Evening star., 1920-01-31
CHANCE FOR ISSUE
MORE OR LESS WET
IN THE CAMPAIGN
Demand for Mild Drinks May
Influence the Writing of
Party Platforms.
By DAVID LAWRENCE.

=" NEN1Es
All those people who would like to
have the privilege of buying, making.
distributing or drinking light wines
and beer need only make noise so
that they may be counted. and if. nu-
merically. they would appear to eX-
ceed those who want America kept
as dry as the Sahara they are likely
to prevail upon one of the big politi-
cal parties to put a plank in their
next election platform to that effect.
Naturally. the question of how to
keep the saloon extinct and the perils
of whisky from those who would
drink IL to excess and at the same
tirne provide for the American people
the light wines and beers they may
want for social beverages. has puZ-
zled the political leaders in Wash
ington, who are inclined not exactly
to be Wet but a trifie damp. at least
damp enough to want to acquire votes
next fall.
View of Prominent Democrat.
Seriously. one of the most powerful
men in the democratic party inform
ed me that he saw no reason why
either political party could not go
before the people and ask them to
elect Congress that would give the
country light wines and beer. His
reasoning was this: The constitu-
tional amendment which now is in
force prohibits the manufacture and
Just what is intoxicating is subject
to individual Interpretation, yet when
Congress passed an enforcement act
declaring recently that 1t was unlaw-
full to make or distribute a beverage
containing more than one-half of one
per cent of alcohol a test suit was
brought and the Supreme Court OF
the United States was asked TO decide
If Congress had the power to say what
constituted Intoxicating beverages"
Nd he
no matter how much alcohol in any
beverage was. in fact intoxicating.
when Congress fixed the percentage
by statute the latter's word was final.
Chance for Congress to Act.
, Thus. as many people claim that
5f5 beer is not intoxicating. it would
be perfectly possible for Congress to
And if the American people want light
wines and beer. they need only elect
a 1915 Congress" If Congress can
say that one-half of one per cent is
not Intoxicating. it can say that 3.75
per cent is similarly Notwithstanding
So the democratic leaders-and in
fairness to them it must be said that
they are not now in Office. but spend
their time outside of Washington
canvassing political sentiment-are
think of a plank that definitely
pledged democratic congressman to
vote for 3.75 as the percentage of al
eohollc content in beverages.
There is no doubt that William Jen-
nings Bryan would fight to the death
any such provision in a democratic
platform if he happens to be a dele
gate to the next national convention
and there is no doubt, too, that the
democrats would find the party di-
vided on the issue. But as the time
approaches for a definition of issues.
1T becomes more and more apparent
that Mr.. Bryan's sanguine prediction
that the wet and dry question would
not be vital factor because both
PARTIES are committed to prohibition
by their votes is not altogether GER
tain of fulfllment
Unit ON saloon Evils.
On the evils of the saloon or the
misuse OF whisky there would seem
to be unanimity of opinion, but on
light wines and beer. one notices here
a tendency to regard with consider
able speculation the exact political
effect of such a plank in any plat
form The fact that Gov. Edwards,
democrat, carried the populous state
of New JerSey-which had been count
ed a rock-ribbed republican state
and the vote in Ohio have. tended to
cause some of the democrats to favor
a more or less wet platform. With
the democratic party holding its con-
vention in the wine-growing state of
California, it would not be surprising
TO ind the atmosphere of the Pacific
coast somewhat friendly to a light
wines and beer program.
Politicians Observe Caution.
But it is significant, on the other
hand, that the politicians are treading
cautiously and are likely to continue
TO go slowly about committing them
selves pu blicly even to the light win es
and beer idea until they know who
is to be the candidate of the party
II he is a pronounced dry" ii would
be en- barrassing. but if he has been
rather non-committal it would be
possible for him to say that the ques-
ton is entirely one for Congress to
deal with. and the people can show
by their votes what party they wish
to install in power
Attitude of Republicans,
So far as republican politics are
concerned. there have been states
where republicans won on a wet plat
form and there have been many in
which the "drys' have practically
elected the republican candidates 1t
goes without saying that if the demo-
Gratis should show an inclination to
favor light wines and beer. the re-
publicans would probably hail with
delight the prospect of assuring
themselves of the dry vote. Thus the
question of expediency turns upon
this query: Are there more votes on
the light wines and beer side than
there are teetotalers, or vice versa
Whoever could answer that question
would be able to tell in advance
which party is apt to declare for a
modification of the present statutes
of absoluate prohibition. and. per-
lature will be a 3.75 per cent or a
of 4 cent COnQreSS