Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-13
HARDING FAVORED
COMPENSATION FOR
LIQUOR MEMS LOSS
Drys Will Question Him as to
Statement Made Dur
ing 1917.
WET AND DRY YARDSTICK

Washington special to the New York
World SAYS.
If Warren G. Harding is elected Presi-
dent of the United States, the liquor peo-
pie put out of business by the prohibition
amendment will demand that he carry
out promise made in 1917 TO JOIN move
ment 10 have them compensated Tor their
prupcrtv losses. During the Senate de-
bate on the resolution to submit the
Eighteenth Amendment to the States for
ratification, Senator Harding declared
he was not Prohlbitionist, and had
never been. but would vote for the sub
mission. and then advocate compensation
for financial damages.
ON Aug. |, 1917, stating his position,
MIR. Harding said:
II do not hesitate 60 say that / ap-
proach the question from strong sense
OF Justice, and il this amendment is sub
mitted 20 the people of the United States
and receives the sanction OF three-tourths
of the General Assemblies, then, If my
tender of office still stands, | am willing
to GO further and join in a movement to
make IL effective through process OF
CONDENSATION TO the business destroyed. :
pRYs ARE ALARMED.
This has chccred the vets and caused
n feeling of CONSERVATION among the
drys. WAYNE B. Wheeler of the Anti
Saloon League, Senator Morris Sheppard
of Texas, and other leading prohibition
workers here are very much opposed to
oompensating the liquor interests. They
lnsist that those who lost by the effective
ness of the Eighteenth Amendment had
fair warning for years of what TO expect.
They would consider such plan waste
OF the peoples money. They will ask
Mr.. Harding for an expression on the
subject.
"Such a proposition is absurd" said
Senator Sheppard THE people will not
stand for any such proposition"
The unearthing of the Harding state
ment, which is TO be called to his attention
by the drys for an explanation and an
Interpretation under present condIti ons,
has put some life in the Republican camp.
II the Harding plan is carried out nearly
a billion dollars will have TO be pro-
vided for compensatlng the liquor IN
tereSts At the time the Prohibition
Amendment went into effect more than
S775, ,0o0, 900 was invested IN the liquor
industry of the country.
NOT MORAL QUESTION.
During the debate in the Senate on
ING declared: Il am in sympathy with the
opposition 10 the resolution about the
unfairness Of adopting Federal amend
ment under the provisions OF the Constitu-
tlon on question relating to personal
liberty, and If there were any other method
of submitting an amendment | should be
very glad TO employ it. ] am not Pro
hihitionis,, and never have pretended to
he. do not approach this question from
a moral viewpoint, because | am unable
10 see IL as a great moral question.
Il do not think 8 prohibition au1end-
mcnt will be effective. You cannot make
anv law stronger than the public sent-
ment which secs to its enforcement
Mr. Harding regretted the ''presslfre
brought 70 settle" the prohibition issue at
that time, Aug l, 1917, but felt himself
impelled 70 vote for the prohibition OF the
people doing the pressing.
'Ever since | have been IN public hfe
\ have seen men continually measured by
the wet and dry yardstick, said be, "and
the submission Of this amendment is GO
ing 20 measure every candidate for public
Office by the wet and dry yardstick until
the final settlement"