Abstract
In the presidential election of 1928, a Roman Catholic, Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York, was the first of his religion to represent a major political party as its candidate for president. When Smith, the Democratic nominee, was defeated in this election, the importance of religion to his defeat frequently obscured the other issue which also created widespread opposition to his presidential aspirations. This issue, which many of the opponents of Smith cited as central to their opposition, was prohibition. Governor Smith proposed modifying existing prohibition laws to allow the sale of beer and wine. It was this position, which he frequently stated in the campaign, that led many Protestant clergymen to reject his candidacy. In Florida, as with much of the South, this created a political revolt against the traditional one-party Democratic politics. Little attention has been focused on the public declarations of Smith’s opponents, but when their position is reviewed, it reveals the determination of the clergy to continue existing prohibition laws.
Recommended Citation
Highes, M. Edward
(1988)
"Florida Preachers and the Election of 1928,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 67:
No.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol67/iss2/3
