Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-13
wEpNEspAY. DECEMBER 10. 1922.

A SERIES of recen; and significant cir
~ cumstauccs seems TO most political
observers 10 have put the President nj the
held OF the dry forces OF the country, and
this fact if it is a fact, may be expected to
have a highly important bearing upon the
politics OF the future.
Although Mr.. Harding as member OF
the Senate, voted for the eighteenth amend
mont il had not been suspected until the
past few months that he had been person
ally converted to rigid prohibition. sus-
p,cion had been generally entertained that
ACTUALLY he was a "liberal'' on this question
ann! was among those ''practicing politi-
clans" who We're dry because il was expc-
dielIt 10 be dry. However. this may be, the
fact remains that the President is now the
foremost champion OF prohibition enforce
ment in the country and as such he has
:naneuvercd himself or has been maneuvcred
into, q. position Of active leadership of the
nrtCrtra! prohibitionists not only Of his
party, but of the nation at large The reins
are in his hands and it remains to be seen
TO what political end he will work.
The fact already has been noted on this
page hat il was the Harding administration
wlaGh went to the rescue OF its candidate
fot sile Senate in Ohio Mr.. Tess, by issuing
the dry ship order from the Department
o! Justice. Air. Fess was the creature OF
the dry forces in the State, and yet be-
ca-ase national administration which had
never been particularly enthusiastic about
prohibition WAS supporting him, there was
d:strrst ON the part of many drys as 10
the sincerity Of Mr.. Fess' prohibitiouisi con
y,I,!1A. Something needed TO be done 10
TazEsure tie voters al homo, and il fell 70
thvio, 81. ina, adtgii Ohio politician Harry
1a5a 1Faer;y 20 meet the crisis This he
= a -. s..r =
prohibition - every American ship, no mat
tes-Tha. that vessel might be.
TIE SUCCESS Of this move is beyond cues
ton. Alr Fess was reelected and by a
decisive yote With this demonstration OF
sentiment before him, It appears that Mr.
DaAgheriy convinced the President that the
hope OF the administration and OF the Re
publican party lay in the direction OF pro-
hibition. II was pointed out. according 10
reports. that the Middle and the Far West
We're dry NIuch OF the East is dry More
ever, the drys are wel-organizcd and "a
militant Ashtins force and can always be
counted upon TO play the game.
Turning all this over in his mind. the
President seems 10 have resolved upon a
course OF action. Informally. bu; no less
omphaticaly, he called loudly from the
White House TO the conscience of the ma
!
tinn enforcement lie refused to be be-
called into suggesting notifications of the
Noisiead act which might popularize that
measure He stood pat on the law as it
exists.
Then came his message to Congress an.
nounclng that conditions at present are
bordering upon national scandal ana stat
ing that he would call a conference of GOV
errors to t-he up the whole question OF
making prohibition prohibit. Tha, he Will
be the dominant figure OF this conference
goes without saying, and that he wil come
out OF II the most potential prohibi,ionist
ir the country seems to be certainty
with such record Of in,eres, and ac,iy.
ity upon the one real issue now in poIi.
tics 1T would seem 4 safe prophecy mat he
Wiz go into the next campaign Win the
drys. in line behind him taking his chance
upon their ability TO deliver the goods in
1929.