Evening star., 1923-05-27
BIZ N. o. MESSENGER.
YEXT Tuesday Is to be an event.
full day to the vets and drys
" of New York state and, in

nj full day to the vets and drys
of New York state and, in
deed, the country at large.
On that day will be staged In AL
bany the first hand to-hand skirmish
between the forces, when they will be
at close grips. Gov. Alfred E. Smith
will hold a public hearing on the bill
of the New York Legislature repeating
the Mullan-Gage law of the state,
which furnishes machinery for en-
forcement of the Volstead act. After
It he will announce his decision to
sign or veto the repeating bill.
He has sedulously refrained from
giving any indication of his prospec-
tive action beyond hint contained In
a recent speech at a dinner, when he
said he would uphold the law and the
Constitution and act for the best in
terests of the state. That speecn
caused the vets to look down their
nose, fearing it spelled veto.
Gov. Smith has found himself be-
tween the democratic politicians who
are wet, on the one side, who want
him to sign, and appeals from "A
thoughtful element both within and
without his own party, who ask him
to veto. President Harding. writing
to a correspondent who had written
him, gave the governor a suggestion,
which, if followed, would afford
ground for veto. The President
pointed out the danger which would
follow the states withdrawal from
enforcement of the federal law. rest
ing entire responsibility upon the
federal authorities, involving possi-
bilities of conflict between state and
federal sovereignty.
A dispatch from Albany yesterday
stated. that the wet politicians were
telling Gov. Smith that the democrats
would lose the state of New York
for the next five years If he vetoes
the repeal bill. Gov. Smith went to
the big city to stay until Monday
and the vets called up Boss Murphy
on the telephone and begged him to
try to bring the power of his bos-
ship upon the governor to sign. IT
was said that this will be a delicate
undertaking, however, as Gov. Smith
IL
Gov. Smiths friends opposed to the
repeal have been telling him, it is
said, that If he vetoes the repeal he
will by that action write himself as
a national figure henceforth as we'll
as great governor of great state.
They argue that he will thus put the
welfare of the nation above the exi-
gencies of politics.
National leaders In the two par ties,
considering the political effects OF
the governors decision to be made
some time this week. say that it will
have important bearing upon whether
the prohibition question is to become
a leading issue in the national cam
paign of 1924 and be the subject of
discussion and attempted action. in
the session of Congress beginning on
the first Monday in December. Wet
democrats of prominence in the states
of Massachusetts,, New Jersey, Illi-
nois, Indiana and Pennsylvania are
eager to make prohibition an issue in
1924. while dry democrats in the
south want to keep the question out
of the next presidential campaign,
fearing that the wet issue, If es-
poused by their party, would lose
them the presidency.
n " X
One republican, viewpoint is that
the republicans stand to gain which
ever horn of the dilemma Gov. Smith
chooses to impale himself upon As
the governor himself said. speakinR