Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-30
IRISH AND LIQUOR
QUESTIONS CAUSE
HEATED WRANGLES
Scenes Of Great Disorder During
Platform Committees Hearing
on Proposed Planks.
VETS OUTLINE DEMANDS

the hearings yesterday by the Democratic
Convention Resolutions Committee were
lively debates on the Irish question and
prohibition.
The fur began to fly when Mr. Bryan,
after the speech of ex-Representative
favor of a liberal enforcement of the
Eighteenth Amendment, asked whom Mr..
Bell represented
The Grape Growers Association of
California" replied Mr.. Bell. 81 would
like 10 ask whom Mr.. Bryan represents"
Il am here as Democrat" said Mr..
Bryan. II am here for the homes of this
land and the children of this land, whom
your damnable traffic would slay."
81 would like to ask Mr.. Bryan a ques-
tion," said Mr.. Bell. "Are you receiving
pay, directly or indirectly, from the
Anti-Saloon League or any other prohlbi-
tion organization?"
mot a Nickel" replied Mr.. Byan.
Not nickel?" asked MIR. Bell.
'For four months OF last year." Mr..
a specific service 70. some speeches that
/ made; but for nine years before that
| fought the damnable traffic which you
represent on this floor"
Then Bryan said he would like to know
whether MIR. Bell was receiving pay from
the wet interests, but the colloquy was
cut sholt by Senator Carter Glass, chair
man of the committee, who said that a
joint debate between the leaders of the
opposing forces could not be permitted
by the committee.
TILT BETWEEN BRYAN AND GLASS.
Mr.. BRYAN had been in a clash with
Senator Glass earlier as to whether the
vets or the drys should open the hearing.
Apparently the gentlemen cannot agree"
said Senator Glass after Mr.. Bryan and
Representative A. ]. SABBATH of Illinois,
IN charge of the wet forces. had failed to
reach an understanding. Perhaps we had
better move on to another subject on
which we can agree.
This is no time for joking or quib-
bling" said Mr.. Bryan, incensed by the
laughter with which Mr.. Glass remark
had been received.
The chairman resents the insinuation
that there is any quibbling," retorted
Senator Glass.
At the suggestion of Senator Harrison,
Chairman Glass ruled that the drys
should open, and that each side should
have thirty minutes. This ruling was
sustained by the committee by vote
OF 27 TO 25.
Bishop Cannon Of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, South, opened the dry
argument.
II am here 10 voice in the name of
hundreds Of thousands Of Democratic
voters a protest against any action by
the Democratic convention which viii
cause them TO hang their heads in shame"
he said. I'VE have freed ourselves from
the domination of the liquor traffic and we
do not intend TO stand idly by while anv
effort is being made to restore that traffic
TO domination. II an amendment to the
Nolstead act is desired, the proper way
for those desiring II is TO elect members |
OF Congress who VIII vote to amend it, |
instead of trying to brand the Democratic |
party as the parry of the liquor in |
terests."
Mrs. Ellis A. Yost of Washington. in |
the name Of the Women's Christian |
Temperance Union, appealed for plank /
for the strict enforcement of the Eigh- I
tenth Amendment
Captain Richamond Pearson Hobson, |
who won fame int he Spanish-American |
War, declared that alcohol attacked the |
brain and sapped tn vitality OF the peo- |
pie. He offered the following plank for
the consideration o the committee:
THE Democratic party is Justly |
proud the Eighteenth Amendment to |
the Constitution and pledges its IF by |
legislation and administration Loyalty TO !
enforce this and all other articles OF the |
constitution, and to use every honorable.I
and legitimate means to extend the bless |
ings of this charter of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness to all the peoples of Il
the earth"
Mr.. Bryan announced that as a mem
Der OF the committee he would have
an opportunity to speak later and there
fore would not take any part of the allotted
time. He introduced Wayne B. Wheeler,
general counsel for the Antl-Saloon League,
who made the principal prohibition argu-
ment.
IRISH QUESTION CAUSES ROW.
Scenes of greater disorder than were ever
witnessed at similar convention hearing
Ii recent years were enacted at the hear
ing of the Committee on Resolutions on
the proposed Irish plank. Kisses, groans
and interruptions by advocates of an
Irish plank greeted speeches Of Demarest |
Lloyd, president of the Loyal Coalition |
and Randolph Wilford Smith, its vice |
president, who opposed the adoption of |
any plank recognizing or favoring the |
independence of the Irish Republic, on |
the ground that the continuance of a |
policy of such resolutions would eventual |
~ mean war with England
The Irish plank. submitted by Frank |
p. Walsh, as a representative OF Eamon |
de Valera, was identical with that re-
iected by the Republican National Con-
vention at Chicago. Both Mr.. Lloyd and |
Mr.. Smith said that the Irish question /
was purely domestic matter for Great |
Britain, and one with which the Demo
cratic party or the United States had |
no concern.
The greatest disorder was caused by |
a remark Of Mr.. Smith, who said that
there should be no difficulty in carrying
on Observation-Disclosures propaganda in
this country, as its sponsors had "eol-
lected sl0,000,000 from the pockets of
American servant girls" There were
about a hundred Irish sympathizers
present, nearly half of them women,
and this statement caused an immediate
outburst of Indignation.
Take that backp' called woman.
'SlanderW cried another.
Various other epithets followed and
Senator Carter Glass, chairman of the
committee, raped vainly for order and
at last directed the Sergeants at Arms
to quiet the disturbers and, if necessary,
expel them from the room.
Mr.. Smith ended by saving that the
only good thing the aggregation of
mountebanks and clowns at Chicago"
did was to leave an Irish plank out of
their platform and urged that the Demo-
cratic Convention do the same