Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-04
CHANGE IN PROHIBITION LAW
URGED BY SENATOR D. / WALSH
Legislator, However, Coun-
sells Enforcement of Dry Act
as Legal Measure.
Believes Democratic Party
Should Work for Alteration
in Constitutional Way.
BY ROBERT BARRY.

Senator David /. Walsh of Massa-
chusetts is an avowed wet.
He declined to become fanatlcal
/ about it. He refused to participate
/ in a filibuster against the prohlbltloh
unit reorganization and civil service
bill. He was assailed by the extreme
vets
! His answer was that he would not
violate his oath of Office by obstruct-
/ ing enforcement of any law. re
would try to have the law cnahSeo
| or modified, but ne would insist on
| adherence to the constitutional ana
| parliamentary processes.
Senator Walsh enviSageS the prop
| lem of the Democratic party in that
precise spirit.
He wants the NolStead act changed.
He will work for that end. He VIII
not insist on the Democratic natlonai
convention accepting his views RE
may suggest a plan-an enlifel\ Ht"
one. If the resolutions committee ue-
crees otherwise he will not encourages
SchiSms.
Why?
Because the responsibility of the
Democratic party to promote eile
general economic welfare against tne
vicious trends of the day is so over
whelming it transcends all other IS
sues of policy" the Senator SAID.
Seated in the foyer of hotel ~
Worcester, the aggressive leader OF
BAY State Democracy wished to talk
of the economic situation of MaSSa
chusetts Of New Er"l nd. Of the Ma
ton, rather than of Prohibition.
Not a Controlling Issue.
! "Prohibition has no proper place as
a controlling issue" he said sooner
! or later the two major parties muSt
get together to remove the wet ana
dry issue | am wet. nut tneFe dIe
so many other matters OF OUTSTANDING
rational importance pending before
the American people today that | can
not and will not bring myself to any
attitude of eXalting or emphasizing
the prohibition question to the eXclu-
sion of the very vital economic issues
which affect so acutely the lives OF
the people"
"Do YOU believe the wet and dry
question is one likely TO spit the
Democrats in their national conVen-
ton next year.?
81 think it is something which might
cause a lot of trouble" the Senator
replied. "but I do not believe 1t VIII
do so. The responsibility of the Demo
on other issues is too great to be
ignored for a futile display of differ
ences over prohibition. l say that as
a wet. because irrespective of my
views on that question l cannot per-
init it to dominate my political phllos-
| ophy in the current economic state OF
our people"
YOU believe then. that, regardless
| of who is the Democratic nominee in
| 1928. whether he is wet or whether
| he is dry, the campaign must be
waged on economic issues?
without a doubt" the Senator de-
clared emphatically.
Sees Agreement on Platform.
"Can the opposing factions within
the party come to terms on plat
form declaration?
They can and must. / have felt
for some time that sooner or later
we would have to resubmit this issue
to the people. I have come to believe
we should do so in the form Of new
amendment to the Constitution, de-
signed to establish beyond any rea-
sonable doubt the legislative province
of the States in which there could be
no trespass by the Federal legisla-
| ture.
II would favor submission of a
State rights amendment, setting
forth that the States should have eX-
| elusive jurisdiction over alcoholic con-
! tent of beverages manufactured or
sold within their borders, over educa.
ton, over public welfare measures
and all such questions, which, in the
final analysis, are settled best when
handled by the State entities.
| Not only would that impose an es-
sential check on the policy of Federal
Capitalization. on Federal bureaucracy
and Federal invasion of State rights,
/ it would return to the States the
powers they have yielded or have per-
mitted to be usurped. It would re-
store us TO something like the funda-
| mental concept of our system of gov
eminent"
do you believe both vets and drys
could assent to such program
. mo one could forecast that. / do
think there would be more favor
able ground for compromise than on
any other method which has been
suggested thus far. The drys cannot
go on forever defending the existing
state of affairs, and certainly they
cannot combat the theory Of State
rights.
Cites Paramount Issue.
THE vets must agree that If they
are minority in any State they must
submit to the will of the maj ority
of that State. If we deny the applica-
ton of such rule, we strike at one
OF our fundamental principles"
What issue do you urge as para
mount from a Democratic viewpoint?'
"Present-day economic conditions
Mr.. Walsh replied. Il am not afraid
to talk about present-day conditions.
In fact, 1 deem it the duty of every
public official to find out the facts