The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-12-21
4 DRY NATION IN FOUR YEARS.

A DRY NATION IN FOUR YEARS.
The following interview of VIM. J.
Bryan appeared , IN the New YORK
.My work during the next four
years., declared William Jennings
Bryan. in an interview for the World
last night, will be to contribute
whatever I can toward making the
national. democracy dry. When a.. an
prohibition issue is mere. Our par,
ty can not afford to take the immoral
side of a moral issue. The democrat
is party can not afford to become the
champion of the brewery, the dlstll-
lery, and the saloon; The = members Is az RS
Of Sar the party Pa Wi ard psae "
MIR. Bryan, who took up two
days' abode at the Holland House
yesterday morning, on his first visit
to new York since before the, presl-
Dental compaign opened I2 h;, h;d pee Deen
why MI. Hughes lost, why Colonel
Roosevelt did not help. Mr.. Hughes
and what effect the victory OF the
president would have upon our inter-
national relations. He had explain,
ed that, Mr.. Hughes, ~, campaign q3l9a,aa nag
like the man who had to take the
4 side of the moon in debate on the
relative merits of the sun and the
moon
Dry States Went for Wilson ;.
The prediction that prohibition is
to be the big issue four years hence
came in answer to this question:: /,
s'In what ways will the result OF
the election affect the future of the
democratic party?"
I'm two ways was Mr.. Bryan's
quick rejoinder. In the nrst place.
four years more OF experience un !ls
possible to repeal the laws passed. By
1920 the country will have adjusted
itself to the new laws, so that con-
servatism will support the laws that
are as against a proposed change.
This will leave the democratic
as equal suffrage and prohibition
and the election returns make 1t easy
for the democratic party to take the
lead in both of these reforms. 1t
does not owe anything to the polltl..
cal bosses who control the notifies or
cradle majority Of President Wilson's
electoral vote came from dry terri
Mr.. Bryan was asked to estimate
the democratic strength in the dry
states. He resumed:
vi llS tWtuly I'LL &c VI oIoSSo,
seventeen went for Mr. Wilson, two
more were very close, while prohibit
ton has been practically decided up
on in four other states which he car
ried. 1t happens. also. that Mr., VII
son carried nearly all the states ~
ic party takes the liquor side of the
prohibition question, it will risk a
loss without certainty of gain, even
il it could be supposed that 1T was
willing to make an, even trade OF dry
votes for wet ones.
Republicans Might Seize !ss1ie..
TT is worth nothing g, Also contin-
ued Mr.. Bryan, that the republican
party, having been defeated on the
old issues, will be looking for some
new issue upon which to make Tie
next fight, and since the wet. vote
was not sufficient to give it a vii;H;to1ry y
dry before 1920-it may champion
prohibition in the hope of winnin 6
bacl, the dry states of the west.
III is not at all impossible, there
FORE was Mr. Bryan's conclusion.
staa,t the two leading parties VII. IN
tain the dry vote of the country"
When discussing the attempt he
predicts will be made to capture the
dry states of the west in 1920, Mr..
Bryan was asked what Will pc the
effect of the apparent shifting of po-
Htical power from the east to the
west and south. He replied
"The first effect is to, teach the
east lesson in geography: 1t has
been enjoyable to those living be-
yond the Allegheny mountains to
hear such plaintive inquiries as
Where is New Mexico? How. did
Arizona go?' Are the. returns from
Nevada complete yet? what about
Wyoming?' and why is North Da-
kota?' The question of How old is
ANN was oyershadowed for a
while.
'The second effect is to free the
country from the superstition that all
campaign calculation must be based
on carrying New York. The country
scan now proceed to legisiate on the
theory that the law should suit the
majority, no matter in what section
or sections the majority lives. ga, /,
What have you to say as to the
kind of candidate Mr.. Hughes made
and the campaign he conducted?
was the next question asked OF MI.
Bryan. The reply was.
"You have to make allowances Tor
the fact that Mr.. Hughes could not
successfully attack the administra-
tons record and could not promise
to plunge the country into war al
though war was the natural infer
ei1ce which many drew from his at
tack upon the presidents policy. MI;
Hughes was like the man who mad
to take the side of the moon in
debate on the relative merits OF the
he could but he was on the wrong
eSNn Ho WOO MT in the attitude of