The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-10-08

to change the policy OF the past
and now make Prohibition mat
ter OF party creed. Ii gentlemen
are opposed 10 the Eighteenth
Amendment let them follow the
methods prescribed IN the Con
stitution to secure its repeal. II
gentlemen arc opposed to tho
provisions OF tic Nolstead act
let them make their tight III Con-
gress for the repeal or modihca-
ton OF that act. But a. a voter il
good standing in the Democratic
party I most earnestly protest
against the proposal 10 make this
question party issue, and to
cause thousands OF Democrats to
hang their heads in shame be-
cause a vet brand has beer put
upon the Democratic party.
After the public hearing the Prohi-
biton question was discussed at
length in executive session by the
members OF the platform committee
and all proposed planks were voted
down. The question was then de
bated upon the convention floor and
the issue square1y drawn. Both the
dry and wet planks we're voted down
by such sweeping majorities as indi-
Gated that the convention was II
hearty accord with the policy that
Prohibition is not party issue, undel
which policy the Anti-Saloon League
has won all its local, state and ma
tional victories, under which the
Eighteenth Amendment was ratified
and the Volstead act passed over the
Presidents veto. It was especially
gratifying to note that of the 284 votes
OF the distinctively dry southern
states, only Is votes were cast for The
dry plank and only four Tor the wei
plank, the practically solid dry vote o.
the South being cast against making
Prohibition a partisan political issue
Congressional Districts the Real
battle-ground
While the writer would have beer
pleased had both conventions adopted
the short law enforcement plank givet
above, yet after It failed OF passage by
the Republican convention it wa:
probably better for the Prohibition
cause that it was not adopted by thu
Democratic convention The writer
firmly believes that the creates
danger which faced the Prohibition
cause at the two conventions was thai
the two conventions might adopt sub
stantially different attitudes toward:
Prohibition and so make Prohibition ;
question OF party politics, and conse
quent thereupon 4 question of oui
party strife, thus destroying thu
solidarity aud tremendous driving
power of our Prohibition forces, max
ing Prohibition simply one OF many
issues III a partisan campaign, instead
OF standing apart as a great economic
social and moral question to be dc
termined in the future as in the pas
by the bipartisan votc OF all th'
people, Republicans and Democrats
alike.
The real Prohibition battle-ground
of the coming campaign IS just where
it has been for the past ten years
namely, in the congressional districts
and it is far better TO fight for dry
Congress by the same non-partisar
methods followed so successfully il
the past than to have the handicap o
differing party platforms on the Pro
hibition question. And we must fight
The vets have not given TIP. They
will put forth a tremendous effort Il
elect men favorable to a beer anC
wine amendment to the Volstead act
We can defeat them il we fight a
earnestly as VIC have done in the ~ st
But we must fight.
Lake Junaluska, \. &, July 10, 1920.