least evidence...
...To some extent, their distrust of eastern endez y Pelayo and down to the close of the ninedomination is founded upon the very things which teenth century...
...Seldom can the League of Nations have listion for all the ills that afflict the world at peace, will tened to an appeal more remorseless in its exposition not find much support for their thesis in the annual of the roots of failure, more hopeful in its indication "Assembly Sermon" preached by Father C. C. Mar- of the way back to success than this, the first assembly tindale of the Society of Jesus, before statesmen and sermon to be preached by an Englishman who happens League of Nations officials at the Geneva headquar- to be also a Catholic and a Jesuit...
...Briefly, he refuses to be- not compromised on the wet and dry issue...
...Everybody was free to conclude that for the test a fabric whose armature had, little by little, been nonce Republicanism was content to risk a certain allowed to shake loose, with the result that all the amount of provincial bickering and resentment for the world is watching today...
...if it cheerfully endorses less orators who do not fear the face of man and him, there will be a real candidate for the highest who never hesitate to utter and stand by their deep national office...
...Nor is this the sole redoubt controlled by the Metho- At the very time it has reduced one anonymous unit, dist forces...
...Thus the Reing within conventions and not from living principles...
...for a remedy...
...portant new orientation of the Spanish mind...
...With him the Democratic party W RITING in the exceptionally interesting German would be outspokenly a "wet" party and no mistake review Abendland, Dr...
...Even older or a Christian-to see that the root of the evil is where more local matters might be dug up and exhibited as October 13, 1926 THE COMMONWEAL 545 warnings to the electorate...
...trend of thought in Europe...
...have afforded opposition to Al Smith in the past, but At this time, writes Dr...
...What he does believe it did, was to cerned...
...that he wished rather to be upright than president...
...publicans, on the field of Gotham, are staging a conIt is strange to find this staunch Catholic priest and test at which the nation gazes watchfully...
...They grappled their souls to the superpolitical conventions...
...There But for the sake, among other things, of honest politiis nobody else with the same record, not to mention cal diction in the United States, w e sincerely hope that the same magnetic name...
...Artigas outlines the imabout it...
...The "Junta para amAre these elements powerful enough to prevent the pliacion des Estudios" was the most important of nomination, or later the election, of the man they these, and founded circles for the study of history, would unalterably oppose...
...Despite tested to by friends and foes alike...
...If compromise is really a be called upon to say what they actually think...
...As internal strife, colonial defections, and intellectual hosa matter of fact, they may still be said to remain tilities...
...The big and would beat an incomprehensible retreat from its own brainy men, the bold and forthright men, the dauntpolitical high-water mark...
...544 THE COMMONWEAL October 13, 1926 T is from this centre," continues the circular, "that Father Martindale squarely locates it-in the steady we are directing and promoting the cause of temper- depression of individual responsibility which is the ance, prohibition, and public morals on a national and evil heritage of a century and a half of invasions by international scale...
...They are fairly numerous...
...Therefore many who had gone to German, Hearst, to whom the Governor issued a challenge of French, or English universities for higher education, battle when he insisted that the State Convention en- founded organizations having for their primary object dorse the World Court...
...The cause is probably licanism, told the Columbia University public last Volsteadism, magnificent dampener of political free June...
...ward its henchmen...
...A minority of taxpayers might legitimately complain that government which is genuONE need not be a Catholic-one need hardly be inely popular costs a lot of money...
...Here are the heart and ganglia the all-obliterating state...
...it had lieve the war created any condition which was not hewed to the line in so far as state policies were conlatent already...
...It had address shines by contrast...
...If New York should repudiate Al Smith, it speech, but there are other causes also...
...But though this following is the affiliation of Spanish scholarship with the general resolute, it is not really redoubtable...
...And of by his transfusion in the Empyrean...
...Meantime, the course, as everybody knows perfectly well, huge quan- ethical conditions of world government have not tities of both of these are still stored in all Catholic changed...
...I think the in- acter of the state government is to be decided, the sane unheaval of the war shattered the framework of name of the next United States senator is to be spelled convention which already was getting dislocated: and out, and in all likelihood the chances of one candidate both men and women found that they had been act- for the presidency are to be determined...
...But the name Smith, in ally veering round...
...I cannot think," declared sake-the all-important sake-of making an excellent the Jesuit speaker and writer, "that this personal dis- impression on the metropolis...
...In New York City, integration, which clearly must issue in a social one, through its mammoth political organizations, the charis merely the result of the war...
...The offen- organism," it has provided a formula by which another, sive carried on from this stronghold is sufficiently obvi- invested with power escapes criticism or discipline...
...These people are not This sharp and fatal cleft between views of culture all yokels nor are they uniformly worried about the lasted through the lifetime of the great scholar Men"sinful city...
...Amid all the special pleading, nebulous idealism, and general soft THE righteous protest of the delegates from Hersoap to which the League has been treated from the kimer County notwithstanding, the New York Repulpit at recurrent intervals, Father Martindale's vital publican Convention dissolved enthusiastically...
...There is no scheme," says Father Marchurches ! We cannot understand the shrewdness of tindale, "no program, no equilibrium of weights, no the Methodist research department in getting at the sheaf of forces, however perfectly arranged, that cansecrets of ecclesiastical architecture...
...He conThe rank and file of those who do not "believe siders the Napoleonic wars critical in the history of that government is intended to help those who can- his country because they introduced a long period of not help themselves...
...Meanwhile, New York State remains York would instantly align against himself the follow- something like an index to the general American pubing prominent elements lic mind...
Vol. 4 • October 1926 • No. 23
