The Winslow mail., 1923-06-29
PARTIES ARE
LOATH TO TAKE STAND IN
WET AND DRY ARGUMENTS

WEE AND DIZZY AHGU MENIS
Washington, June 24-As a pres
idential campaign nears, national
leaders are slowly being beaten down
prohibition outside the pale Of pol
itics.
Throughout the nation vets are
strengthening their positions and
they are in widely scattered places,
carrying public opinion with them.
This, however, is not disturbing
the even tenor of the dry camps.
Sub-surface rumblings broke into
the open when Governor Al Smith of
New York signed the bill repeating
the state enforcement act.
Wisconsin Immediately oiled its re-
pealing machinery, and the lower
house of the general assembly has
passed a measure similar to that
enacted in New York, which now
awaits senate action.
An Illinois legislator, recalling that
a referendum of the people in his
state carried wet by $4,000 last year
has introduced repeater.
Sentiment in New Orleans received
Jolt when Governor John NJ. Park
er congratulated Governor Smith for
having backbone"
Membership in the Association
Against the Prohibition Amendment
has more than doubled in San Fran
cisco and other coast cities.
The vets have unified their ranks.
They want two things:
Beer and wine. No whisky.
They realize, and hope, that booze
is deader than last years styles.
The symposium develops:
That the strongest ally dry forces
have is the bootlegger.
That the illicit rum-runner realizes
that with a modification of the Vol
stead law his deathblow will have
come.
Especially is this apparent among
members of the smuggling fleet ply
ing between Florida and the BAHIA
mas.
Before prohibition the Bahamas
practically were bankrupt. Soon they
would have been completely under
dominance of the mother country,
it is said. England grants virtual
only where self
SNAOOAC'
Prohibition saved the Bahamas.
Money is in abundance. Civic i'm
are many, and the ma
tional treasury overflows with gold
reaped through the liquor traffic.
Party Lines Tight
But despite all this, despite the
gathering momentum for beer and
wine, political leaders of both par
ties are loath to take stand. A
certain man, high up in Democratic
circles, whose name cannot be quot
ed, stated not long ago that the De-
party in the coming cleo
ton will be for enforcement of pres
ent laws. In other words, it will be
dry.
''West of the Alleghenies," he said,
"the country is dry. Even ~modif1ca-
ton of the Volstead law is far Off,
as I see it. Do you think the women,
wives of men who came home on
Saturday night with no money, would
not fight to hold what they have
gained?"
The outstanding argument of vets
following the trail-blazing act of
Governor Smith, has been that pro-
hibition is developing in the genera
tion a disregard of all law. Youth
today, the sentiment shows, consid-
ers it smart to be able to get the
stuff"
A curious reaction to New York's
defiance has been a tightening Of en-
forcement activities here in the ma
tional capital Enforcement officials
think that the psychological effect of
making washington drier will be to
minimize the "unfavorable" pubici-
ty attached to the Empire states
boldness.
Wet Hopes In West
San Francisco-New heart has
cone to western vets as a result Of
New York's action. News from the
East is acclaimed as the first victory
in the fight against VOlstead theo-
ries Some drys maintain what hap
pened in New York indicates only
the unsettled condition there a post
prohibition incident to be expected.
Dry officials admit bootleggers are
operating with more confidence ar
tuated under the opinion that en-
forcement will crack under the strain
of a swinging public opinion.
Madison Wis-The fight in the
Wisconsin legislature centers around
two thoughts: Restoration of per
sonal liberty" and maintenance of
the inviolability Of the home, ac-
cording to vets.
Assemblyman H G. Tucker, Mil
waukee, Socialist, author of the bill
proposing repeal of the enforcement
act which now only awaits action of
tha opnata