Evening star., 1923-10-21
BY ROBERT It. SMALL.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. October 2o.-New
York's wet" democrats have been
watching the nationwide struggle
of some aspirants for the presidency
to climb aboard the water wagon the
past week with a feeling akin to
elation. The vets figure 1t out that
the wild scramble to grab the proht-
bition vote may scatter that very
same vote and give "modinca-
zionist" a chance at the polls.
The death of President Harding.
who had espoused the cause of pro-
hIbition during the last few months
of his life, seems to have left the
field open for all who seek dry and
dusty road to the White House. Mr..
Harding had virtually. been assured
| the support Of the organized ''drys"
and was counting heavily upon that
vote as a mons of reelection. NOW
there Is a general rush to get into
linen busters.
Aa a result OF the weeks maneuVer-
ing II is shown that:
Mr.. Ford Is out for the dry vote.
Mr. Pinehot is out for the dry vote.
Mr.. AcAdoo 10 out for the dry vote.
And Mr.. Coolidge does not see why
any one should be casting wet eyes
at him.
The recrudescence OF the Ford
boom and the precipitation of the wet
and dry issue into the campaign. all
within the space of few days. nave
given politics such an impu. Sc that
many persons are inclined to date the
beginning of the 1924 presidential
race from these ides Of October.
Makes Leaders Set Up
The querulous position taken by
Gov. Pinchot toward the national ad-
ministration on the prohibition en-
foFcement Issue has been regarded as
political trouble enough for one week.
but when this continuing incident
was followed up by Ford activities
throughout the country, eliminating
in an announ cement from the chair
man of the prohibition party's ma
tional oomittee that Mr. Ford could
have the prohibition nomination for
President If he cared for it, the
politicians began to sit up and take
notice in earnest.
Naturally. MIR. Ford could not be
content with the prohibition nomina-
tion alone. AS a separate and dis
tinct party the prohobitionists have
been unable to make any great head
way in the past. In the 1890 cleo
ton. out of nearly 27.o00,o0o votes
cast. the prohibition candidate got
tion in politics began to be effective
only when the Anti-Saioen League
began boring from within the two
old parties, just as labor had been
doing some years before.
But Mr.. Ford probably would not
object to the prohibition party in
dorsement OF his candidacy il he de-
cides to run on an Independent ticket.
which now seems probable. Henry
Ford Is known as dry of the true
believer type, and 1t Is certain his
candidacy would be gratifying to a
large proportion Of the dry element
of the country.
G. o. p. Seeks Dry Vote.
It is perfectly apparent that the
republican party Is going to make
a great bid for the dry vote, no mat
ter who it's candidate may be. Mr..
Coolidge already has undertaken to
carry out the Harding policy for
better enforcement, as evidenced by
his conference in Washington today
with the governors of nearly two
thirds of the states OF the Union.
with Mr., Ford and the republican
| candidate splitting the dry vote, the
fight in their convention for what
they term q liberal" treatment of the
prohibition question. Whether they
can gain any real ground along that
line is questionable. 1t is true that
platform declaration requires only a
majority vote In the democratic con-
vention, whereas the nominee of the
party must be named by a two-thirdS
vote Therefore it would be easier to
declare for modification than II would
be to nominate modificationist.
Even in democratic ranks the senti-
ment for prohibition still is strong