Book Review: 'Frank & Al'

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'Frank & Al—FDR, Al Smith, and the Unlikely Alliance That Created the Modern Democratic Party'

By Terry Golway

St. Martin's Press

336 pages, $29.99

Anyone who loves New York history will devour and thoroughly enjoy “Frank & Al”, the story of the turbulent relationship between Gov. Alfred E. Smith and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. No two men could have been more unalike. Yet like tributaries of a great river they joined to form the modern Democratic Party. Al Smith’s paternal grandparents were Italian and German. His maternal grandparents were Irish. Smith was born on the Lower East Side, South Street, in the Fourth Ward. He would write: “I thank God I am part of this glorious metropolitan life, a part of its arts and industry, its culture and recreations—and I would not trade my lot with a citizen anywhere”.

Diametrically opposed was the life and birthplace of FDR. A privileged patrician of old Dutch stock, Roosevelt lived the life of a young country squire sheltered among nannies and tutors on his Hudson River estate. When both politicians encountered each other in New York State Assembly, Roosevelt was a young humorless prig who wanted nothing to do with city people and Tammany Hall politicians. Al Smith embodied the diverse, urban, Catholic politician who proudly declared he was an F.F.M. man (Fulton Fish Market).

Smith, who did not finish grammar school, was overwhelmed when he became a state assemblyman: “I never knew there was so much law.” He studied until he dominated the legislative process. Roosevelt, on the other hand, founded Marvin Hooker & Roosevelt at 52 Wall St.

Roosevelt was against Al Smith’s Democratic nomination for governor in 1918, stating that Smith was Catholic. Additionally, Al Smith was a “wet.” He opposed the growing movement against alcohol consumption. Nonetheless, Al Smith won what would be the first of four terms as one of New York’s greatest governors. His achievements would include: cutting state income taxes; overhauling the state bureaucracy; rent regulations; public health programs; child labor laws; fire and workplace safety; conservation programs; and new state parks.

Prohibition may have been the reason Al Smith was not elected the first Catholic president. One could conclude that he cleared the path for the election of John F. Kennedy 32 years after his presidential nomination. The anti-saloon movement was a feverish outbreak of anti-immigrant, anti-urban sentiment. The “drys” were in the south, the plains, the west. They were native born, white and Protestant. The “wets” were city dwellers, not Protestants and children of or grandchildren of immigrants. Smith refused to enforce Prohibition in New York by repealing the Mullen-Gage Law. By signing this bill, he may have signed away his presidential hopes.

Smith’s name was put into Democratic nomination for President in 1924 by none other than FDR. “Why him?” asked Al Smith of Joseph Proskauer, the eminent attorney and jurist. His response: “Because you are a Bowery mick, and he is a Protestant patrician and he’d take some of the curse off you”.

As we know, convention speeches can be a foreshadowing of future political greatness (JFK, Mario Cuomo, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama). Roosevelt was thus thrust into the national spotlight when he nominated Al Smith and named him the “Happy Warrior” of the political battlefield, a moniker that followed Smith to his grave.

That precise moment marked the merging of the tributary rivers, city dwellers and country squires, into what became the modern Democratic party. Roosevelt connected the parties’ elite progressives with the working class, blue collar liberals. In doing so he paved the way for his own inevitable triumph in 1932.

Al Smith did not get the confirmation. If the KKK had its own caucus it would have been the largest delegation at the 1924 Democratic National Convention. The Immigration Act of 1924 imposed new quotes that favored immigrants from Northern European countries. They passed overwhelmingly. During the convention, Roosevelt received a letter. “The U.S. is only a Protestant Country and we don’t want any Catholics in any part of the political life a Jew either … . The KKK are fine good people not like a lot of Irish Catholics with no brains. No Irish bums even if they have a drop of Irish blood in them is going to be president of the U.S.”

Roosevelt again nominated Al Smith for President in 1928, once again delivering a stunning speech which broadened his own national exposure. This time Al Smith won only to be trounced at the polls. His theme song—“The Sidewalks of New York”—did not play well in the heartland. His failure to connect with the nation, his accent, his religion, his “wet” views all resulted in a disaster at the polls. He was met at rallies by Klansmen with burning crosses. He lost even his own state of New York.

FDR had been nominated the same year to be governor. Al Smith predicted he would be dead in a year. FDR won, barely, and proceeded to offer jobs to many of Smith’s loyalists, chief among them Frances Perkins and Robert Wagner. Smith was under the impression that he would become the shadow governor and that Roosevelt would constantly seek his advice. His calls never came. Smith entered the private sector and awaited the Democratic Presidential nomination of 1932. A bitter fight for the Democratic nomination broke out at the floor of the Chicago convention of 1932 between Smith and Roosevelt. When Roosevelt triumphed, Smith refused to make the choice unanimous, as was the custom of the second place finisher, and in the interest of party unity. “I won’t do it,” said Smith.

Roosevelt was a gracious winner. He cajoled Al Smith to campaign for him. With gusto Al spoke to city dwellers, mill workers and children of immigrants letting them know FDR was okay by him.

After Roosevelt’s election, the “Happy Warrior” became the bitter warrior. He was one of the most critical and outspoken critics of Roosevelt and his New Deal. Al Smith had become the President of Empire State Inc. that built and operated the Empire State Building. He left the Lower East Side for 5th Avenue. He traded his brown derby for a silk hat. He became rich and forgot his roots.

When Al Smith died in 1944, FDR spoke of how the bigots of 1928 were all “gunning for” Al Smith when he ran for President. He said: “It is our duty to make sure that, big as this country is, there is no room in it for racial or religious intolerance.” Amen.

Andrea M. Alonso is a partner at Morris Duffy Alonso & Faley.