Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
DRY PARTY MOVE
LAUNCHED IN WEST
Prohibition Plan Would Run
McAdoo for President and
/ Borah as Vice President.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

UP the cudgels for prohibition on the
Democratic side and Senator William
E. Borah of Idaho has taken up the
cudgels fer the Republicans there Is
very definite move on foot out
here. where the dry sentiment is eN'
ceedingly strong, to start third
party, a real. militant prohibition
party, drawing its support from both
of the old parties, and asking Nc
Adoo and Borah TO sponsor the new
movement.
Californians, being very much at
tached to Mr.. McAdoo. are suggest
Ing that he should he nominated Tor
President by the new party and that
Senator Borah should he asked to
take second place on the ticket
Difficulties in Way.
II Is recognized, of course. that IN
dubita bly, there are difficulties in the
way of such program. Mr. Borah
has very definite ideas about the
presidency himself. and no one be
lieves he could be induced to take
second place on any ticket. AS a
matter of fact Senator Borah could
have had the vice presidential noml-
nation on the ticket with Mr.. Cool
idge at Cleveland in 1924 but he posi-
lively and finally refused.
The drys who are behind this new
move argue that the Cleveland nomi-
nation rendered Mr.. Borah was sort
of sop to the progressives in the
party and would! have meant nothing
to the fighting Senator from Idaho.
The new party, with strict enforce
ment at any cost as its motto, they
say, might appeal to Senator Borah
In a very different manner.
In
worked out thus far, calls for the
appointment of national committee
to be made up of one outstanding
Democratic 'dry" and one outstand-
ing Republican dry" from each
State. This committee would con-
slider ways and means of launching
the new movement and would be au-
thorized to call a national convention
either before or after the old parties
hold their quadrennial conclaves next
year. There is chance that the
dry" convention might be held IN
between the gatherings of the two
old parties.
McAdoo Admits No Connection.
Naturally. Mr.. McAdoo. who has
Just returned from his Eastern tour
and is still glowing from the rumpus
stirred up by his enforcement talk
O6IOTC the OTlO SLdIc Dol <ASooAAeAeApiA
at Toledo, admits no connection with
the new party move. Mr.. McAdoo
still has hopes of winning the next
Democratic convention to bone-dry
program, in which event he feels he
might be the candidate.
Republican drys associated with the
third party move admit ver~ frankly
that their participation in the party
Is contingent upon the attitude of the
Republicans at Washington during
the next few months, led by Presl-
dent Coolidge.
Republican dCys of California ap-
parently are not satisfied with the
present administration of the pro-
hibitory laws. They do noe feel Mr..
Coolidge is being vigorous enough or
that he has the crusading spirit they
believe is called for at this time.
These Republicans also very frankly
tell you they feel President Coolidge
Is being influenced largely In prohibi-
ton matters by Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon, who, they say. is
not a prohibitionist at heart and had
no sympathy with the writing of the
eighteenth amendment to the Federal
Constitution. So long as prohibition
enforcement remains in the Treasury
Department and Mr.. Mellon continues
as Secretary of the Treasury, the
ultra -drys will not be satisfied.
Question of Second Place.
The dry elements of both the old
parties have been delighted with the
recent activities of Mr.. McAdoo and
Senator Borah. If these elements are
amalgamated into a new party, per-
haps they would be just as pleased If
Senator Borah could be nominated for
President and Mr.. McAdoo for Vice
President, although here again there
Is the virtual certainty Mr. McAdoo
would not take second place on the
ticket
In his open letter to Nicholas Muir
ray Butler of New York, who pre-
dicted that no dry Republican could
be elected President next year, Sen
ator Borah has offered to devote him
self almost exclusively to the. dry
fight the moment the present session
of Congress adjourns.
Mr.. McAdoo, in his Toledo speeches.
barred his breast to the enemies of
prohibition and dedicated himself
heart and soul to the work Of uphold
ing the eighteenth amendment, the
Volstead act and the State laws for
dealing with the Illicit traffic in liquor.
These two men have taken the lead
within their respective parties for
DTOnlDlIIOn ana IHdL as WHY the pio-
ponents of a prohibition party want
II to be strictly a bipartisan affair.
Depends on Coolidge.
Republican support of the third
party movement will be withdrawn,
however, if President Collidge should
have a more vigorous enforcement
plank as part of his campaign for
another term, or possibly Is Mr.. Cool
tdge should decline to run again. and
y thorough. going dry" is nominated
In his place.
There seems to be fnsistence on
every side that the wet and dry issue
should be fought out next year, either
in the Republican and Democratic
campaigns or in the campaign which
follows them. With Senator Borah and
other Republicans on the war path.
II is very evident that the next Re-
publican convention will have to write
an out-and-out dry plank into the plat
form. Heretofore, the G. o. +. has
succeeded In sidetracking a fight by
merely declaring for enforcement of
all laws"
The Democrats are certain to have
a memorable battle on the issue. With
prohibition the leading issue In the
campaign. the third party advocates
feel that the time is ripe for the move
to gather the dry forces of the Nation
into one militant band, which would
make enforcement paramount at all
times and really put America on the
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