The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-06-28
they particularly interested in the
higher applied ethics.
ifebtnod Issue In [ iouor,

Likelihood Issue Is Liquor.
They want to win, as aforesaid
therefore, while the league of nations
is recognized as factor in platform
making, and as there will be a SQUAD.
BILE over that, and the squabble will be
salved and silenced by a straddle, the
league commands but perfunctory in
terests
The issue that has the red blood OF
battle in it is the liquor issue, the wet
and dry issue-the to drink or not to
drink issue-the issue of iberaliza-
ton. There are three phases to this
all subject to compromise. and all
likely to be compromised. The Re
publicans took no official notice of
vets or drys at Chicago, but here the
question is rampant and insistent and
must be met some way.
The way it eventually will be met
will undoubtedly be half way, but, at
present it is the Invest thing in sight.
Naturally, the politicians want to win
next fall. They want to elect a presi
dent, but, most of all they want to
elect their city, town, state and county
tickets.
| 1t is lamentable, but it is true, that
| there is usually much more nourish-
! ment for any given organization of
state or city politicians in the local
| offices than can be obtained from
Washington. This is especially true
of city neutrality-suspicious. from
New York and Chicago, and Philadel-
phia and Boston, and so on.
| Many of these favor some sort Of a
wet demonstration, nor too open, per
haps, but of enough virility to serve as
reminder to the folks at home that
they did something for the sufferers
from thirst. They are far apart as to
what shall be done. Some insist 1t
will be sufficient to nominate a candi'
date known to be liberal in his views
let him be his own wet platform, and
be discreetly silent in the platform
Others say that the platform must be
moist, at least, and the candidates
also.
Byran Sounds His Battle Cry
Opposed to these will be the drys
led by William J. Bryan, who will in
sist on dry platform above all, with
the idea of mailing the candidate &c
!, that platform and thus making hin
dry for all practical political purposes
1t is claimed that the committee OF
resolutions is dry and if this is the
case the threat is made that a wei
minority report will be made.
The compromise most favored by
the men who desire to get some de
gree of moisture into the Democratic
campaign is that the platform making
shall be postponed until after thu
candidates are named Then, the,
say, if the candidate is of a sufficien
wetness it will be unnecessary to re
E fer to vexatious question at all. blu
: if the candidate is dry there will b.
, opportunity to dampen the platform
properly.
There will be much maneuverinj
= and peggermugging over this. 1t vii
= be easier to adopt a wet platform thai
, to nominate a wet candidate, for
;, platform takes but a majority of tn
e votes and a candidate requires two
= thirds under Democratic procedure.
d The signs are dry thus far. This
: the only definite development of tn
: moment. The friends of Mr. Brya
claim he holds a veto power over tn
convention. and the friends of Pres
dent Wilson, and everybody els
know the president holds a vet
power.
; Hence things are subject to doubI
veto and outside of the dry feature
it on which Mr.. Bryan's position is d
fined. there is no telling what vetOin
/ will be done or attempted.
re All the Washington messages al
# not here yet. Until they come thel
.e will be considerable marking tim
One certainly is that the administr
ton will get all it possibly desires
: the way of convention endorsement
/; One uncertainty is whether the co
vention will get what it needs in Il
1T way of administration endorsement.