The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-03-20
. n eW " Drv "
La w Plan
Advocated
Proposal to Treat Bootleg
Buyer Same as Purchaser
of Stolen Goods Fa.
vored in Washington.
Follows List Exposure
By MARK SULLIVAN.

Ity NARk 81 LLiN N
Washington. March i9.-lSpeciaD
"A development OF prohibition which
came TO the front in Washington last
week is the likelihood that as an ad-
ditional means Of making the law ef-
fective there will be put forward a
proposal to make the buyer Of boot
leg liquor as we'll as the seller, the
subject of criminal prosecution.
The proposal goes on the analogy
that the buyer Of bootleg liquor is in
The same category as the purchaser
Of stolen goods. Those who put for
ward or endorse this suggestion in
cludes at least one member of the
cabinet and several others of such
Standing as to make the earnest press
ure of il certain. There will be be-
hind it the determined prohibitionists
who hold the purchasers of bootleg
liquor to be chiefly responsible for the
present difficulty in enforcing the law.
There will also be behind it paradox
,ally, many of the most ardent
NGlS. Ailp lipiI lllc lllt0l hAiNNti~i
vain or valid. that the best way to get
rid of prohibition is to make it odious,
nd who number also among their
designs that of showing up what they
call the hypocrisy of those who vote
dry and promote prohibition and the
sslr.e time indulge in liquor them
selves.
Booze Who Leads to Action.
IN episode that brought this angle
II prohibition to the front was the
publication in one of the local papers
II what purported to be a list of the
l.atrons of a local alleged bootlegger
who had been raided by the officers
This episode created in Washington
a furore not heard throughout the
country. for the reason that the list
contained the names of many persons
in official life. or otherwise prominent;
for the additional reason that II
81 arted among the knowing and
among the insiders a mass OF humor-
Gus speculation as to how il hap
pened that certain other names did
rot appear on the list. names which
some of the sophisticated cynically de-
clared would appear IL any complete
list were published of all the patrons
Of all the bootleggers.
This sort of agitation and more Of
? kind which would not be understood
throughout the country, was IN
creased by tho fact that the news
paper in which the publication was
rade is one which is frequently called
l., Df ~ al Of the
administration, the owner Of which
is closely associated with President
Harding personally and is now his
host in Florida.
Dry Plank in G. o. r. Platform.
II can be stated without qualification
that Harding and the administration.
and the republican party altogether.
will next year go on record and make
q campaign on a 100 per cent dry
position, a position which, coupled
With the personal stand to be taken by
the candidate. will emphasize insis-
tence upon more and more drastic en-
forcement of the prohibition law as
i, stands. This will be true II Harding
is the candidate and II will be true II
any other man is the republican can
ddatc. The overwhelming probability
is that Harding will be the candidate;
lut If that program should be changed.
10 one of the men who has any serious
likelihood of taking Harding's place
Will be other than In favor OF thor
ough going enforcement.
Conference TO he Called.
Soon after Harding returns, he will
can in Washington a conference OF
governors to consider means OF en-
forcing prohibition. This conference
would have been held some weeks
ago but~for the fact that some 4j
state legislatures are IN session which
makes it difficult for the governors
to get away from their state capitol.
rs regards the democratic party,
there is going to be fight to deter
mine whether the party shall be dry
or wet" More than half the party.
and more than half the individual
leaders, are dry" McAdoo, who at
this moment is further ahead in the
race for the democratic nomination
than any other man, is as energetic
ally dry as Bryan himself
The bulk OF the south is dry" IN
nearly all OF the western states and
in the middle west the democrats arc
ns dry" as the republicans.
Wet Appeal to BE Made.
At the same time. there is group
of the democratic leaders who cling
10 the idea that the best device for
them to win the election next year Is
10 appeal to what they call the east
orn" wet "salient"--such states as
New York. New Jersey. Connecticut
and Massachusetts
There will be a dramatic fight on
this question, both as regards the
democratic candidate and the demo-
cratic platform. Decidedly the best
judgment is that the democrats will
not nominate any candidate who IL
avowedy wet" It is possible that
as regards the platform. there may
be compromise, which VIII either go
on record in favor Of law enforce
ment or else remain silent. But as
regards the candidate, there II little
likelihood OF any avowed wet" being
given the nomination