Evening star., 1923-05-27
TEST FOR PROHIBITION
AT ALBANY THIS WEEK
Campaign Issue Hangs on Whether Gov
Smith Signs or Vetoes Mullan-
Gage Repeater Act.

or his action on the bill: "Ill be
damned IL 1 do and I'll be damned II
don't" AS they analyze the prop
osition, IL the governor signs the re-
peal bill he will ALLEVIATE dry demo-
Gratis. not only in New York, but
country wide, who will resent their
party being thus so conspicuously
turned over to the vets. If he We
toes 1t, by implication justifying the
stand of the republican party, state
and national. for prohibition and en-
forcement. he thereby strengthens the
republican position and turns water
over their wheel.
All politicians are agreed that IL
the governor signs he will give tre-
mendous impetus to the wet move
ment throughout the land. and 1t will
be next to impossible to keep prohi-
bition from becoming an issue. The
republicans are still backing their
theory that the majority sentiment
of the nation. when 1t comes to the
polls, is against weakening the Con-
stitution and that If the two parties
ever come face to face before the
electorate on this question the repub-
licans will prove to have the stronger
support.
Senator King Of Utah. democrat,
made a statement bearing on the
presidential nominations and cleo
tions of next year which interested
politicians In both parties. He proph-
esied the nomination and election of
William G. McAdoo. democrat, next
year but added that If the election
were held now Henry Ford might
win. He conceded that if real pros
perity' should arrive, President
Harding might be reelected. Sena-
tor King is recognized as one of the
leaders in Mr.. McAdoo's candidacy
for the democratic presidential NOM
ination. which has been in existence
for a long time and. it is said. is
soon to be openly avowed. A cam
paign manager is to be annuonced,
probably Daniel C. Roper, former
commissioner of internal revenue, and
headquarters are to opened in Chi
cago.
What interested the democratic
politicians in Senator Kings state
ment was that If the elections were
held now, Henry Ford probably would
win. This was taken as an admission
of the strength of the Ford boom,
which many democrats earlier in the
season were pleased to disparage.
They also held that it shows Mr..
McAdoo to be aware of having taken
on another formidable antagonist. In
fact 1T Is now "the field against Nc
Adoo," since Senator Oscar Under
wood made 1t clear he would have to
be reckoned with as a candidate. Mr..
the war into the venemy's country"
and trying to keep his strength in
that section from being absorbed by
the Underwood workers.
Republican politicians chortled
when they read Senator Kings ad-
mission that if real prosperity" ar
rives President Harding may win,
and asked in turn: What dye mean
real prosperity arriving? Isn't 1t
already here?' Republican managers
declare that all reports from govern
ment sources, labor organizations.
manufacturers associations and rail-
way statistical bureaus indicate that
possibility of something unforeseen
now. ..,
What the republicans are keeping
their weather eye open for is the
possibility OF somthing unforeseen
bobbing up in the summer or fall of
1924 to cause q setback; and they
are bent upon doing their utmost to
keep prosperity "pegged" at its
nresent stage or higher