Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-22

The country generally seems to be
glad that it is to be spared a pronibi
ton poll in the American Legion, not
withstanding a feeling in some quar-.
tiers that the drys killed the proposal
and in others that, as the Columbus
Ohio State Journal expresses 1t, 1.-THE
politicians feared that the result might
be so decisive as to make it hard to
dodge the question in party plat
forms"
"Comdr. Spafford has done wisely in
deciding not to proceed further with
his proposal" says the New York Sun,
which Is convinced that many Legion
naires "do not desire that an attempt
should be made to express the col
lective voice of the Legion, probably
because there is no collective voice.
The Chattanooga Times holds that lit
would be hateful to large majority
of the members to be dragged into a
with the Legion's purposes" and the
Muncie Star adds: MANY in the
organization may at least be damp
in their views, but they would not
seek to impose their wetness on dry
comrades by attempting to commit
the Legion to the Endorsement of a
wet program"
1--WE have some very big fish to
fry, here in the United States" the
Omaha World Herald remarks. eff
we will leave the liquor question alone
until it Is ripe, we may have an OPP
portunity to attend to their frying.
Otherwise the fish will most certainly
get away" Similarly the Norfolk
Daily News finds sentiment among
Legionnaires that sit would have the
effect of hampering the Legion in its
major projects and perhaps discredit
it with a portion of the public" The
Duluth Herald advises that the organ
ization 'has to avoid political contro-
versy if it Is to keep going steadily
on it's course; and the Mankato Free
Press believes that latter the poll
was taken, the only definite result
would have been to lessen the i'm
partial influence the Legion yields in
National affairs.
X X \ X
'The difficulty" in the Judgment of
the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin,
"lies in the fact that no association,
neither the American Legion nor any
other, represents a competent cross
section of the American people on the
puzzlesome problem of Federal pro-
hibition." And the Ann Arbor Times
News observes: STRAW votes seldom
serve any better purpose than to
spread dissatisfaction. They mean
little in the final analysis, for the rea-
son that their outcome reflects a
group sentiment. The Legion is a
group--a big one, but a group, never
theless-and any decision 1t may
make on a National issue cannot be
regarded as decision of the entire
citizenry of the country"
"It Is perfectly within the province
Of any group of men," suggests the
Savannah Press, ito try to repeal the
amendment, and to return to a free
liquor regime, if the people are so
disposed. But to single out one group
or one interest to conduct an infor-
native referendum would be useless"
The Elmira Star-Gazette takes the
more emphatic position: "Our form of
government Is a representative one.
We do not attempt to make laws by
popular vote. Still less reason exists
for taking a straw vote on a question
with respect to which National policy
has been settled by regularly adopt
ed constitutional amendment"
THAT the vote, once taken, and
whichever way it went, would be used
or misused for political purposes can't
be doubted" states the Butte Daily
Post, and the Greensboro Daily Record
adds that Mr.. Spafford would not be
able to stop the majority from" SO us.
ing the verdict. A danger which i'm
presses the South Bend Tribune rest
tablished."
The Birmfngham News. quoting
Comdr. Spar to the effect that the