The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-03-02
BEER AND WINE ISSUE
IN THE FALL ELECTIONS

IN THE FALL ELECTIONS
Eut Applies Only 10 Election Of Sen.
ators and coneressmen in
Certain States.
Washington, Mar. 1-Will light
wines and beer be an issue in the Con.
gressional campaign this autumn?
The view at both Republican and
Democratic national headquarters as
outlined to this correspondent Tuesday
is that neither party will make an IS.
use Of 1t but that 1t may become OF
vital Importance in certain localities.
The American Federation OF Labor
in its appeal for the election Of mem.
bers OF Congress who will vote for
light wines and beer as their Inter.
pretation' of the eighteenth amend.
ment, does not name either political
party as the medium through which a
change can be effected And IL the
prohibition laws ever are revised the
chances are the vote will be bi.par.
t'san
AS analyzed by the political leaders
here the cities and industrial centers
are interested In seeing the sale OF
wine and beer made legal while the
country districts are just the opposite.
Usually cities and Industrial centers
In the north are strongly Democratic
and also wet" In recognit on OF this
ntiment, Republicans who sought
election In large city N3tricts, as for
instance in Baltimore and Philadel.
phla, have openly favored light wines
and beer.
The canvass by both political head.
quarters here shows that the agitation
for light wines and beer Is spotty. II
ebbs and flows. In some localities II
Is acute while in others II is consld
cred dead question politically.
Despite the announcement OF the in
tention OF the American Federation OF
Labor 10 wage an active campaign for
light wines and beer. neither Demo.
cratic nor Republican leaders believe
the fight will become nationwide. OF
course, no one can tell what the issues
will be IN the primaries and the expert
ence OF politicians is that in a congress.
sional election an accumulation Of dis.
content has It's effects in producing
changes.
II the light wines and beer agitation
should grow, the Republicans have
more to fear from II than the Demo.
lcrats. For this is the first COMPRESSION.
al election since national prohibition
went into effect which Is not over.
shadowed by the war or a presidential
election. 1t affords the voters the
chance to center Their thoughts on pro
hibition alone II they desire. AS the
American Federation OF Labor points
out. there is to be no effort TO repeal
the eighteenth amendment TO the Con
stitut.on That would be too laborious
and lengthy a process. But Congress
does have the power to interpret what
is and what is not intoxicating with
IN the meaning OF the eighteenth
amendment. The Supreme Court OF
the United States has said so. II the
American people, therefore. want tC
elect Republicans and Democrats
pledged to raise the alcoholic content
/ from one half of one per cent TO two
per cent or two and three quarters
per cent, a simple majority OF Con
gress can achieve the desired result
/ for them without the nece ,sity OF sub
hitting any change in tNe Constitu
ton To the several states
II so happened that in the landsl dc
for President Harding in 1920, manl
districts normally Democratic, elected
Republicans to Congress- The Demo
cratic candidates from the city dis
tricts probably will make effective use
of prohibition and will point to the
record Of the Republican Congress OF
this subject. There's n flaw in the
argument, Of course, that the election
of Democrats would give the peopl,
light wines and beef for II the Demo
Gratis did control Congress, II woulC
. | be n question VI llA ufuNluk AlAt FNhAti
ern Democrats, who are dry, to chang,
their views. The answer of the "Wets'
to this Is that the southern Democracy
would be visibly moved by any pro
nounced demonstration in northern
Democracy in favor OF a more libera
lnterpretat on Of the liquor laws
In connection with the agitation fol
light wines and beer new factor has
lately been introduced. II Is the sug
gestion that tax on the legal sale o
/ light wines and beer would bring il
more than sufficient revenue to pay
the soldier bonus and would deliver {
body blow at the bootlegger who evad
es income tax and plies his trade a
an immense profit. But. politically
speaking, the issue looks at presen
az If II was local and non-partisan
And neither the Republican or Demo
cratic national chairman has any pres
emf intention of regarding n as n mart,