Evening star., 1923-06-13
Politics at Large
BY N. o. MESSENGER


continues to occupy a conspicuous
position In the public limelight. the
result of his signing the prohibition
repeal Dill. thereby placing himself
AT the head of the movement for
modihcation of the vo1stead act.
Sut in a statement he is quoted
as having made In Chicago the day
pe1ore yesterday the New York ex-
ecutive declared he Is not a candidate
Tor the democratic presidential nomi-
nation. He did not say he would
not De candidate or that he would
not take the nomination if offered.
ne stopped over in Chicago on his
way to French Lick Springs. Ind.
"hither bound for rest and recuper-
a'io' ana where he expects to meet
Soihe prominent democratic politi-
clans.
special dispatch to the New York
iipune says Gov. Smith was asked
date ui t" sct question; Are you a canji-
responded as directly, Il am not" It
10 sa!d that a strong sentiment is
oens arrayed against Gov. Smiths
possible candidacy for the nomination
~ the south. where the Ku KIux
raIa an is powerful, on account of his
suggested that IL he were nominated
ny tne democrats the solid south
might be broken up.
Gov. Smith and William Brvap
ehi'Vehed politics this week by a.
kind OF joint debate in which they
engaged through the newspapers
lhe New York Times had requested
MS views upon a series of questions
propounded to him. bearing on the
prohlpltion question and it's applica-
tlon TO democratic politics. In an
sWerlng the questions. Mr.. Rryan nro-
ceeoeu TO take q fall" ont OF Gov
smith and his attitude toward state
rights and the liquor question,
lie got a rise" out of the governor
promptly. who proceeded by return
man to lash out at Mr.. Bryan without
nlnclng words. In passing Gov
smith took occasion to express his
real opinion of the Volstead act, in
harsh words. Mr.. Bryan knows AZ
well as do" he said. that the Vol
stead act is dishonest and hypo-
critical Interpretation of the eight
eenth amendment. He knows as well
as / do that the fanatical drys in
10 accomplish their narrow and big
oted purposes and not to give honest
expression to constitutional amend
ment"
Continuing. Gov. Smith said: IF
Mr. Bryan's reasoning is to be fol-
lowed to its logical conclusion, three
quarters Of / per cent of alcohol in
a beverage fntoXicates. Nobody with
an ounce of brains believes that. That
much alcohol might well be discov-
cred In lump Of sugar, but narrow
minded men must of necessity follow
roW-mindedness which makes them
intolerant of others on any question,
no matter how well founded"
Mr.. Bryan. in his article. mad fire.
QuentIy referred to Gov. Smiths pos
sible candidacy for presidential nomi-
nation and had fouted the idea of
his success as preposterous. On
that point Gov. Smith replied: "Cnlik q
himself ] am not a candidate When
] have been in the past, I have usually
been selected by the people. But in
Mr.. Bryan's case a wise and discrimi-
mating electorate usually takes care
to see that Mr.. Bryan stays home"
In the course of his article Mr..
Bryan made some assertions and pre-
sented some statistics to disparage
the prospects of the vets to accom-
plish any results against the
eighteenth amendment or in commit
ting the democratic party TO a wet
policy. He asserted that the eight
eenth amendment was the result of
the longest contest ever waged at the
polls. pointing out that nearly fifty
years elapsed since the beginning of
the fight by, a few women in Ohio
and the victory of 1920.
"Thirty-three states" he said. ban
ished the saloon by their own inde-
pendent act. nearly all of them by
constitutional amendments" He add
ed that "over two-thirds of the mem
bers of both houses voted to submit
prohibition and forty-six states rati-
fed the amendment The people have
elected five dry Congresses in sue
cesSion. The first one made the Dis
trict OF Columbia dry: the second by
more than a two-thfrds vote submit
ted national prohibition; the third by
more than two-thirds vote passed
the Voistead law: the fourth by more
than A two-thirds vote passed the
anti-beer bill. The present Congress
has not vet voted on the question. but
vets have made material gains.
"As the national House of Repre-
sentatives." Mr.. Bryan contended. lis
elected by districts approximately
equal in size. the affirmative vote in
five successive Houses would indicate
a permanent sentiment in favor of
prohibition as national policy"
Touching upon the prospects of the
democratic party being controlled by
the vets. Mr.. Bryan had this to say;
The democratic party has had an
honorable part in bringing prohibit
ton, having furnished as large a per-
centage in both houses as the re-
publican party. Is it likely that demo-
cratic advocates of prohibition will
permit the party to be made the
champion of the liquor traffic? Are the
defenders of the home likely to be
less earnest than the defenders of
the saloon?"
Mr.. Bryan evidently is counting
heavily on the votes of women in the
democratic party to prevent its cap
ture by the vets in the 1924 national
convention. They will vote. of course.
on the selection of delegates 1T is
impossible" Mr.. Bryan said, Ito esti-
mate at this time with accuracy the
relative strength of the two sides.
but 1t must be remembered that
the women vote now"
Then he made this point: 'If prohi-
bition could be secured when only a
few women voted, is 1t likely to be
abandoned when all the women can
vote The democratic party was made
dry by the male vote; the mothers.
wives. daughters and sisters will add
their strength to the dry side in the