The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-25
Workers Have Changed Minds
on Prohibition, Says Leader.
Find 1t Good Thing After Year
of Trying 1t Out.
THIRD PARTY STILL UNCERTAIN
Will Await Action by Democrats
at San Francisco.
Definite Wet or Dry Stand To
Be Taken in Platform.
BY DON CHAMBERLAIN.


Chicago, June 25.-Liberals, who
propose launching a third party here
next month by amalgamating radical
organizations, may die for support
from prohibitionists by adopting q
dry plank. it was learned here today.
With vets and drys at the Demo-
cratic convention in San Francisco ap-
parently at a deadlock, leaders of the
proposed third party are hoping the
deadlock continues, to enable them to
| step into the breach and pick off the
prohibition vote with a more favorable
dry plank in it's platform.
Believing their disappointment at.
| the hands of the Republicans and a
| similar reception from the Democrats
will cause drys to turn to a party
which will take a more favorable
stand on the prohibition question,
Liberal leaders are considering the
| adoption of a strong dry plank in the
proposed new party's platform. This,
they say, would not only win support
from the prohibition ranks, but might
lead to the prohibition national party
endorsing the third party ticket at its
convention.
Labor Want Dry Plank.
Principal advocates of dry plank
| in a third party platform come from
| the labor party, which is expected to
| labor has generally been classed as
wet in the past, labor politicians say
this is no longer true.
Workers are beginning to change
their minds" said Frank ]. Esper,
secretary of the National Labor party,
today. "They are beginning to find
they can handle their problems better
| without liquor. They resent the action
| of political parties playing up the
| liquor question as vote getter.
| IF the question is touched at all,
/ the people should be given an oppor-
tunity for once and all time to settlelt
| by a referendum vote"
| Esper declared an indication as to
| changing attitude of labor toward pro-
| hibition can be seen in the recent
| action of the Pennsylvania state fed
Grafton of labor refusing to adopt a
wet plank.
Wait Democratic Action.
| The committee of forty-eight, which
will hold its convention here stimuli
taneously with that of the labor party,
has reached no decision on the stand
it will take on prohibition.
| Their attitude, it is said, will depend
| upon the action taken by the Demo-
| Gratis. Arrangements for the commit
tee of forty-eight convention are going
| forward rapidly, according to S. /.
| Rypins, Minneapolis, in charge of
headquarters here.
| Demands for seats are already so
| great as to insure crowded gallery
| of interested spectators" he said 1.-THE
floor of the convention, with a seat
ing capacity of 1,400 will be filled en-
| tirely. State delegates are already re-
porting to headquarters with requests
for reservations. The state of Michi-
gan alone will have at least forty five
delegates"
1t was also announced that Charles
d. Sparrow of Grand Rapids, Mich.
plans to offer a resolution to be en-
| bodied in the platform which would
provide for recall of elective officials
Ten per cent of the voters would be
required to sign a petition demanding
a new election.
Tho no limit IS to be placed on the
number of delegates to be allowed
each state their voting power will be
limited to its representation in con-
| gress.