The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-06-25

spontaneous nomination. By clearing
| the air on the health question, he has
| helped matters In his own behalf a great
] deal and his efforts to prevent DR.. Jen-
kins from nominating him are consid-
cred excellent tactics. But without bet
ter organization on The floor, Mr.. Nc
Adoo's chances would appear to be slim
at this writing.
/ With the arrival, however, of Senator
Carter Glass, who brought copy of sew
/ eral planks for the platform approved
by President Wilson, the real issue which
must be decided before a candidate is
chosen is the wet or dry question. If
this is wilson convention, and it prob
ably WILDE proved so in the early ses-
lsions, there viii beat least d moist plank
in the platform for: the White House has
l,wet ine1inatlshs. 1T was pointed out to
| the writer, for instance, with gestures
of significance today that President
Wilson vetoed the Nolstead act, and that
the latter became a law over his veto.
Moreover, it should be remembered, Mr..
Wilson never sent messages to state
! legislatures urging them to adopt the
18th amendment, while he has taken a
: vital interest in the constitutional
: amendment to grant the franchise to
} women.
Eastern democracy is, of course, wet
and has enough votes to exercise a bal
: ance of power between the more or less
assiye South and the arid West. Western
Democrats admit they are amazed by
the Overwhelming wet sentiment being
waited hther from the East Severa
DemocraticIeaders want to win so badly
J, that they are considering the ACCESSIBILITY
t of taking leaf out of the Republican
: book at Chicago and urging a plank that
: is both for and against something, salts
fes most everybody, prevents quarrel
$ and permits a candidate to interpret tn,
S plank as he pleases in the campaign
/ The league of nations plank of the Re
1 publican national convention may fint
;, its parallel in compromise plank on tn,
/ liquor question at the Democratic con
: vention. What Johnson was to the Re
0 publican efforts at harmony, Bryan vii
: be to the Democrats.
Il Mr.. Bryan has considered making /:
g fight on Homer Cummings, who is to b
a temporary chairman of the convention
: because of the alleged wet leanings of tn
latter. The Wilson forces would welcom
such a tilt for Homer Cummings woul
win easily and Mr.. Bryan would b
weakened for any subsequent eontrover
Isles. The truth is Mr.. Cummings hasn'
said whether he is a wet or dry and j
forced to say he probably would insis
that it was not his affair to dictate to til
platform committee.
As to that committee, the drvs have
big majority, but a minority report cor
demning the Nolstead act will almost ce1
tainly be brought to the floor of til
convention. The delegates are believe
to be about equally divided and the OF
portunity for a compromise may com
in San Francisco as it did in Chieag,
Nothing in the famous Virginia platforI
which is TO be the model on the leagu
of nations refers to the prohibition ques
tion. but the big delegations from Ne
York, New Jersey Indiana, Illinois an
Massachusetts are inclined to favor
moist plank The chances for its accel
lance as Democratic doctrine this yea
are improving. IT,