South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-10
Essay on Silence
Republicans Afraid
Say Democrats
Dare Not Touch on
Liquor Issue in
Party Platform
BY JOHN HENRY zJrvER.

9. - Somehow the G. O. p.
Gods own P-arty''-as so
many OF its South Bend adherents
seem so fondly to imagine IL in
their pretentious claims to its
monopoly OF virtue. standing
alone for the moral. political.
governmental and economic up
hft,-appears here in Chicago. at
the party's national conclave.
quite as willing TO firt with the
worlds greatest prOpagator Of
vice, immortality. bad politics,
corrupt government, and degen-
crate economics, as has been ex-
Lected the democrats in San
Francisco.
At least the republicans are
seemingly indisposed TO offend the
apostles of such propagator to
any such extent as "a direct dec
laratiOn against IT, In their plat
fOrm-made 10 run On-the 18th
amendment. and the Volstead
act, might as we'll not exist so far
as concerns direct reference: this.
too, Notwithstanding the recent
decision Of the United States su-
preme court dashing to the
ground the last hope of the liquor
interests unless they can effect
some sort of self-recuperation
through control of a president
and a congress, enabling them TO
repeal the amendment through a
counter amendment. or amend
the enforcement law into
nonentity.
The republicans in their plat
form boast loudly enough and
flamboyantly enough, with mis-
appropriation of credit for the
Iassage of the 18th amendment
granting the right Of suffrage 10
women, but when it comes to
taking any chances on driving
away the liquor vote, by any loud.
hambOyant or Imisappropriated
credit for inaugurating national
prohibition. there is a silence that
is sickening.
The stage is we'll set for a dou-
BILE crossing campaign on the
liquor issue wherever it arises;
campaign something similar to
that conducted by Mayor Carson
in his mayoralty canvas. Parties
stand for nothing on the Ques-
the understanding. claims being
made Of bipartisan arrange
ment under which the democrats
at San Francisco are, after all
the propaganda that has been
hurled against them by the re-
publiCans-calculat to brand
the democratic party as the booze
party.-to be just as strong for
prohibition as the &. o. p. is
against II.
In other words both parties are
TO be strangely siient-if the
agreement is carried out. 1t is
not known who executed the
agreement, or by what authority,
assuming that 1t exists, but such
is the tale that is told. IL seems
TO have been worked out on the
theory that the republicans dare
not pronounce themselves against
prohibition and the democrats
dare not declare themselves for
it. and that both being wedged
between the devil and the deep
blue sea" have concluded 10
stand still and wait for the sea 20
recede and for the devil 10 choke
10 death.
Do not imagine. however. that
this puts the liquor issue out OF
the campaign Both the dry AM
wet forces here expect to see II
bob up wherever there IS
chance in a congressional or SEN
atorial canvas. and Lerhaps even
in the presidential race, leaving
each candidate 10 state his own
platform, and enabling those
20 nnsa
wet in one place and dry IN an
other. TO better advantage. vary
ing with the aridity OF the diff
ferent locations. The parties as
sumo responsibility for no one on
this point; that is. the republican
party doesn 't,-assuming 1Eat the
democratic party won't.
W on d erful craftsmanship!
Great parties Barring the
League of Nations issue this is
unduestionably the most absorb
ing topic before the American
people. with a billion dollars ap-
proLriated by the liquor interests
for propaganda, lawsuits, bought
en- politicians. etc. 10 effect re-
peal OF the amendment II pos
sible. and the liberalizing OF the
enforcement act into nothingness.
as the next possibility should re-
peal OF the amendment prove
impossible Yet the republican
party dares not say a word on the
subject and we are told that the
democrats will say exactly the
same thing.
1t is perhaps we'll that there is
something that they can agree
upon W. ]. Bryan said during
the war that IL was a splendid
compliment 20 the two old parties
that though IN peace time they
magnifed their differences and
minimiZed their Tesemblances. in
war they magnified their resent
blances and minimized their diff
fcrences-giving il as an evidence
of an all prevailing America
patriotism. Well. with returning
peace. they are minimizing their
resemblapces on the liquor ques'
tiOu all right