The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-10-21
If the Germans Glue Hamilton County
To Willis Again This Year, Ohio Will Be Dry Before
1918-Interesting Correspondence Between w. F.
Ebert of Wooster, and Peter w. Durr of Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Enquirer prints the
following story, which is of vital inter
est to every workingman in Cincinnati:
An interesting controversy has arisen
between w. f. Ebert, prominent Ger
man-American Republican of Wooster,
Ohio, and County Auditor Peter w.
Durr, Cincinnati, on the attitude of the
Hamilton County Republican organiza-
ton toward the wet and dry question
In letter to Mr. Durr, Mr. Ebert asks :
"Why is it that the liberal or so-called
wet vote of Hamilton County is and
has been playing fast and loose with the
anti-saloon vote of the State?" Mr.
Ebert continues:
"How can you and others, and, in par
ticular the great German liveral voters
of your county (Hamilton) not see that
if Mr.. Cox again is slaughtered in your
county as he was two years ago and
thereby defeated in the State Ohio is
going dry at the next Statewide wet
and-dry election?
"flow can liberals, and in particular
liberal Republicans, vote for Mr. Willis
when it is well known that he is a
strong dry and one of the most promi-
nent in the State? Do the liberal voters
OF your county and in the State for that
matter, wish the present license law of
the State weakened so that it will be-
come unpopular in the State, and there
by lead to a dry victory? If they do, in
my opinion, all they need to do is to
vote for Willis and Republican Cen
eral Assembly.
"The handful of vets that can be
elected from your county and few
Others cannot stand against a General
Assembly in control of the Anti Saloon
League, with Mr.. Willis as Governor.
Nov, MIR. Durr, do you not think
that it is high time for the liberals of
your county and the men down there
who have their millions invested in
business to get their eyes open on a
question that concerns them so vitaly
time it is voted upon if there is another
Willis victory in your county and in the
State at large, because if the people Of
Cincinnati desire dry State they will
in all probability get what they vote
for"
In his reply to Mr. Ebert, County
Auditor Durr said he assumed that
the inquiry was an honest one and not
for partisan purposes, and for that rea-
son her Would give frank reply. The
letter of Mr.. Durr in substance was as
follows:
"'The platform of the Republican par
ty is not now and never has been COM
mitted to the cause of either the vets
or the drys. Years ago, in common with
large number of the citizens of our
State, ! voted to take the liquor question
out of politics. The constitutional
amendment passed on the subject in 1912
provided a means for separating the
wet and dry question from State poll
tics, and only those who have their owr
interests to serve insist on keeping it ir
politics as political issue.
'All political candidates are bound to
respect and observe their party plat
forms and must subscribe thereto.
am ready to confess frankly that if al
any time any political party takes W
and makes a political issue in its plat.
form of the liquor question: | shall GER
tanly not feel called upon to support
that platform or that party, but will dc
in the future as | have done in the past
oppose it to the last ditch
81 am liberal and | am proud of it