Evening star., 1922-10-01
OHIO FACES: FIGHT
J Of DRYS AND VETS
Light Wines and Beer
Amendment Goes on the
Election Ballot.
DEMOCRATS FEAR BRYAN
Issue Put Up to Voters by Man
date of State Supreme
Court.
DEMOCRATS FEAR BRYAN
Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, September So
The Ohio supreme court has made Its
mandamus to Secretary of State
Smith to place the light wines and
beer amendment to the Constitution
on the ballot absolute. and Secretary
Smith not moving to carry the Ques-
ton to the federal supreme court.
Ohio is face to face with one OF the
most vicious fights in its history over
the wet and dry question. Tho drys
contend that the state must answer
yes or no to the question, Shall the
saloon of the old days come back?"
If light wines and beer of limited
alcoholic strength are permitted to
be made and sold, they say, there
must be places where they are for
sale, and they will be to all intents
and purposes saloons. and they WILL
be without restriction or regulation,
for with the fail of the present con.
stitutional prohibition provision an
the regulatory legislation Whlcn ls
based upon 1t will fall.
"Wet.o Make an Admission.
The vets answer that the permitted
beverages will be handled in already
established retail concerns. such as
groceries and soft-drink establish
ments, but in their arguments oetore
the supreme court their attorneys ad.
mitted that IL the amendment should
be adopted the state would be pow
erless to control the liquor situa-
tion-the federal officials and courts
would have to be relied upon to act
in the matter.
The new issue has caused some un-
easiness In the camp Of the democrats
lest it be the cause Of a call to VIII
liam J. Bryan to come into the state.
TO a considerable element OF the
party here he is Objectionable, and In
spite Of the fact that Mr.. Bryan has
rendered his services to the democrats
for the campaign 1t was generally
understood that no call for his serv-
ices in this state would be made. But
it is quite certain that the Anti
Saloon League will extend an tnvt-
tation to him to come in and speak
against the pending amendment.
G. o. p. Speakers Promised.
Walter F.. Brown, chairman Of the
sneakers bureau in the republican
state campaign headquarters. prom
ises Chairman Miller a long list OF
republican campaign speakers from
other states. He hopes to have one,
possibly two. speeches from Secretary
Charles E. Hughes If the Secretary
makes but one it will be in Cleveland;
IL second, it will be In Toledo-cen-
ters where it is felt that the republi-
cans are a little weak. Mr.. Brown
also promises that the services Of
Secretaries Davis Of the Department
Of Labor and Wallace of the Agricul-
tural Department and of Postmaster
General Work and, Of course, Attor"
ney General Daugherty. will be pro-
cured for the Ohio campaign. Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt Of the Navy
Department and Assistant Postmaster
General Bartlett also are listed for
an address or two here each. Gtnord
Pinchot of Pennsylvania and Gov.
Miller Of New York are to come from
the east in an exchange Of speakers,
and Senators Jones Of Washington.
Lenroot Of Wisconsin and Watson OF
Indiana also are listed. Senator Lodge
Of Massachusetts, was wanted. but 1t
is understood he will not be available
for use here.
Several newspapers in the state
which have in previous campaigns con-
Quoted straw-vote polls during the
progress of the contests with ap-
parent fairness and care have begun
to publish the results of such work
in the present one. They show In
tention on the part Of many voters on
over the line this time. The demo-
Gratis have the decided advantage of
these intended changes, as would nat
urally be expected, thousands of them
having taken their places in 1920 be-
hind the republican candidates.
Hard to Make Prediction.
But it will take tremendous
change of this kind to throw the
state over to the democrats. The plu-
rality given to President Harding two
years ago was 401,9S5. Senator Willis
had a plurality Of 352,303. and Gov.
H. L. Davis had a plurality Of 12o.S73
the lowest candidate on the ticket.
The percentage Of the total vote SO
far touched Is too small to base any
reliable prediction on. but as far as
it is an indication it may be said
that, with the rate Of switches to the
democrats and no losses from their
ranks to the republicans, hardly
enough gain in votes is indicated to
put Mr.. Donahey, the democratic can
didate for governor, over; and there
are considerable democratic losses in
dicated, so that the gain is not net.
Naturally. very large acquisitions
from republican sources to the sup
port of Senator Pomerene are shown
where business sections are polled,
and on the other hand the larger
part of the gains on the senatorial
vote. where women exclusively are
canvassed, goes to DR.. Fess.
is said that this minority feels 50
strongly that there may be with
drawals in case of an Endorsement OF