Evening star., 1923-05-17
DRY DEMOCRATIC
PARTY INDICATED
Poll of States Said to Show
Thirty Against Wet Plat
form in 1924.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Democratic leaders throughout the
country have just been polled on the
prohibition issue. They reveal a pre-
ponderant sentiment against modi-
f1cation of the Volstead law. As 1t Is
reasonable to assume their views
constitute an authentic cross section
of party opinion. both platform and
candidate Of the democrats in 1924
may be as dry as the republican tick
ct is expected to be-,
Chairmen Of democratic state COM
mittees were asked by the Christian
Science Monitor for their opinion as
to the wisdom of liberalizing the
| present liquor statutes. The SYM
postum was based on reports recently
chronicled by this writer that Wood
row Wilson had drawn up a demo-
cratic platform for 1924. which prob
ably would advocate repeal of the
Folstead act.
Many States Dry.
The poll shows eight states listed
as wet by democrat chairmen.
Twenty three states are put unre-
servedly in the dry column. Seven
states. whose democratic leaders gave
non-committal answers. are dry in
light OF the party's past record in
| them. One state. New York, has a
wet democratic organization. but as
Its chairman, Herbert c. Pell. jr.. is
abroad. no reply was sent. This
| leaves nine states unclaesified. I'm
| other words" according to the Moni-
tors summary OF its straw vote.
thirty out of the forty-eight states
| from a democratic point of view"
| The twenty-three states catalogued
dry by democratic chairmer are
Alabama. Arizona. Arkansas. Idaho.
Kansas. Kentucky, Maine. Michigan,
Mississippi. Montana. Nebraska. New
! Hampshire. New Mexico. North Caro-
lima. North Dakota, Oregon, South
Carolina. Tennessee. Texas, Utah
! Virginia. West Virginia and Wyo-
| ming.
The seven states labeled dry. ac-
ccrdlnE to their democratic records
! Eut regarding which state chairmen
were non-committsl. are California.
Delaware. Indiana. Iowa, Ohio, South
! Dakota and Washington.
Fight Indexed Wet.
The eight states indexed as wet by
democratic leaders are Connecticut
Illinois. Minnesota. Missouri. Nevada
New Jersey. Oklahoma and Wisconsin,
Ihe nine states not classified in the
poll. presumably because their state
chairmen did not express themselves
at all. are: Colorado. Florida. Geor-
gia. Louisiana. Maryland. Massachu-
setts. Pennsylvania. Rhode Island and
Vermont. or this group Maryland.
Massachusetts. Pennsylvania and
| Rhode Island are ordinarily ranked as
| wet states.
II the prohibition issue were to be
all-decisive at the democratic ma
tional convention. as some authorities
| William G. McAdoo would benefit Nc
| Adoo is the most outspokenly dry
! candidate for the presidential nomi-
nation of his party. Yet that very
net t., 80
! by his friends as likely, under the
best OF circumstances. to prevent his
victory.
May Have Majority.
ihey believe he may enter the con-
ivention with a majority of delegates
rev more or few less than that
But in the same breath McAdoo sup
porters concede there is probably an
! 1nvincible one-third. controlled By the
wet bosses like Murphy. Brennan.
Iaggart. Mack and Nugent, who
Moulo stuboorniy block McAdoos
| vote. i''i Us
! II the democratic prohibition poll
/ IS reliable index. it would seem to
P4nderwoaa PP4re}ao,ee the W. chances of Oscar W.
mist. for the senator from Alabama
Is regarded wet. He. too. like
woodrow Wilson's son-in-law. might
at al; some time in the balloting be
within range OF triumph. only to find
an invulnerable dry old guard dom
mating enough votes to keen the
prize from his grasp
| Democratic leaders are now more
persuaded than ever that their 1924
standard bearer will be a convention
compromise candidate. But for the
| fact that Senator Samuel NJ. Ralston
or Indiana would be in his siSty-
eighth year by the time he could be
lnaugurated. many democratic lead
ers would be ready to acclaim his
prospects incomparably the best.
Hull Is Doomed,
Former Justice John H. Clarke of
Ohio would be even a few months
Older. Democrats in quest of a "Mr
\" will tell you that Representative
Cordell Hull. chairman of the demo-
cratic national committee, is begin
ming to loom, although as Tennes-
sean they admit he may. like Senator
! Robinson of Arkansas and Senator
Glass of Virginia. be too southern"
for northern democratic enthusiasms.
/; About every democrat one meets
nowadays laments that John w. Da-
Wis, as national leader puts it, tex
; changed a career for a competence
! an allusion to Davis renunciation of
law practice and residence in West
Virginia for partnership in the Nor
gan firm" in New York city.
| The other day Davis defended the
| sugar interests in litigation with the
government. The enemy wouldn't
do a thing with that kind Of a rec
ord" said a fellow democrat. who is
convinced that. but for his corpora
! ton lawyer" affiliations, Davis would
be invincible next year.
1902