Evening star., 1924-06-07
PLATFORM FIGHTS
LOOM BEFORE COP.
IN EARLY SESSIONS
Progressives, Vets and Anti
Klan Forces Line Up for
Contests in Convention.
BY c. GOULD LINCOLN.


CLEVELAND, June Real con-
tests over various proposed planks
for the Republican platform are
looming up.
In the first place, the progressive
element in the party is going to de-
mand that the platform be progress
sive, and the conservative group
will be equally insistant that the
platform be safe and sane" from
their point of view.
With President Coolidge as certain
of the nomination as it is possible
to be, clearly the party has picked
it's standard bearer before it drafted
it's platform. 1t has picked it's can
didate far enough in advance for him
to have an opportunity to weigh the
big issues with which a platform
must deal The President is not in
the position of candidates in some
other years, whose platforms have
been practically completed before the
candidates have been selected, and
who have been told heres your
platform, now stand on it." One
thing is certain, the platform in the
coming convention is going to be such
a platform as President Coolidge de-
sires to stand on. The convention
will be dominated by his friends and
supporters.
Coolidge to Have o. X.
1t is only reasonable, therefore. that
the major planks in the PLATFORM
those dealing with prohibition en-
forcement, foreign relations, the
world court. agriculture-willb be sub
mitted to the President before they
are adopted in convention. They will
be dictated-so far as the principles
enunciated are concerned-by the
President
For several days the statement has
been current that several groups
are working on the platform 1t was
learned today that one of those who
have been giving particular attention
to a draft of the platform, or parts
of it, is reSentative Ogden Mills
of New York. Charles B. Warren OF
Michigan, slated to be the chairman
Of the convention resolutions COM
mittee, is another.
KIan Issue to Come Up.
The Ku Klux Khan is an issue
which many of the Republicans would
like to dodge. but National Commit
teeman Creager of Texas is going to
bring it up in the resolutions COM
mittee when he submits his anti-Klan
plank for approval. 1t may be that
this issue may be laid to rest in COM
mittee. On the other hand, it may
be forced onto the floor of the con-
vention. If it is fireworks may fol-
low.
The first trumpet sound from the
"wets" was delivered last night, when
Ralph Beaver Strassburger, delegate
at large from Pennsylvania, who de-
feated dry Gov. Pinchot for dele
gate honors by more than 100000
i Il aeIy 4,
resolutions committee to adopt light
wine and beer plank, with the neces-
sary modification of the Volstead act.
No one-practically no one-out
here believes that the wet" plank
has the ghost of show. The 'drys"
are on hand to prevent the adoption
of any plank that seems in the least
moist. What is expected is the adop-
tion Of a Acknowledgement plank.
Law Enforcement Urged.
National Committeeman Williams of
Oregon. chairman of the committees s
subcommittee on policies and plat
form-a kind of advisory body to the
resolutions committee-laughi1gl gly
said that nearly all of the sugges-
tions turned in to his committee for
planks in the platform dealt with law
enforcement and the recognition Of
the Irish republic.
L.
was one of the hackers of Senator
Hiram Johnson for the presidential
nomination four years ago, in a
statement issued last night pictures
prohibition as a horrible evil, leading
to lawlessnesS and the destruction Of
respect for all authority. He said:
The good people of not only Penn
sylvania. but of the great populous
centers of this country, are tired of
paying extortionate prices for poison
labeled whisky gin and beer
They want light wines and beer at a
fair price. They want to drink it as
men-not covertly and fearful of the
stool pigeon or the prohibition agents.
Do Not Want Saloon.
The people of Pennsylvania do
not want to re-establish the cursed
saloon. They do not want whisky.
They want beer and wine, and / shall
urge the Republican convention to
assert itself in the interest of law,
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