South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-04
FEBRUARY 4. 1920.
COL BRYAN AND GOV. EDWARDS AND
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Tho candidacy Of Gov Edwards of New Jersey
for the democratic nomination for president Of the
United States very timely. likewise the fall that
has been taken out of him by Col William j.
Bryan. and the fan that the governor imagines he
has taken Of the colonel Ii makes an issue out
If the booze question within the democratic party
where evidently it will eventually have to be fought
out. and il eventually. why not now?" We may
know. after the San Francisco convention. whether
the democratic party prefers the harmony Of
death" II e die, under the major leadership
Of Col Bryan. death by deIirium tremens" at
the coat-tan Of Gov Edwards.
The democracy OF two spots i'm the United States
South Bend and New Jersey,-seem to be con
testing for the dominance of the party throughout
the nation. In these spots major leadership.
those who have long been in control of the party
organization, seem to imagine that the booze ques-
sion is the only question worthy of consideration.
and booze the only thing to be figured i'm press
ing an electoral canvas
Talk with them and they know about as much
about the League of Nations covenant and its d..
STABILITY; ideals as intelligent regarding
he railroad problem. the problems Ca ptal and
labor. and whether should preserve he den,oc-
r1cy Of the nation surrender it to the dic,atofE
ship of the proletariat the autocracy of the
plutocrat are about as concerned in a pope, policy
of postwar reconstruction. rs. well. say IO-year
old school boy. Then mention booze to them AMI
see then brighten They have ideas about booze.
ana personal liberty. can tell YOU wherein every
pronititionist is cracked stole a sheep OF some
thing. and exactly how many bottles OF that which
they would prohibit they have in their easements.
Maybe there other spots in the Urited States
where democracy has fallen thus deeply ;nto The
clutches Of the booze elements being dominated by
Them. quite exclusively their own INTEREST," s.
much so that democrats of the more respectable
at least. less beer. euzzing sort.-are ashamed t.
shcw their faces tut the history record o. tn"
t"rty does not confirm il. Taken the nation as q
whole. nave little fear but that. whatever ether
faults Col. Bryan may have, he viii fleece Gov.
Edwards TO fragile when comes to the prohi-
ttor question There are possibilities Of course
that political party deprayed as to- be viilins
align itself with the liquor interests NIGH. il it
sou6 martial the wet" votes Of all parties make
considerable showing. but for either Of the old
parties TO try it, means the loss OF as many dry"
votes as they would gain in wet" ones-and the
democrats party is not going the one to try
Neither the republican party The passage of
tine Nolstcd law over Prest Wilson's veto by quite
propOrtionate number a democrats as reuub-
Leans doesn't bode very much for the democracy Of
Gov. Edwards for the republcanisu any re-
publican OF similar mould
Ia the and in the nation. democracy has not
been backward in keering pace with the prohibit
lion movement 1t like proportion of its votes
m the stale legislature. along with the republicans
In passing the Indiana law; likewise i'm passing the
federal amendment and the Volsted enforcement
act John Barleycorn is outlawed and he is blind
who cannot see IT, whether IL be Gov. Edwards Of
New Jersey. just some OF local \. r r. who
pirate about their liquor beire taken away while
they were in Frauce-beug too shorten emoried 10
recollect. that they elected i'm 1916 the men who
did it. and prohibition provided for in Indiana
before our entrance into the war was declared
No question but that Gov Edwards can have the
solid backing OF the democratic vets in south
Bend and elsewhere. who lack the moral and poll
tIcal TO foresee the folly of such backing
Give them the san Francisco convention. and the
democratic party viii pass into '-nnocuous desue-
Tudc.' as Grover Cleveland would call IT, not for
the four years that they think a wet platform
would enable them dodge but for 20 years. long
enough for the party TO undergo "a hre OF pur6cs-
ton n keeping with the high ideals upon which it
was established.
Yes. il is well that Col Bryan and GOV Edwards
have crossed swords VIII rerhaps come out in
he wash where the democratic party really stands:
whether upon the ,hrst- or upon the uianlineSs of