South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-09
POLITICAL RALLY WILL
FEATURE MEETING OF
DEMOCRATIC EDITORS
VETS AND DRYS TO
TRY FOR CONTROL
OF NEXT CONGRESS
Action of New York Legisla-
tors Brings Out Silent
Issue.
BY LOUIS LUDLOW.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Aug. s.
The contest for control Of the next
congress Is raging around the wet
and dry issue The great silent.
issue Of the campaign-the prohibi-
tion questions becoming less and
less silent.
The action Of the unofficial demo-
cratic state convention Of New York
which Inserted plank In the state
platform favoring a modification Of
the Nolstead enforcement act so
that beer and light wines may he
manufactured and sold was perhaps
to be expected. But il brings the
liquor question more prominently 10
the fore, following so quickly upon
the nomination Of J. T. Deal, a wet
candidate for congress, by the dem
ocrats in the Norfolk district Of Vir-
ginia.
Neither Commits
Both the republican and demo
cratic parties saw fit to omit com
hitting themselves on the wet and
dry question in their Platform. while
the whole matter has been soft-ped-
aled as far as the national ticket Is
concerned. But II is the very storm
sional battle. and IL promises to be-
come more and more paramount as
the camI aign proceeds. In many a
congressional district, judging from
present indications. il will be the
issue on which the election will
turn.
If there is 10 be any change in the
Nolstead act il must come neces-
sarily from congress. There is no
doubt about that The dry forces
are bent in maintaining their
strength in the senate and the
house. If they can control either
one or both Of those bodies they fig
ure that it will be impossible to
modify the Volstead act
Bone Dry.
+. G. Dinwiddie, former Iegisla-
tive superintendent of the Anti
saloon league Of America and new
chairman OF the fifteenth Interna-
tional Congress against Alcoholism.
which is 10 be held here in Septem-
ber, said today that he is confident
the senate will be bone dry" after
the coming elections. He meant
that a majority Of the senators will
oppose any modification OF the en-
forcement act which would make
possible the manufacture and sale
Of beer and wine
Il have caefdlly examined the
records Of the senator's" he said.
'and l find that in the two-thirds
membership Of the senate not up for
election this fall we can count upon
almost enough senators TO give us
the necessary majority We will
have with US only eight OF the thir-
ty-two senators who Will be elected
in November 10 retain control on
the prohibition question. AS a mat
ter Of fact the majority OF the SEN
ators who are standing for re-elec-
tion are dry and most of the men
who are opposed to them are dry,
so we cannot lose the senate"
House Dry.
Dinwiddie said he believed the
new house of representatives when
elected, viii be strongly dry - but
even II Il should be wet the SEN
a 70 viii control the situation
IN other words, the "drys" are
counting upon the senate 20 prevent
any change in the Nolstead act, even
should the country return a house
which believed in modification Of
the enforcement act.
Information is coming 20 the po-
litiCal headquarters OF both parties
at Washington that IN framing con-
gressional programs for the fights In
the various districts the wet and
dry issue in many instances is the
one dominant and controlling fac
tor In districts where there IS a
strong wet" sentiment m pitching
the lines OF battle for the congress
sional campaign. On the other hand
in districts where the sentiment IS
Inclined ena other -rav the uOlffi-
clans are veering their sails accord
g~-r