Evening star., 1923-06-10
WET DEMOCRATS +.
~ .it,
COUNT ON WILSON
Former President Is Said 10
Favor Bold Stand for
Less Rigid Law.
BY ROBERT r. SMALL.


democratic national convention tie
influence of Woodrow Wilson will
be with the wex, or. in any event.
the damp" section Of the party.
The former President, it is said. does
not believe that 4is party should
hesitate to take bold stand against
the bonedryness promised in the
next republican platform if Presi
dent Harding is to be the nominee.
1t develops that Mr.. Wilson's stand
on the wet and dry issue was thor
oughly discussed at tho accent meet
ing Of the executive committee OF
the democratic national committee
IN this city. 1t was recalled that
Mr.. Wilson had indicated tn 6 outline
or a light wine and beer Rlank on
the platform in 1920. Villa m Jen-
nings Bryan, leading the opposition
for days in the resolution Dammit
tee, succeeded in defeating an out
spoken declaration for beverages OF
the lighter alcoholic content.
Vetoed yoIstead Act.
And while q great storm has ba en-
Smith. of New York, for his approval
OF bill repeating the state enforce
ment act, it is recalled that Mr. VIII.
son in the fall OF 1919 did not hest
tate TO veto the Eolstead act as ii
was submitted to him for signature
1t is true the veto didn't amount 70
much and generally has been for
gotten by the American public be-
cause the House of Representatives
passed the bill over the veto in less
than three hours after the message
conveying the executive disapproval
was read in the Congress. The SEN
ate was somewhat more deliberate,
put IT. too. soon passed the bill over
MT Wilson'S veto, many members of
the PRESIDENTS own party voting to
override his action.
MT. wilson's veto message was
brief but interesting. II was dictated
from his sickbed. for he had been
stricken about month before while
completing his western tour in favor
of the league of nations Mr. Wilson
based his action upon the fact that
the Folstead bill sought to give force
and effect both to wartime and 10
measure. Mr.. Wilson felt there was
no need for wartime prohibition.
inaSmuch as the Army and Navy had
been demobiiized.
Advised to Move Slow.
But he also int!mated to Congress
| that in attempting to regulate the
personal habits of the people It
should move slowly. The prohibition
wave had reached its crest and the
Nolstead act was flung back at Mr..
wilson without change even in the
dotting of an 'i'' or the crossing of
Il" Congress did not give Mr.. Will
son the opportunity he desired TO pass
| upon constitutional prohibition sep
arated from the wartime act.
1nasmuch as Mr.. Wilson's Volstead
| veto will be made the basis OF a gen.
eral attack by the republicans upon
the wet tendencies and record Of the
| democratic party, it Is set forth here
| in its entirety.
| 1t was charged by the prohibition
forces at the time of the veto that
Mr.. Wilson wanted to hold UP en-
| forcement of wartime prohibition SO
/; that many millions of dollars worth
! of bonded liquors could be released
| from the government warehouses.
The wartime act prevented all such
I withdrawals. This, il was claimed,
amounted to confiscation of prop
| erty. There had been no rush to get
| the LIQUOR out because 1t was felt
that the war prohibitory act would
F; be nullified by presidential procla-
| bition should take effect and that the
interval between would give plenty
| of time TO the owners Of the stored
/ liquor to remove il.
Treaty Delayed Action.
| President Wilson, the day following
1.-The passage of the Volstead act over
his veto. announced that he would
nullify the wartime law by procla-
lmation the moment the German peace
itreaty was ratified in the Senate. II
had been thought that he might have
to wait until a treaty with Austria
talSo was ratified, but the President
held otherwise.
Naturally Mr.. Wilson'S plans went
flor naught. His optimism was mis-
;placed. The treaty of Versailles never
was ratified, and peace with Germany
was not officially established until
president Harding negotiated a sep
arate treaty with the central powers
BY that time constitutional prohibi-
ition had become the law of the land.
and the bonded liquors remained in
the government warehouses.
Here was Mr.. Wilson's veto mes
sage:
To the House of Representatives:
l am returning, without my sigma =
ture. II. r. $50, IAN act to prohibit
Intoxicating beverages. and to regulate
the manufacture, production, use and
sale of high-proof spirits for other
than beverage purposes. and to insure
an ample supply OF alcohol and pro
in the development Of fuel, dye sno
other lawful industries"
Two Distinct Phases.
The subject-matter treated in this
measure deals with two distinct phases
iof the prohibition legislation. One part
OF the act unQer consideration seeks tc
enforce wartime prohibition. The
other provides for the enforcement
! which was made necessary by the
adoption of the constitutional amend
ment. l objected to and cannot ap.
prove that part of this Legislation
with reference TO wartime prohibit.
ton. 1t has to do with the enforce
ment of an act which was passed By
! reason of the emergencies of the wa,
and whose objects have been salts.
fed in the demobilization of the
Army and Navy and whose re.
peal have already sought al
1.-THE hands OF Congress. Whers
the purposes of particular legis
Iiation arising out of war emerg
ency have been satisfied, sound publ,
policy makes clear the reason ant
necessity for repeal.
1t will not be difficult for Congress
in considering this important matte
| to separate these two questions ans
| effectively to legislate regardinl
them: making the proper distinction
between temporary causes, which
arose out of wartime emergencies
and those like the constitutions
| amendment of prohibition. which 4
now part of the fundamental law Q
the country. In all matters havini
| to do with the personal habits an,
customs of large numbers of our peo
, pie we must be certain that the es
, tabiished processes of legal chang
, are followed. In no other way car
;; the salutary object sought to be 40
complished by great reforms OF thi
character be made satisfactory an,