Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-07-10
TEXAS DAILY PRESS LEAGUE
The Prohibition Issue

Despite efforts Of party leaders and the fact chat
the platforms Of both major parties declare for rigid
enforcement Of the Eighteenth amendment, prohibit
ton has become the paramount issue in the ~presiden-
tial campaign in 1he South and East, while the West,
apparently unperturbed by the wet and dry clash, is
still endeavoring to make farm relief the issue.
The real issues 10 the battle-corruption in public
office, the oil scandals, tariff equalization-have been
completely submerged by the sectional sentiments.
Senator Edwards, New Jersey democrat, an ardent
wet, is tanning the flames in the East. fractional
leaders Of the South, equally ardent in their support
Of the Eighteenth amendment, have aroused the fight
ing spirit Of the Southern drys, and as a result the
November election will represent public sentiment
upon prohibition to a greater degree tina any election
since the Eighteenth amendment was written into the
fundamental law Of the land.
DR.. Nicholas Butler. one Of the outstanding vets
Of the republican party, commenting on the situation
said: "The election will be a counting Of the popula-
ton 70 see how many are dry and how many are wet.
No man alive IN tell where the majority will lie. The
only certain thing is that Governor Smith has strength
ened his position by having the courage to come out
for a modification Of the Volstead act. The people
love a courageous man who frankly states his position.
Canon Chase, president Of the New York Civic
League, an ardent dry, takes a different view Of the
situation, stating that Governor Smith had discarded
the advantages with which he could have entered a
campaign to clear corruption out Of public life and had
forced the fight on the liquor issue.
Doctor Work, generalissimo Of the Hoover forces,
issued a carefully prepared statement last week in
which he made a declaration to the effect that prohi-
bition il not and would not be an issue in the coming
campaign. Before the ink was dry, Henry J. Allen,
publicity director for Secretary Hoover, informed
newspaper men that one Of the first major topics dis
cussed at Saturdays conference was prohibition and
its threatening effect on Hoovers fight in the East,
Even the republican standard bearer has felt the
influence OF the national wave. Immediately folluw-
ing the nomination Of Hoover it was annoNced that in
his early speeches he would take a decided stand for
prohibition, but from the East arose an uproar, direct
ed by DR.. Butler, Ehhu Root and Senator Wadsworth,
which caused a hasty revision OF that declaration, and
a subsequent manifesto to the effect that the candidate
would leave the prohibition issue, alone, for some time
at least.
Throughout the Esst many Of the Hoover supporters
are contending that the secretary will be more liberal
in regard 70 law enforcement than Governor Smith,
and in The South the secretary Il represented as an
ardent dry. Smith leaders frankly admit that the New
York governor will rigidly enforce the prohibition law
If elected, and that the proposition Of modification will
be a matter for congress 70 dispose Of.