The New York herald., 1922-07-31
Political Leaders Efforts to
Suppress Drink Issue
Are Futile.
SHAM BEER DENOUNCED
State Breathes Discomfort
Against Congress, but Har-
/ ding Is Still Popular.
~ LOUIS sE1BoLD.

BY LOUIS sEIBoLD. N
special Dispatch to THE NEw York HERALD.
CINCINNATI. July so.-Here in Ohio,
where the Anti-Saloon League first
found place in the political sun, 1t is
beginning to shrivel under the fierce
glare of popular resentment.
Candidates for one seat among the
mighty (talkers) in the United States
Senate, the Governorship and many
State legislative and local offices prate
personal opinions which they assert to
be issues. but what they really think
about is the Eighteenth Amendment
to >the Federal Constitution and the
statutory volstead enforcement act.
The antis hope and the pros fear that
the voters Of the two parties will be
largely influenced by their views on
prohibition and not by ancient political
doctrines when they register their
approval or disapproval Of candidates
In the party primaries. which are
scheduled for afweek from Tuesday.
Whether the 100000 partisans Of the
rival parties will express satisfaction
with the organic and statutory law
prohibiting the manufacture. sale and
transportation of potable beverages Of
adequate alcoholic content or demand
the repeal or modification of the last
named instrument Is a matter of
opinion, some betting and much acri-
monious controversy.
Chief Interest An Dry Issse.
The votes wfii show. The Ohio
yeomanry and artisans appear to be
very much worked up over the prob
lem and are giving full vent to their
surcharged emotions. In common
with the voters In Missouri and other
States who are about to register their
opinions, those In the Buckeye State
whose principal indoor and outdoor
sports are providing Presidents and
yearning for light wines and beer
phase Of the impending political con-
tests than in any Of the so called Is
sues of partisan fabrication.
The wet and dry issue has no legiti-
mate place in the programs of the two
parties. The voters Of both sides
seem to be interested In only one ex-
traneous q .estion: Are you for per-
petuating or modifying the Volstead
act to permit more satisfactory legal
kick in the national concomitants of
pumperknickel, seasoned cheeses and
hot dogs?
That Is really all there is to the
primary contests in the glorious State
of Ohio. The Anti-Saloon League ap-
preciates the fact quite as much as
the unorganized opposition. wetting it's
chops in anticipation Of moister days
to come. To be baited in the land of
its birth from which 1t has. in theory.
spread its tentacles OF drought from
ocean to ocean and the Canadian and
Mexican borders is most disturbing
to Col. Wayne B. Wheeler and his
diligent dry aids.
Dry Forces I'm Great Battle.
Wherefore the league has literally
taken Off it's coat. doubled the mimeo-
graph corps. brought into play addi-
tional presses and turned loose an
army Of paid and unpaid spellbinders
to rout the thirsty "over the Rhine"
in Cincinnati and other unregenerate
sections Of our beloved land. There is
no question about it. The Anti-Saloon
league has the hardest fight on it's
hands in Ohio II has ever been called
on to meet. The league leaders pub
licly characterize the activities of the
militant vets as mere verbal gesture
susceptible of subjugation.
The vets proclaim the coming OF a
wetter and therefore to them better
day. Up to date the vets have made
the most noise. revealed the greater
amount of optimism and boldly ven-
tured predictions OF dry Waterloo
next Tuesday.
Some Of the candidates for party
nomination are displaying a surprising
degree of independence Of dry inf1u-
ence and an audacious Indifference to
the threats OF the dry leaders to whom
they earlier appealed with sycophantic
subserviency One Republican candi-
date for the Gubernatorial nomination.
who is attracting n big following, has
run up the wet skull and crossbones
and defied the Anti-Saloon league to
do its worst.
In an unprecedented and highly sig
nificant appeal to voters yesterday the
dry lesgue said:
This is not the year to take
chances; this Is not the time to waste
your vote on a candidate even though
he Is a dry when he has not as good
Q chance Of winning as another can
didate. for IL you do you increase tho
possibilities of the nomination of a
wet candidate"
This ultimatum is In danger of
turning out to be a boomerang. AL
Continued on Page Ten.