New-York tribune., 1920-03-21
'Drys' to Fight
Hitchcock on
FWet' Platform
Anti-Saloon League Forces
Will Try to Defeat the
Senator at the Convention
and in the Upper House
Nebraskan States Views
Favors Light Wines and
Beer, He Says; Califor-
mans Approve His Policy

From. The Tribune's Washington Bxredu
WASHINGTON, March 2o.-The can
didacy Of Senator Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock,
of Nebraska, for the Democratic Presi-
Dental nomination on a eight wines
and beer" platform, has aroused the
ire of the Anti-Saloon League forces.
Wayne B. Wheeler, counsel for the
league, issued statement to-day in
which he demanded not only that Sem
ator Hitchcock be defeated at the San
Francisco convention, but that he also
be defeated for the position of Demo
cratic leader of the Senate.
Senator Hitchcock, in reply, repeated
his declaration for light wines and
beer, recently made in message to the
Nebraska Democrats, but he added that
he favored enforcement of existing
laws.
The "wets" of California have asked
Senator Hitchcock to help them in a
fight to permit the sale Of light wines
and beers The Senator received a
telegram to-day from committee of
Californians, inviting him to send them
statement of his views to be read at
a meeting to be held in San Francisco
Tuesday night. At the meeting a CAL
ifornia branch of the Camels, an or
ganization formed to carry on fight
for wines and beer, will be organized.
The message sent to the Senator to-
day indorsed his views.
"Drys" Will Fight Senator
In his attack upon Senator Hitch
cock, Mr.. Wheeler declared that the
Senator's position on prohibition would
array the prohibition sentiment of the
nation against him. Mr.. Wheeler con-
tinued:
'It ought to defeat him not only as
a candidate at the Democratic conver-
ton, but for leadership in the Senate.
He had given many people to under
stand that he had changed his position
on this question, and would stand for
an enforcement Of the national prohibi-
ton code. To champion beer and wine
amendment is nothing short of an at
tack upon law enforcement. The de-
cision of the Supreme Court on the
war prohibition act not only sustains
the Il of l per cent standard, but calls
attention to the fact that state legisla-
lures and state Supreme Court decisions
deem it necessary to define that term
in order to have effective enforcement
of the law. The court surveyed the
legislation of the prohibition states and
court DECISIONS showing that as strong
or stronger standards were justified
and "that the definition provided by the
Volstead set is not an arbitrary one"
Practically all of the prohibition laws
in the states have as strong a standard
as that in the Volstead act.
Opposition to State Laws
"The candidate who advocates beer
and wine amendments will be in oppo-
sition to the laws of most Of the states
and the experience in the states that
the standard in the Volstead act is es-
sential, if we are to have law enforce
ment. Beer and wine amendments
have been repeatedly defeated in Con-
gress, in state legislatures and by the
overwhelming majority of the people
in Michigan, Colorado, Washington and
many other states. The beer and wine
movement is the entering wedge to de-
stroy prohibition. No one will be
fooled by it, after reading the history
of it in the states"
Senator Hitchcock, in reply, said:
i"I have noticed the criticism made
by Mr.. Wheeler, general counsel Of the
Antl-Saloon League, upon my position
on the liquor question. The best COM
ment l can make upon his criticism is
to reiterate my position, which he evil
IDENTIFY does not fully understand.
First, stand for an enforcement
of prohibition laws, including the ap-
preparation of all needed money to en-
force them.
"Second, l accept without reserva-
tion the constitutional decision of the