The Mankato free press., 1922-03-24
LAWRENCE MATiN

United HreSS SIaII CorFeSpouucnI.l
Washington, March 20.-When Is
a cellar not a cellar?
Answer: When it is a swimming
pool.
That is to say, if Senator Joseph
Frelinghuysen Of New Jersey had
a concrete cellar, and it later turn
ed out to be a swimming pool, with
nothing stronger in it that water,
does that prove that Frelinghuysen
is not entitled to the votes OF New
Jersey Grys?
Assuredly, the cellar or swimm-
ing pool is wet, Frehnghuysens 8
friends concede; but so Is the
ocean wet without in the least an :
moving Mr.. Volstead. and where do
the democrats and vets get that
cellar stuff, anyway? 1t never was
a cellar and Frelinghuysen never
had it full of booze, and he never
was a wet, and the whole yarn Is
lust a malicious canard. And that's
that.
Lots of Vets In New Jersey
The wets-and New Jersey, re-
port has 1t, Is thickly populated
with them-are two political per-
suasions. Republican and Democra-
tic, and in addition to their wet
predictions, they have In common
a desire to get Frelinghuysen out
of the senate when he runs again
this year.
The republican vets thus far
have found nobody to contest with
Frelinghuysen for the G. 0. T: no
mination. For one thing, he stands
close to the Harding administra-
ton. When the administration Is
popular, Frelinghuysen's fortunes
boom; when it is unpopular-or re-
latiyely so-"Joe" feels the erect.
But when, ask enthusiastic New
Jersey Republicans of the Freling
huysen persuasion, when, II ever
has the Harding administration
been even relatively unpopular? A
second buttress to Frelinghuysen's
strength in his own party Is the
help he has been able to give some
influential citizens in matters per-
tanning to property affected by the
war. t% i1t- -. . t-f. ~.
While the republican vets seek
in Frelinghuysen, ths democratic
vets have theirs in the saddle with
lance all sharpened. He Is Gov. 20 :
ward l. Edwards and he hopes 10
beat Big Joe" on a platform call
ing for congressional modihcauon
of the Volstead. law to permit beer
and light wines. New Jersey Is one
of the states where this issue Will
be paramount, and for that reason
the outcome will be watched with
much interest by political observers.
Knocked Out State Dry Act
The state prohibition enforce
ment act was knocked out by q
court decision the other day, and
that, Frelinghuysen's opponents as
sert, was q hard blow to him, and
corresponding Strengthening Oh
Gov. Edwards senatorial chances.
The place of the cellar swimming
pool story in the plot of the rapidly
thickening Jersey political drama is
that of comedy relief. SOMEBODY
started a story that Frelnghuysen
wasn't so dry as he voted, and that
he had imported a New York con-
tractor to build him a concrete eel
lar, wherein was to repose a STOCK
of choice bue contrabrand bever-
ages. But when this somebody, aid
ed by others, dug into" the Ere
linghuysen cellar, 1t proved TO De
swimming pool, so 'tis said. Then.
not to be balked, the tellers OF the
tale declared Frelinghuysen and his
cellar both had been converted.
The wet and dry issue is not the
only one in Frelinghuysen's cam
paign. His vote to seat Senator
Newberry is being used against him.
especially by women campalgners.
His opponents also accuse him of
wiggling and wobbling on the SOL
der hnnnS issue.