Evening star., 1922-09-24
Decision Putting Wine Beer
Amendment on Ballot
Starts Fight.
BIG WOMAN'S VOTE SEEN
Senator Pomerene's Chances of Re.
Election Imperiled by
Situation.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

The decision of the Ohio supreme
court requiring the secretary of state
to place the proposed amendment of
the Constitution to permit the manu-
facture and sale of light wines and
beer on the state ballot has caused
the wet and dry question to flare up
in the state campaign unexpectedly
and in a menacing manner. Such
decision was not generally expected.
The party nominations for the prin-
cipal offices to be filled were such as
such an issue in the campaign. The
negligible Vote given Homer Durand.
the wet aspirant for the republican
nomination for governor In the pri-
mary election. was regarded as an in
dex of the strong dry sentiment in the
state.
The Anti Saloon League was not
party to the litigation. and SO is not
IN position to move to carry the
Judgment Of the Ohio supreme court
to the Supreme Court of the United
States. and the secretary of state and
attorney general are not inclined to
take that action. For these reasons 1t
But even il 1t should be made the fed
eral Supreme Court could hardly pass
upon the question before the date
when the ballots must be printed and
distributed. The state will be thor
oughly covered with speakers on both
regular issues of the election may be
quite eclipsed by this appeal.
Woman Vote Larger.
One thing certain now is that
much larger female vote will be
brought to the polls at the coming
election than would have been the
case had this issue not been raised.
This may be to the detriment of Sena-
tor. Pomerene, against whom it is
known the women have a grievance
based on his opposition to both pro-
hibitton and suffrage. On the whole.
Col. ThompSon's interests would not
suffer by such a result. for while both
acceptable" by the 'Anti-Saloon
League. it is known that to Wayne
B. Wheeler. the head of the league,
COL Thompson seems more entitled
to the support of his organization.
1t would be no new thing II the
federal prohibition provision and
vote into their constitution q pro-
vision that is in violation of it, for
the fact is that the constitution of
Ohio still contains the provision that
to be voter in this state one must
vision is hangover from the days
of slavery. but 1T cannot be claimed
that 1t has been left there as an over
sight by the Ohio people. for though
1t has been a dead letter since the
adoption of the fifteenth amendment
pie of the state and their white sym
pathizers to have 1t taken out have
been regularly and decisively voted
down. 1t was not even taken out
when the state constitution was
changed so as to give women the
ballot.
Factions Wiped Out.
Probably in no other state has the
line between the conservative and
progressive factions of the republi-
cans been more completely wiped out.
All the prominent progressfves Of
the 1912 movement are back in the
regular party organization and were
active in the movement that resulted
in the nomination of Col Thompson
for governor To further bind these
elements together in the campaign 1t
is proposed to have the principal ad-
dress at the formal opening of the
state campaign made by a prominent
progressive. and that speaker will
be. if he will accept, former Senator
Albert J. Beveridge of Indiana.
Democrats here seem to have it
that Justice John H. Clarke. who Is
resigning from the United States
Supreme Court bench. is soon to
come out as candidate for the demo-
cratic nomination for the presidency
and that he will have the support of
former President Woodrow Wilson.
and not the latter's son-in-law. Will
liam G. McAdoo.
Another interesting and persistent
political rumor here is that whether
he is elected or defeated this fall
Senator Pomerere Is to be offered by
President Harding the vacancy on
the supreme bench which is expected
will soon be made by the retirement
of Justice Day. To the vacancy thus
made in the senate, 1t is said. Walter
F. Brown of Toledo. prominent in the
movement that brought about the
nomination and election of Mr.. Hard
ing. but still unprovided for per-
manently, would be appointed