Evening star., 1923-06-17
WET ISSUE REPUTATION
BY TACCART SIGNIFICANT
Sets Example for Other Democratic
Leaders Over United States-Stroke
for RalstOn Seen.

they think that when Gov. Smith
signed the Mullan-Gage repeal act he
was looking forward to maintaining
his popularity in his own state. and
f1ourishing there as a leader and a
popular idol.
Many of his friends thought he
missed the chance of becoming a ma
tional figure when he signed the re-
peal bill and that he will not get
beyond possibly the United States
senatorship in national politics. If
he should decide to run for that office
later, it is generally conceded he
would be elected.
X
Oscar Underwood's candidacy for
the democratic presidential nominal
tion is regarded as having officially
started in the action of the demo-
cratic state committee of Alabama
last Friday in formally indorsing him
as Alabama's choice.
The rebuff given Gov. Smiths wet
issue by Indiana will probably not
be overlooked by Senator Under
woods hackers, ner by himself, and no
good word for modification of the
Volstead act is likely to come from
the Underwood quarters.
X X X X
Gov. Pinchot of Pennsylvania has
had a setback in his plans to clean
up the bootleggers and liquor and
beer dealers in the keystone state. 1t
he hot hn
office he served notice that he would
make determined warfare on the
vets. He was intent upon having his
state present contrast to it's neigh
Dor. New Jersey, which boasted of
being as wet as the Atlantic ocean"
At that time the non-reformers of
the state winked an eye and said
they would see about the governors
drive-"they would meet at Harris
burg and let him talk to the legisla-
ture"
Well. the governor got along finely
in securing the passage of a prohibit
tion bill, but in the closing hours of
the session of the Legislature a bill
carrying the necessary appropriation
of s250,000 for enforcement of the
law failed of passage. Gov. Pinchot
| is reported as having set his jaw and
announced to the marplots of his
plans that he would see to it that
means for enforcement would be pro-
vided in some way and that the
cleaning-up process would go on with
increased vigor.
AS it seems that the movement to
keep the vets from capturing the
democratic party has now definitely
set in. through the example set by
publicans being certain to reject it
the wet platform politicians are won
dering what hopes the vets have of
being able to make any headway
toward modification of the Volstead
act.
Mr. Taggart gave them hint in
the suggestion that they would bet
ter seek their end through the Selec-
ton of senators and representatives
than through the presidency. How
long will it take them to overturn a
dry majority in both bodies of Con-
gress by means of hand-picked can
didates. 1t is asked, while neither of
the old parties will carry a wet de-
claration in the platform? Will they
have to resort to a third party and
come out straight for modification?
X X X
That question opens up a world of
possibilities. including the practical
inevitability of throwing the election
of President into the House of Repre-
sentatives
Many politicians in both parties be-
lieve that the campaign of 1924 is
loaded with more political dynamite
than any campaign in our times.