Evening star., 1927-11-22

The demand made by Senator Borah
| that the Republican party declare
| itself in support of prohibition, leaV-
| ing the field open for the Democrats
| to uphold the opposing position II
! they so desire. has resulted in words
of commendation for his position, but
| doubt that such action is possible.
Many papers believe that neither par
| ty is likely to respond to such appeals,
| ntimating that in the next campaign
| the prohibition question Will be
avoided
"In the next Republican conven-
| ton" predicts the Syracuse Herald
! independently, "the country will wit
ness, so far as the prohibition question
is concerned, another exhibition of the
worst kind of cowardice-the coward
ice of evasion and silence. And it is
| ds sure as sunrise that the Democratic
national convention, which will prob
ably come later, will follow the Repub-
lican example" The Chattanooga
| News independent Democratic) also
takes the position that both parties
| will be called upon to face this issue,
and concludes, Attempts to dodge or
gloss it over will not be misunder-
stood by those who engage in lives
| Of crime"
Suggesting that the coming cam
paicn would be very interesting in
| deed If one party were to go wet and
| the other dry as to candidate. plat
| form and intent in case of success" "
| the Cleveland News independent Re-
| publican) declares: But no such test
| is in prospect. Republican and Demo-
cratic politicians are far from wish
| ing party ranks to be split by any
such issue. And prohibition politicians
0rIu RI
any further voting on the reform.
, though they call it fruit of majority
rule"
1T is the most absorbing political
question before the people today" in
the opinion of the New Bedford Stand
ard Republican), which continues:
There is more talk about it, more gen.
uine interest in it. than in any other
issue What Mr.. BOrah asks is that the
parties say just where they stand with
regard to it. They won't. of course,
and it is easy to see why they won't.
But that does not alter the fact that
it would be the honest thing to do"
! The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Gndepend.
enO holds that lit is with political
trimmers that Mr.. Borah will have to
struggle in the next national conven-
ton Unless all signs fail. these men
will beat Mr.. Borah precisely as the
trmmers of the Democratic party will
beat those who would put into the
Democratic platform an honest and in.
telligent prohibition plank"
X
The position taken by Mr.. Borah is
viewed by the Spokane Spokesman
Review (Republicam as the one which
it has taken from the beginning. That
paper adds: 1T respects the citizen
who says, L do not believe in prohi-
bition and 1 stand on my consttu-
tiOnal right to advocate repeal of the
eighteenth amendment. But. until
that amendment is repealed, I shall
stand for enforcement of the law and
shall support the authorities who are
enforcing it. Unfortunately the wet
advocates who take that sound posi-
tion are but a minor fraction of the
opposition. The great mass of them
want evasion and notification"
THE people themselves" according
to the Watertown Daily Times Ire
publican), do not lack courage. They
are willing to meet an issue suuarely
face to face. And they have the right
to expect the same amount of courage
from their party leaders," The At
lanta Constitution Democratic) also
remarks. Our position is that of SEN
atOr bofah anu we congratulate MIN,
a great dry leader that he is, for his
courageous statements as to a situa.
ton that is striking at the very vitals
of our national life" The Topeka
Daily Capital (Republican) feels that
washington and the Nation have
plenty of leaders who are welded to
mere political eXpedency'; it will not
have too many Borahs."
Yet the Trenton Evening Times
independently argues: The only pos
sible justification for party plank re-
lating to prohibition would he a desire
to alter the existing law in such