Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-11
THE WET AND DRY ISSUE.

The WEI AMI Dh1 lSOUG.'
THERE is no doubt that the
1 wet and dry issue entered into
the late congressional election to
some extent in nearly all the states
because the Anti-Saloon league
issued a list of candidates who
were satisfactory to them and urg-
ed all drys to vote for these men,
and OH the other hand the associa-
ton against the prohibition amend
ments did the same thing. Mr.. G.
c. Hinkley, speaks for this latter
association and Wayne B. Wheel
er speaks for the Anti-Sasoon
league. Both men claim a decid-
ed victory for their side. The wet
leader claims an increase of 80
liberal" votes in the new house
and the dry leader says the new
house will be dryer than ever.
Both cannot be right. Perhaps the
truth lies between the two. Mr..
Wheeler says the drys have a gain
Of three in the senate and seems
to admit a slight loss in the house,
because he says that the present
wet strength in the lower house OF
congress is not to exceed 1873 and
in the new house it will not ex-
coed $40. In another place he says
that the claim of the vets of an
increase of 80 votes is like the
foam on a glass of beer-nothing
substantial in it. Mr.. Huxley
points out that the chairman of the
house judiciary committee, now
held by Mr.. VoIstead, will pass to
Graham of Pennsylvania, a pro-
nounced wet, through the rules OF
seniority and that the two leading
congressman. mentioned for the
house leadership to succeed Mr..
Mondell of Wyoming, defeated, are
| both vets. The two are Mr.. Mann
Of Illinois and Longworth OF Ohio.
! There were five states in which
prohibition was a direct issue. In
two of them state laws autfloriz-
ing the sale Of beer Of a greater al
! coholic content than the federal
act permits were up for referen-
dunn. In one Of them, Illinois, the
referendum carried by a big ma
jority. In the other, Ohio, is was
defeated by a substantial majority
The effect of the passage OF these
measures in Illinois and Ohio
would not be to set aside the Vol.
stead act. which would still remain
the federal law, but it would put
the enforcement of the federal Law
entirely on the shoulders OF ths
federal government. In two Other
states, Massachusetts, and Califor'
MIA, the dry forces sought to in
itiate a state law which would ado
to the federal enforcement act the
authority of the United States
state officers and state courts IL
the strict enforcement Of the Vol
stead act. In both of these th'
state enforcement law sought By
the drys was defeated. In New
Jersey also the senatorial and gov
ernor fight turned very largely OF
the wet and dry issue. The repub
lican candidates advocating stric
enforcement of the Volstead &C
and the democrats favoring moditI
cation The democrats won al
+, along the line in New Jersey.
In many other states the issu'
was more or less prominent, blu
in many Of them it was asst in TIL
shade by other issues. That wa
the case in our own state. Al
tlic tdiluAOdlSS lO& SOIiSLCoS Ou Ooti
sides were understood to be dry
though they did 0 say mucl
about it. The republican candi
date for the senate was pro
~nouncedly dry, and the democratic
candidate, Mr.. Wheeler, so far a
we know, ignored the issue and sal,
nothing about it in his speeches
While we understand that MI
Pope, of the Anti-Saloon league
expressed his preference for Car
didates for congressional and leg
islative candidates before election
: we cannot see that it made an
! particular difference in the vot'
/ If the wet organizations did tn
! same. thing we eve heard Of it G
, saw any of their circular letter.
. so we assume that thfy were ne,
49, i.