The Washington times., 1921-02-04
0,P,MOVE TO.
GET vOLSTEAD.
Leaders Start Fight to Gust Him
;. As Chairman Of Judiciary
I Committee.

Supported by old line dry" he-
publicans In the House q movement
is sfoot to oust Andrew ]. Volstead
from the chairmanship of the Judici-
AIRY Committee.
ACCUSED OF KNITTING PARTY.
BY espousing the candidacy OF Con-
gresham Charles II. Randall OF Cali
fornia. third party prohibitionist who
10 being opposed for election py
regular" Republican with nAwless
record as a ''dry," Chairman Volstead
has started q back-fire which threat
ems to result in disciplinary action on
the part of his dry colleagues.
More than thirty thousand copies
of letter endorsing the candidacy
of Prohibitionist Randall. sent by
Nolstead over the heads OF the Re
publican Congressional Committee.
are being circulated in the Ninth Cali
fornia district with disastrous effect
against the opposing Republican
candidate.
WANTS DRYs UNITED.
Chairman Volstead calls upon the
people to send Randall back to Con-
gress, warning them that all "drys"
must stand together against the
forces at work in Congress to nullify
the enforcement of the prohibition act
which bears his name.
III Volstead is going to take the
field for a third-party candidate
against his own party. then its time
that he got out of the Republican
party and Joined the Prohibitionists,"
one of the most prominent Republi-
can "drys" declared today.
"The chairman OF the House Ju-
dietary Committee can't remain chair
man and knife his party like that"
TRAPPED, FRIENDS SAY.
Dry leaders in the House believe
that II Volstead wishes to commit po-
litical suicide he is on the right track
IL he continues to link forces with
Randall or any OF the other forces
the defeated Prohibition Congress
man represents. Volstead already is
clinging to his seat in the House by
the tip of his fingers, having barely
squeezed through at the last election.
With strong factions Of "drys" lining
up against him, his position is pre-
carious one.
Friends of Volstead claim that the
judiciary chairman walked blipdly
into a trap.
"'Wiu you walk into my parlor.'
said the spider to the fiy." one Of them
quoted In trying to explain how Volr
stead got into. his present predica-
ment volstead walked right In.
The situation in the Ninth Cal
ifornia district appears like this.
Congressman Randall was defeated
for reelection last November by
Charles II. Vandewater. another So
called prohibitionist. Vandewater re-
Gently was killed in an automobile
accident leaving his seat to be hlled
by a special election called for Feb
ruary IS.
Some time ago. Randalrs campaign
managers wrote a beseeching letter
10 Chairman Volstead asking him to
endorse Randall's record as dry"
II appears that Volstead wasn't very
busy at the time for he proceeded to
dictate q letter to Randall something
in the nature of prohibition speech.
1t told the people of the Ninth dis
trict that prohibition would be lost
unless the movement in the House to
pullify the enforcement act is crush
ed To help crush this movement he
said Randall was the man they should
elect.
Sometime afterward, Volstead dis
covered that Randalrs opponent was
a man named Major Lineberger,
veteran Of the world war who fought
in France, a regular Republican and
a regular "dry" But it was too late.
HIS LETTER RESENTED.
Immediately the Republican Con-
gressional committee began to take
notice. Lineberger Is indorsed as the
Republican candidate, and the whole
Republican machine in the Ninth Dis
trict is working for him.
There was a howl of resentment
when thousands of copies of Vol
stead's letter, to Randall began cir
culating throughout the District.
Now certain Republican leaders
among the "drys" in the House, espe-
cially those of the more conservative
type. are demanding an explanation
OF Volstead.
They declare that IL ne cannot re-
tract his support of Randalrs can
didacy, then. 1t is time for him to
quit the G.. o. p. fold and join the
Prohibition party. Volstead's friends
are trying with might and main to
patch things up, but his opponents say
that II Randall Is elected to Congress
it will be through the personal ef-
forts AZ the judiciary chairman.