The Washington herald., 1920-04-07
Michigan Vote
Uiewed as Slap
hFace ofDrys
Sentiment in Favor of Gov
Edwards Presages Con-
vention Fight.
BY ROBERT r. BARRY

The prohibition ostrich buried its
head in the sands OF its Sahara
yesterday, when the primary re-
turns from Michigan revealed the
sentiment there for Gov. Edward 1.
Edwards, even after he had urged
that his nar1e be withdrawn from
the ballot In the silence of its
seclusion IL sought safety from its
fears" that the reports of anti-pro-
hibition reaction might not be en-
tirely propaganda of the liquor in
terests."
Talking for publication. the dry"
leaders said nothing. In their con-
versations in the cloakrooms and
out Of earshot Of newspapermen
Senator Morris Sheppard, of Texas.
author of the Eighteenth amend
ment, was quoted as having voiced
his disgust over the Edwards vote
in Michigan in the cryptic COM
ment:
"They would vote for Anheuser-
Busch for President"
Voted Dry by Huge Majority.
Sheppard made this statement in
] the face of the fact that Michigan
Iwent under constitutional State
wide prohibition on May 1, 1918. af-
ter the people had approved the
! dry" amendment by a majority of
68,624. with more than 100000 votes
cast in the referendum. A subse-
Quent effort to have home rule" on
the liquor question so as to permit
some sections to permit the sale of
light wines and beer was showed
under by a majority of 122.599 votes.
Prohibition leaders found two ex-
plantations for the Edwards vote.
They contended, first, that no sig
nificance could be attached to the
showing for the New Jersey execu-
tive because he had not polled any
thing approaching a vote necessary
to show that a majority Of the peo-
pie Of Michigan favored modification
of the Volstead enforcement act.
Says Drys Were Inactive.
They made the further point that
the wet" forces were able to make
a demonstration in that State, as
they had done previously in Massa-
chusetts, where dry" majorities Of
quarter and q half century have
been overturned since the Eighteenth
amendment become operative, be-
cause the prohibition forces are no
longer as active in getting out their
vote"
Representative Andrew ]. Vol
stead. Republican. OF Minnesota. au-
thor Of the enforcement act. de-
clined to comment on the Edwards
vote, beyond saying, II have abso-
lutely quit talking about prohibi-
ton"
Among Democratic leaders. the
Edwards vote strengthened the
growing conviction that the San
Francisco convention is going to
have a real fight on its hands over
the light wine and beer question.
One Of the party managers, who has
travelled many miles recently in be-
half of the organization, declared
they were not voting for man,
but for an ideal in Michigan" and
Senator Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock, OF
Nebraska, chuckled when he read
the returns on the relative show
ing of Governor Edwards and WILL
lam Jennings Bryan.
Hard Row Ahead of Bryan.
How is Mr.. Bryan going to keep
the light wine and beer issue out
Of the convention?" the Senator
was asked.
Il do not know" Mr.. Hitchcock
replied.
Senator Atlee Pomerene. Demo
crat, Of Ohio, was unable to attach
any particular significance" to the
vote for Edwards.
Does 1t not suggest the prob
ability of a light wine and beer
plank in the Democratic platform?"
he was asked.
mo, It doesn't suggest anything
Important"
Senator Pomerepe's rival for con-
troll Of the Democratic organization
in the Buckeye State-Governor
James M. Cox-is a candidate for
the Democratic nomination on a
light wine and beer issue. and in ad-
dition to having the Endorsement of
Ohio IL expected to be supported by
the Kentucky Democrats.
IOuuxx1xhf 1Q10 hx Puhlic Iadxex a.