Evening star., 1926-04-21
Politics at Large
BY G.. Could Lincoln


teenth amendment of the Volstead act
as there is of enforcing the dry law.
tt s Is the impression obtained after
two weeks and more Of wet" and
dry" hearings before the Senate jul
dietary subcommittee. With the pres
ent strength of the dry" vote in both
houses. Of Congress, however, the Vol
stead act may be amended In certain
particulars designed to strengthen en-
forcement. There is a vast determine
| tion on the part Of many millions
of the people never again to legal
lie. the sale of beverage liquor
or beer and wine, or even to
make Uncle Sam a dispenser of al
coholic beverages. similar to the gov
ernments in some Of the Canadian
provinces. On the other hand, the
huge proportions of the Illicit liquor
business in this country and the
amount of illicit distilling, brewing and
fermenting for home consumption dis
closed at the hearings are staggering
when considered in the aggregate. A
human ideal is brought squarely up
against human appetite. The strate-
gic position is at present with the
ideal III the matter of legislation.
This does not mean there will not
be victories in the coming congress
siOnal and senatorial elections for both
"wets" and "drys," according to the
localities in which the elections are
held. There Is one section of the
country, however, in which the "drys"
are SO strongly intrenched there seems
no chance whatever of any new gains
by the wets--the South. The people
of the Southern States are bound up
m TO6a here
are one or two Senators from the
States OF the South who are ''wet"
and vote wet, but no more. One Is
Senator Broussard Of Louisiana, and
he is engaged at present in contest
for denomination with reputed
dry" former Representative j. G..
Sanders. A Southern Senator. prob
ably the most popular man in politics
today in his own State, told me since
these hearings began before the judi
ciaI-y committee that if he should vote
for Il referendum on the prohibition
question. or even for a modification OF
the Volstead act which might permit
light wines and beer, or just beer
alone, he would not receive ! vote III
25 cast when he comes up for re-elec
ton again. And he was entirely sin
cere~ in his statement.
* y +
With such a dry sentiment IN the
| South, there seems little chance of ar
avowedly wet candidate receiving the
| Democratic nomination for President
particularly as long as the two-thirds
rule in the Democratic national con
| yention continues in existence. Iol
| the South, because of this two-third,
rule, practically holds the veto power
when it comes to presidential nomlna
| tions in the Democratic national con
vention.
! Former Senator Smith W Brook
| hart is not allowing the grass to grow
| under his feet in his effort to be re
| turned to the Senate. No sooner die
| ne reach Iowa, after being ousted from
| the Senate a little more than "a Weel
| ago, than he launched into d cam
| paign for the Republican senatoria
| nomination against Senator Cummins
and from all reports the fight is t(
| be waged without gloves. He hat
| returned to his home State somewhat
| In the guise Of d martyr-Claiminl
| that the election laws OF his State
have been disregarded by the Senate
| He is making the most OF the anti
! World Court sentiment which exists IL
| his State as we'll as in the other States
| of the Middle West. And he is making
| the most, too. of the discomfort amone
the farmers because of the failure o.
| Congress SO far to deal with the sur
| plus crop problem. These are his mair
| issues, and on them he is seeking e
rally to his support the so-called pro-
| gressiVe sentiment in the West. Some
| Western Republicans in the Senat,
are frankly disgusted with the actor
| Of the Senate which eliminated Sena
! tor Brookhart and placed in the sea
| he has occupied a Democrat. Senator
| Daniel 7. Steck. 1t was noticeable or
| the roll call which threw out Brook
| hart and seated Steck that only tw,
! Republicans west of the Mississippi
voted against Brookhart Senator
Warren of Wyoming and Phipps 0
! Colorado.
| x K * :.
There is no little interest here tc
| learn whether members of the anti
| World Court group III the Senat,
will go into Iowa to work for Senate,
! Brookhart's nomination as they die
in Illinois for Col. Frank L. Smith
against Senator Mckinley, and hav,
| been doing in Wisconsin agains
| Senator Lenroot. There is alway:
the chance that attempts to use out
| siders in a State primary may no
react against those who seek sucl
| influence.
| But there are some of the anti
| court Senators who continue to insis
they will ''go through" with thei
! opposition to Senators who support
| ed the World Court in the Senat,
vote last January, no matter whc
may be hurt by their efforts. Notabl,
1 4
Idaho and Senator Reed of Missouri
| A situation might arise, il is said
| in Massachusetts which would prove
| particularly embarrassing to the ad
ministration. If former Senate,
| David l. Walsh should undertake tC
make his campaign for the Senat'
against Senator William M. Butler
| chairman of the Republican nationa
committee, on the World Court issue
would Senator Borah, for example
| undertake to speak in the State
against the World Court, which Sen
ator Butler supported?
! The Massachusetts situation differ:
from that which existed in Illinois IL
regard to the candidacy of Senator
Mckinley. At present there seem:
no likelihood whatever Of there being
Republican opposition to Senator
Butler in the primaries. If the
World Court issue is raised in tn,
Bay State it will be in the election
itself. Senator Borah is one of thos,
who feel that the anti-World Cour7
ak should be swung against thos,
Senators who supported the court. LEI
the chips fall where they will
Furthermore, it Is understood tha
Senator Borah Is not inclined to b,
guided by party lines in his figh
against the World Court, that HI
feels some of the Republican regular!
in the Senate paid no attention t.
party lines in the vote on the Brook
hart case in the Senate and had NJ
compunction in cutting off onetentl
Of the Republican majority in the
Senate and turning it over to the