Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-05
LIQUOR QUESTION
FORGING TO FRONT
IN VOTE CAMPAIGN
Silent Issue" Less and Less
Silent as damp" Senti-
ment Gains.

IiIctil UdiItS.
The silent issue of the campaign
the wet" and dry" issue, upon
which the republican and democratic
national platforms have nothing to
SAYS becoming less and less silent
The action of the unofficial democratic
state convention of New York. which
inserted a plank in the state plat
form favoring a modification of the
Nolstead enforcement act so that beer
and light wines may be manufac-
tured and sold, was perhaps to be ek-
pected. But it brings the liquor
question more prominently to the
nomination of J. 7. Deal. wet candl-
date for Congress, by the democrats
in Norfolk district of Virginia.
There is no doubt but that the
politicians in the Harding and Cox
camps have been worried by the liquor
issue. That there has been con-
siderable reaction against the bone
dry" VolStead act in many sections is
unquestioned. If the candidates
could only be assured as to just the
extent of this reaction the sailing
would be easier. But no one knows.
Wants Both Vets and Drys.
The democrats are hoping that Gov.
Cox will receive the wet" votes in the
north and middle west without losing
any "drys" They have put the soft
pedal on the liquor question in fear OF
alternating the prohibitionists George
White, the newly selected chairman of
the democratic national committee. was
hailed as dry and it was rumored
that one of the reasons he, and not Z.
r. Moore. CoX's convention manager.
was picked, lay in the fact that Moore
was recognized as wet
The south has been the stronghold of
prohibition. But Cox is sure to get the
democratic vote in the southern states.
So if he can slide by with the wet
vote in the north and middle west.
without antagoniZing the 'dryS' in
those sections. his supporters figure he
will have a good chance for they cleo
what the vets win favor Cox rather
than Harding, even though the attitude
of both candidates has been practically
the same when discussing the prohibi-
ton question. Both have said at one
time or another that they stood for law
enforcement" and that if elected Presi-
dent they would enforce the dry laws
along with all the rest.
Change Up to Congress.
| If there is to u any change in the
Nolstead act it must come necessarily
! from Congress. There is no doubt
about that The dry forces there are
in the Senate and the House. II they
can control either one OF both OF
these bodies they figure that it viii
be impossible to modify the Volstead
act.
! E. c. Dinwiddie, chairman of rhe fif-
teenth International Congress Against
Alcoholism. which is to be held in
Wa shington September 81, said today
that he was confident that the Senate
! would be bone dry" after the coming
elections. He meant that a majority
of the senators would oppose any
modification of the enforcement act
which would make possible the manu-
facture and sale of beer and wine.
Il have carefully examined the rec
ords of the senator's" he said. "and
find that in the two-thirds member
ship of the Senate not up for election
this fall we can count upon almost
enough senators to give US the neceS-
sary majority. We will have to have
with US only eight of the thirty-tw-o
senator's who will be elected in No
hibition question. AS matter of
fact. the majority of the senators
who are standing for reelection are
/ dry. and most of the men who are
opposing them are dry, so We cannot
| lose the Senate"
House Expected to Be Dry.
Mr. Dinwiddie said that he believed
| the new House when elected would be
strongly dry" But even if it should
be wet the Senate would control the
! situation.
, In other words, the drys are count
! ing upon the Senate to prevent any
! change in the Nolstead act. even
should the country return a House
which believed in modification of the
enforcement act, and should elect the
democratic national ticket, which
! whether Gov. Cox desires the reputa-
tion or not. is given the credit for be-
ing at least damp"
If the wet, and dry issue. however,
should become a dominant issue. or
even an issue of considerable size. as
some claim it will, and the country
should return the democrats and a
House with wet proclivities. the ques-
ton is would the ''drys" in the Sem
ate be able or justified in standing
cut against the modification of the
volstead act? This after the country
had spoken. The situation would be
on all fours with the situation of the
republican senators if Gov Cox is
elected and calls upon the Senate to
ratify the Versailles treaty. with the
league of nations covenant attached.
League One of Main Issues.
One of the main issues in the cam
paign undoubtedly is the league. If