The Washington times., 1920-09-07
DRY CONGRESS
/. AIM OF BRYAN
aAti0 II TX
Still a Democrat, But Will Con-
fine Political Work to
Liquor Issue.

/
do this fall, / do not expect TO leave
the Democratic party"
William Jennings Bryan. thrice the
| Democratic nominee for the Presi-
dency. made that statement here.
says Washington dispatch by j.
Fred Esssry in the Baltimore Sun.
IL expect to work in and through
the Democratic party for the securing
of such things as l believe TO be good
| for the country" he added.
Whether he will support Governor
Cox in the closing days OF the cam
paign, Colonel Bryan declined to say
Just now, he says he is devoting him
self to the election or a Congress that
will reject all attempts TO weaken the
| prohibition laws OF the United states
Can a man expect to remain In a
party and be silent during Presiden-
tial campaign" the Nebraskan was
asked.
Eyes" was the prompt reply. 81
have known some men to become
President after refusing to vote for
| the party candidate. j remember one
Democratic President who helped to
elect a Republican successor. and ]
know OF an cx-Republican Presl-
dent who helped to elect a Democrat
TO the Presidency. SO you see l am
| entirely within my rights when / re-
fuse to discuss the national campaign
at present"
NO PLANS FOR FUTURE.
Colonel Bryan was asked what was
| meant by "at present" and he stated
! that he had no plans beyond today.
He Is in Washington with Mrs. Bryan,
and not TO discuss politics. he said.
No public appearance will be made
| by the Commoner until late in Sep
| tember, when he will address the In
tenational Conference on Alcoholism
here. Meanwhile, ne is doing some
research work in the Congressional
Library.
when you declined the prohibition
party's nomination for the Presidency
a short time ago, you said you were
still a Democrat" Bryan was remind
ed. do you still come under that
classification"
THAT stands" he tersely responded.
Through his paper. the Commoner,
Bryan has undertaken a national
campaign to pledge all candidates for
Congress against weakening the Vol
stead act, and said that when he left
Lincoln on Friday the pledges were
coming in at the rate Of fifteen a day.
1t is known that Colonel Bryan re-
CARDS Senator Harding and Governor
Cox as both wet.
FOR DRY MAN, REGARDLESS.
| Il am for the dry man as against
the wet man. no matter what party
he belongs to-" he said today. The
| vets know no politics. why should the
| friends of the home be less earnest?
| Why should partisanship separate the
friends of prohibition now? 1t did
| not separate them in the fight for sub
mission and ratification of the Con-
stitutional amendment and both are
useless without enforcement"
1t was recalled that after the Demo-
cratic National Convention had re-
fused to adopt a plank in its platform
declaring for strict enforcement Of the
volstead act Bryan said: MY heart
is in the grave"
yes" he agreed. ut Is still in the
grave. but the grief has abated suffi-
ciently to allow me to go to work
! for a dry Congress"
| The Nebraskan then was told that
some of his friends said he would
support Governor Cox eventually, to
which he responded:
For the twenty-four years that I
have been actively in politics no
! friend has ever spoken for me. With
paper of my own and access to the
other papers, it is not necessary for
me to speak through a screen. / am
not happy over the failure of the
two big parties to declare their posi-
| ton on prohibition enforcement"
WANTS BONE DRY ONGREsS.
Bryan said he hopes to see a Con-
gress elected this fall that will be
numerically strong enough to over
ride possible Presidential veto OF
legislation designed to maintain the
integrity of the prohibition amend
ment and laws enacted for it's en-
forcement. Irrespective of party, he
wants to secure a Congress with two
thirds of the members Of each house
favoring impeachment of President
Of the United States who might vio-
| late his oath of office by being dere-
/ lict in enforcing prohibition.
DO you consider election or a
Congress pledged to support the pres
| ent prohibition laws more essential
than the election of Senate that
will ratify the peace treaty. was
inquired of Bryan.
| Neither party can have two -thirds
| Of the next Senate-everyone knows
that. A majority can take us into
war; why should it take two-thirds
to take us out? / favor majority
! rule, and / think the Constitution
should be so amended as to allow
majority to ratify treaties
CHEERED by WOMAN VOTING.
While declining to discuss campaign
! issues. Colonel Bryan showed Will
! ingness to comment on suffrage.
women will be very effective IN
every moral question, now that they
! have the ballot" he said. They VIII
have great influence on two
questions that are very near to my
! heart They will see that John
Barleycorn has no resurrection and
they will favor the abolishment of
| war"
"will they be bound by party ties
! as strongly as men? was asked.
Coming into the franchise now,
and having no partisan record OF
them. they will be more free today
| to decide the issues of today" he re-
piled. Nevertheless, they will have
strong predisposition against the
! liquor traffic in any form and tney
will favor a substitute for war
TIIOM NNCD CIiDDI " QACCC