The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-11-29
PARTIES FIGHT
FOR STRATEGIC
LIQUOR STAND
Leaders Vancouver
For Most Ballots
By MARK SULLIVAN


WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Nov. 29.-It
is apparent that the part which pro-
hibition is to play In the next presf
Dental campaign is crystallizing rapid
ly. The Republicans are trying to take
the lead to choose the position they
regard as most desirable and to ma
noeuvre the Democrats into taking or
seeming to take the contrary position.
The Republicans, apprehending that
the issue is bound to be to the front
and that each of the parties must be
identified in the public mind with one
or the other, prefer to take the dry
side and take it first.
One of the leading elements in this
decision is the result of the recent
election on the prohibition issue in
Ohio. In that election, the issue was
specifically set forth in the shape of
an amendment to the state constitu-
ton. 1t was framed in terms most ia
vorable to the "wets." 1t called for al
most the mildest conceivable relaxa-
tion of the Volstead Act The propos-
al was merely to raise the permitted
proportion of alcohol from one-half OF
percent.
Drys Are Successful
On this ISSUE the "drys' won by a
considerable majority, and whatever
the Ohio electorate does comes close
to being the accepted sign post of
policy for the Republican party as now
constituted and led. In the next presi-
Dental election the issue will be more
prohibition or less. 1t will be a more
drastic enforcement of the present
limitation. or a relaxation of that linn
itation existing
The next step in a more effective
limitation would be to make the pur.
chase of bootleg whiskey a criminal
act, the same as the sale or trans.
portation of it. The proposal has
been entertained seriously by per.
sons high in the Harding administra
tion to put the purchaser of contra
band liquor on the same basis as the
receiver of stolen goods, by making
him equally subject to prosecution
1t is TRUE there are some Republican
leaders who, either on personal con
viction or as reflecting their com
munities' views believe greater dry.
ness to be mistaken policy. but a
greater number of the Republican
leaders are either dry, by conviction
or else believe that as the situation
lies the more advantageous policy
from political point of view is to
take the sade of greater dryness.
Can't Force Democrats
The Democrats will not accept the
position which the Republicans are
now trying to force them into with
out a struggle. A considerable body
Of Democratic leaders favor the wet
position on the theory that they car
carry the dry" South anyhow anC
that their best chance of carryins
what they call the eastern salient.
the big states of New, York, New Jer
sey, Massachusetts and Connecticut
lies in taking the ''wet" side.
Against these are very consider
able number of Democrats who ar,
SO dry by conviction that they will
never consent to the party acceptin,
wet" position as a mere inciden
of political maneuvering To the pres
ent writer it has seemed recently tha
these dry" Democratic leaders, eth
er because of personal or for othe
reasons. are attaining an increasini
ascendency in the party counsels. Ii
short, there does not seem to be mucl
essential comfort. for the "wets" il
either y.-(Copyright, 1922, by tn
New York Evening Post, Inc.)