Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-14
DEMOCRATS WET"
TR|UMV|RATE HEAD
TOWARD COMBINE

| WASHINGTON, June 12.-Gover-
| nor Al Smith, Of New York, is go
| ing to make it hard for the Demo-
cratic party to reject his wet plank.
| in 1924. With the assistance of Tom
Taggart, Of Indiana, and George
Brennan, of Illinois, with whom he
will pow-wow at French Lick, Smith
| is in a position to put in a hole the
Democrats who either want to avoid
entirely the prohibition issue in 1924,
or to pussyfoot on it.
Two developments are likely to
grow out of the French Lick con-
ference. These are:
1. Formulation in definite
terms of the Smith -Taggart- Brennan
wet plank.
2. A counter movement by other
Democrats to head off the wet
triumvirate, preventing their domi
nation of the 1924 Democratic con-
vention or it's resolutions committee.
No political conference in years
has so riveted Democratic attention
as this one. Whether Smith intends
to be presidential or vice presiden-
tial or a senatorial candidate, or no
candidate at all, is beside the ques-
ton to Democratic politicians, and
his denials of presidential aspirations
means nothing to them. The point
of the conference is whether the
Smith, ggart- Brennan group and
the political idea they represent
shall dominate Democratic party
destiny.
Their plank will be framed clever
ly. 1t will not attack prohibition as
expressed through the eighteenth
amendment. Neither will it attack
strict enforcement. 1t will, how
ever, attack as senseless and pro-
ductive of hypocrisy the Volstead
laws standard of intoxication-the
one-half of one per cent alcohol limi-
tation the Volstead act fixed.
Their appeal will be to the 'com-
mon sense" of Democrats, who will
be told that they had better support
sane" program based on reason
able liberalization Of, the Volstead
law, or they will find themselves
lined up with the 'bone dry" Re-
publicans-in whose position the wet
Democrats see nothing short of
hypocrisy and shanl-or with the
extremists, who would destroy pro-
hibition altogether and who, there
fore, are running counter to the
ccuntry's public sentiment.
Finally. Governor Smiths al
lance with the powerful Taggart-
Brennan forces is notice to the rest
of the Democratic party that he can
not be written off as negligible
factor.
Copyright, 1928, by United Press
MIDDLEWEST rs STIRRED
MORE THAN EVER BEFORE
CHICAGO, June 12.-The impend-
ing meeting between Governor AL
Smith, of New York, and Demo.
cratic chieftains in French Lick to-
day assumed more significance than
ally held in that famous spa in a
decade.
The added Importance of the con-
ference became known when it was
learned that George f.. Brennan,
Democratic chieftaiu of Illinois, ex
poets to attend.
The boom" for Smith as a pos
sibie presidential candidate refused
to be downed among his friends to.
day despite mis- flat announcement
yesterday that he sis not and will
not" be presidential candidate in
1924.
Smiths visit to Chicago probably
has stirred up the wet and dry
issue more than ever before in Chi
cago, if it has done nothing else
The judiciary committee of tbs
city council adopted a resolution
commencing him for signing the
New York dry repealere, and h, was
denounced by Anti-Saloon Leaguers
and ministers who held meetings at
which little else was transacted.