Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-17

Public opinion is sharply divided as
| to the wisdom Of the speech made by
William G.. McAdoo at a college COM
mencement in Tennessee, In which he
demanded that the leaders Of all par
ties make known their position on pro-
hibition. To many observers his
| stand Is challenge to evasion, and
courageous demand that his party
take a real stand on big issue; some
see only a bid for the Democratic
nomination for President and others
read into his words solely purpose
to defeat Gov. Smith of New York in
revenge for what happened in 1924.
He has we'll pointed out that when
a. political party becomes merely a
machine for winning offices, 1t has
lost it's right for existence, should be
repudiated, and ought to die" says
the Chattanooga News Democratic),
and the Omaha World-Herald Qnde-
pendent) holds that sit may we'll be
that Mr.. McAdoo Is rendering real
service to his party when he HOSTS
the mo compromise flag" The AL
sidering the possibility that there
might be "a division of the American
people next year on the problem or
prohibition" suggests that upon the
whole 1t would be a novel expert
ment," and that "it might also create
a permanent revival of popular inter-
est in our elections"
Mr.. McAdoo's purpose to commit
his party to a real stand" impels the
Milwaukee Journal independent to
declare: For that he Is entitled to
respect, even admiration in these days
when most politicians are on the
fence" The Atlanta Journal Demo
cratic) remarks that "he presented
to the young men who heard him a
comprehensive and clear-cut picture
of the conditions Of government
which demand remedy IL our Nation is
to increase in wisdom, moderation and
| Justice" That his purpose TO force
a showdown on the prohibition issue
Is one that will meet the cordial ap-
prevail of many who are not in SYM
patty with his views on the eighteenth
amendment" Is the opinion Of the Roa-
noke Times Democratic).
He Is speaking both fearlessly and
shrewdly. 1t is both good politics and
good craftsmanship" in the Judgment
Of the Des Moines Register dnde-
pendent Republican,. The Waterton
Daily Times independently AYERS that
Ibis bold step in making his stand
on the wet and dry issue his leading
plank leads one to believe that Mr..
| McAdoo Is convinced that the great
mass Of his party is dry. despite noisy
agitation from wet centers."
%* X
On the question of States rights
and liberty, the Raleigh News and
Observer Democratic), the Savannah
Press Democratic) and the Winston
Salem Sentinel independent Demo
cratic) see no violation or the
| principle in the enforcement OF pro-
hibition, the Sentinel pointing out
that 1.-The majority of the States are
for prohibition"
Affirming that "Mr. McAdoo has
taken his position on the rock of the
Constitution" the Spokane Spokes-
! man-Review independent Republi.
CAM asserts that against him is a
political aggregation that would scut-
tie the Constitution, nullify the law
of the country, and restore an outlaw
traffic that wrecked the lives Of mil
lions, ruined innumerable homes and
exerted baneful, corrupting infiu-
ence in government" The Reno Ga
zette Republican, believes that by
the terms of his speech he stands
forth as an active and powerful candi'
date" That he has burned his
bridges" is declared by the Christian
Science Monitor independently and the
Lincoln State Journal independent
Republican, also thinks: what he is
doing Is to make Gov. Smiths nomi-
nation an impossibility. He may also
be eliminating himself as a presiden'
tial possibility"
"Mr. McAdoo Is apparently In the
til xxrHn
prospects or his own chances are less
important than revenge on the in
fluences which blocked his way In
1924" says the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin independent Republican,, an
opinion in which the New York Eve
ming Post independently concurs. The
Richmond News Leader Independent
Democratic) views the speech as one
which created little enthusiasm and
much resentment" while the Ashe-
VILE Times independent Democratic)
is moved to prophesy that another
such spectacle as was enacted at the
would be fatal to the Democratic
party" OF those who may be in
agreement with him the Norfolk
Ledger Dispatch independent Demo-
cratic) contends that "if there ever
was a more ruthless political machine
than that which has held the States
and the Federal Government in its
grip-the so-called anti-saloon forces
1t has yet to be made known"
THE South Is very patient and very
loyal to her own" says the Birming.
ham News independent Democratic
But her ideals are fixed. Fair play
is her sign-even to aliens Justice is
her shibboleth-even to anarchists
Loose talk she little likes. Misrepre-
sensations her eyes, now open. are
swift to detect. Clearly Mr.. McAdoo
should be careful" The Columbia
Record Democratic) suggests that
Mr.. McAdoo might discover a good
deal of information about statesman
ship and temperance OF a worthwhile
sort by closely studying the life of his
famous father-in-law."
y
1.-THE sort Of man this country
wants as its President" according to |
the Detroit News independently, "is |
the man who believes in obeying and |
enforcing all the Constitutions; the man |
in whose mind the question never |
arises whether there Is one clause that !