The Washington times., 1915-04-16
WILSON OPPOSES
LIQUOR AS ISSUE
President Thinks Prohibition,
Like Suffrage, Is Matter for
States to Decide.

Il do not believe that party pro.
grams of the highest consequence to
the political life of the State and OF
the nation ought to be thrust to one
side and hopelessly embarrassed for
long periods together by making q
political issue of great question
which Is essentially nonpoliticaI, non
partisan. moral, and social in its ma
ture. Woodrow Wilson to the Rev
Thomas B. Shannon. Of Newark. N. j.,
while governor of New Jersey
The above extract from a letter writ
ten by the President of the United
states while governor of New Jersey
was dug up here today as an answer
TO the latest declaration by Secretary
OF state BRYAN making prohibition a
natlona! issue. 1t was written by the
President when he was asked to 30 on
record on local option. And everyone
VINO has talked to him during the last
rev days agrees that his sentiments
are unchanged.
Will Not Back "Drys Movement.
Under no circumstances will the Pres
1dent, as leader Of the Democracy, en-
dorse any movement designed to drag
me liquor question by the. heels into
me political issues Of the day in the
opinion of the tnen who are closest to
MN. They say that another phrase Of
me same letter shows this. In IL the
fTeS1dent wrote:
Il am a thorough believer in local self
government, and believe that every self
governing community which constitutes
local unit should have the right to
control the matter of the regulation Of
or the withholding of licenses. The ques-
tions involved are social and moral and
are not susceptible of being made parts
or party program. Wherever they
contests they have thrown every other
question, however important, into the
background and have made constructive
party, action impossible for long years
AS a matter of fact. it is stated that
the only two members Of the Presidents 3
Cabinet who believe that prohibition Is
TO be made national issue in the i'm
and Daniels. And the. appointment OF
Secretary Daniels as Secretary of the
Navy was made on the personal recon-
mendation of Secretary Bryan.
Matter For State to Decide.
The President has found no fault with
the views of either OF his two assist
ants. But he believes that prohibition,
like woman suffrage, is a matter for
the individual States to decide for
themselves. And because of the fact
that he has found within the Demo
cratic party the widest divergence OF
Views that run all the way from ad-
vocacy of complete prohibition to COM
plete personal license, he has declined
to be drawn into any public debate on
the subject.
BY dragging the liquor question into
national politics, and by making it an
Issue in the coming campaign, even
though it is restricted to attempting
TO control the Democratic National
Committee, the way would be opened,
the President is said to believe. for
splitting the party wide open in the ma
tion.
1t is understood that il he Is forced
to take definite position in the mat
ter-and the dry leaders say they in
tend to smoke him out-he will simply
reiterate the views already quoted,
even though in doing so he is compelled
10 take issue with the views of some
nj oil acf aI