Evening star., 1926-04-10
RACE FOR SENATE
IN ILLINOIS TO Be
WET-AND-DRy FIGHT
Brennan to Give Contest Lid
uor FIavor-G. O. P. Seems
to Have Edge.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.
STAFF Cnrresnondenf of The Star.

Brennan is the wet hope" of Chica-
go. He also is to be the Democratic
| nominee for. United States Senator
after Tuesday, when the primaries
are held. AS both Senator William b.
Mckinley and Col. Frank L. Smith,
the candidates for the Republican
senatorial nomination, are labeled
dry" and have both been indorsed
by the Anti-Saloon League. the cam
paign for the Senate election gives
every promise of being a wet and
dry" fight
In fact, Mr.. Brennan, who returned
here Friday from Washington, where
he submitted a mass of anti-prohibi
ton arguments to the Senate investi-
cation committee said today that he
intended to keep the campaign strict
ly upon the issue of modification of
he Volstead act.
State Firmly Republican.
There's no getting away from the
fact, however, that the cause of light
wine and beer in this State would
stand a far better chance of victory
if its standard bearer were a Repub-
lican instead of a Democrat Illinois
is a Republican State. overwhelming
ly so. A glance at the more recent
election figures proves this beyond a
doubt. In 1924 President Coolidge car
ried the State with 1,453.321 votes to
576,945 for Davis. the Democrat, and
432,027 for La Toilette. the Progress
sive. Senator Charles s. Deneen. Re
! publican. defeated his Democratic op-
ponent, Col. Sprague, in the same wear
by 1,449 $50 to S06,702. There has been
nothing to indicate in the year that
Illinois is any less strongly Repub-
lican.
The Republicans, including both the
candidates for the Senate. are saving
little at this time about the prospect
of fight over the "wet and dry is.
sue in the election campaign which
must follow the primaries. They say
thev will cross that bridge when they
come to it. 1t is expected that which
ever wins, Mckinley or Smith. he
will take a stand for claw enforce.
ment" and seek to carry on his fight
against Brennan on other issues. This
may or may not be possible, but not
with Mr.. Brennan's consent.
y have asked leaders in all the
camps what would be the result of a
Straightout wet and dry" fight. with
all personalities and partisansliip left
out? What would be the result of
Statewide referendum, for example.
on the modification of the prohibition
laws so as to permit wines and beer.
State Voted Wet in 1922.
A more recent guide to the senti.
ment regarding light wines and beer
is to be found in Illinois, however.
than in any other State except Ohio,
In 1922 a referendum was held in
both these States on the subject of
light wines and beer.
The vote in this referendum in Til.
nois was 1,065,242 for wines and beer
and 5l2,111 against. In Cook County
-Chicago-the vote stood to / for
wines and beer. and in the rest of
the state the vote was l 1-3 to 1 for
wines and beer. In fairness to the
"drys,' however, it must be said that
the Anti-Saloon League announced If
would not take part in the referen.
dunn some weeks before the vote was
taken. More than a million and a half
votes were cast, nevertheless, in that
referendum, in an 'off wear" The
total vote cast for President in 1924
was 2,462, 900 in round numbers.
The "drys" here claim that if they
brought out their full strength in n
referendum on wines and beer they
would defeat the proposal. But the
politicians. are not so sure about this.
If the State Legislature should at
it's next meeting provide for another
referendum on modification of the Vol.
stead act, and the "wets" should win
would it have the effect of moistenins-
in any degree the political dryness of
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