Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-09
Politics at Large
By G.. Gould Lincoln.

For months the Republicans have
been sliding along easily, without the
prohibition issue troubling them.
They have viewed with perfect equa-
nimity the troubles of their Democrat
ic brethren over the wet and dry
question. Now, in the twinkling of
an eye, this issue threatens to raise
it's head in the Republican ranks. II
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of New
York and Senator Borah of Idaho
have their way, the vets and drys in
the party no longer will lie down
like sheep in the fold.
Senator Borah, champion of the dry
cause and opponent of notification OF
the eighteenth amendment to the Con-
stitution. in n letter to DR.. Butler ac-
cepts the challenge hurled by the
president Of Columbia University to
the drys when he declared that no
man in either party could be elected
President unless he took a definite
stand in opposition to the eighteenth
amendment.
The letter of Senator Borah declares
he is willing to go into any state
where delegates to the next Republ1-
can national convention are to pc
chosen to debate the question whether
the party and it's nominee next year
shall be wet or dry.
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Between the two of them a move
ment has been launched which may
result in putting on record every
candidate who may aspire to the Re-
publican nomination for President and
Vice President. If these two gentle
men have their way there will be an
end of law enforcement vets" on
the party ticket. Candidates must be
either absolutely wet or absolutely
dry; for the repeal of the eighteenth
amendment and all its works or for
the retention of the amendment.
The Republican party has been dry
in nearly all of the States where it has
predominated. This is true in the great
States of the Middle West, Illinois, In
diana and Ohio. 1t Is true of the party
in Massachusetts, and to very great
extent of the party in New York.
Practically every time a wet Republi-
can has been on the ticket in the En-
pire State, in Statewide election, he
has split the party and a Democrat
has come into office. Senator Wads-
Worth'S recent defeat was case in
point. In Pennsylvania, last year.
Representative William S. Ware, run
ming as wet, won the Republican
nomination for Senator, but by a less.
vote than the combined vote of his two
dry opponents. AT the same time Gov
Fisher, who had been Endorsed by the
Anti-Saloon League, was nominated
for governor and has since been elect
ed by an overwhelming vote. The
Keystone State, therefore, cannot be
claimed as sure wet State, or the Re
publican party of that State as wet"
Up in Wisconsin Gov. John j. Blaine,
a wet, defeated Senator Lenroot, who
had been classed as a dry. But the
victory of Gov. Blaine in the Sena-
torial race was attributable to other
causes than the liquor question.
x
If Senator Borahs plan is followed,
President Coolidge, if he be a candi-
date, and all other presidential pos.
sibilities will be compelled to state
their positions clearly on the eight
zenith amendment. They will not be
able to say merely they believe in en-
forcing the law as long as the consti-
tutional amendment is part of the
basic law. This may or may not be &C.
ceptable to the candidates. 1t does
not promise as much grief for them
as has come to the Democratic party,
merely because Republicans have
espoused the dry cause generally
The Democrats naturally are not
displeased over this latest turn of
events. They would like to see the
wet and dry issue tear the G. 0. P.
as wide open as 1t has the Demo
cratic party, but they scarcely dare
hope it will. The Democrats are not
dissatisfied either, with the interjec-
ton of the third term" issue into the
possible Coolidge candidacy by DIR.
Butler, a Republican. 1t is true that
DR.. Butler said that he believed the
President had too much common
sense to permit himself to be chosen
as a candidate with that issue hang
ing over his head. But he neverthe-
less raised the issue. For this he is
criticized here in Republican circles
devoted to the President as decidedly
not chubby" He is not, they say,
the white House spokesman" The
third term issue and the farm issue
and now the liquor issue are all mat
ters the Coolidge people would like to
soft-pedal. This does not mean the
President himself, who has been
consistent in his policies and
his stand on issues since he entered
the White House. But it does apply
to some of those who would like to
see the President succeed himself.
n X
Just when DIR. Butler was shooting
at the President from the third term
angle, along came former Gov. Frank
o. Lowden with a telegram to farm
leaders here, declaring
that he favored the principle of the
McNary Haugen farm relief bill, the
fee. He might as we'll
have announced himself candidate
for the Republican presidential NOM
nation next year. If President
Coolidge vetoes the bill. should it come
to him from Congress as it probably
will do, then Mr.. Lowden springs at
once into the limelight as the farmers
candidate for the nomination. He be-
comes the likely contender with the
President for the delegations to the
national convention from the farm
States of the Middle West, the North
west and the Far West. If the Presi
dent should sign the bill. then the
presidential ambitions of Mr.. Lowden,
Vice President Dawes and others who
have espoused the cause of the
McNary bill fade from the picture.
What the President will do regard
ing the McNary-H augen bill, II 1t
comes to him, is still shrouded in some
mystery. At the White House, how
ever, it has been urged that the Presi-
dent does not change his policies to
win votes; that when he takes stand
on a matter he sticks to it. In view
Of his past opposition to legislation Of
this character presented in the Nc
Nary Haugen bill, this was taken in
some quarters to mean that he will
veto the bill If 1t comes to him. 1t is
unlikely he will make any statement
the bill until 1t takes It's
final form and is actually before him
for approval. Nor will he say what
his plans are for 1928 and the Repub-
lican nomination.
X X