Evening star., 1928-06-11
HOOVER AND BORAH
DRAFT 7 DRY PLANK
Eighteenth Amendment In
dorSed-Farm Declaration
May Back Coolidge.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,
stan Correspondent Of The Star.

/ uIy plain luI tilc 1870 pIdtlOIIH. IL IL
about to be submitted to the commit
tee on resolutions with their joint
approval.
1t goes materially farther than the
enforcement in 1924 in that it specifi-
cally indorses the eighteenth amend
ment. If the resolutions committee
| adopts the plank and the convention
| ratifies it, Senator Borah will be en-
| titled to claim of classic victory. He Is
the earnest proponent of a non-dodg-
! ing and non-s n-straddling prohibition
| pronouncement. The proposed plank Is
of his authorship
The Idahoan is prepared to defend
| it to the last ditch, both In the reso-
lutions committee and on the floor of
the convention. Borah and Hoover
conferred about the plank in Wash
ington last week. They concur in the
belief that 1t adequately and effectively
meets the situation.
Text Of Proposed Plank.
The Hoover-Borah solution of one of
the thorniest problems confronting the
Republican convention calls for plank
brief and to the point. In the rough.
this. writer learns, 1t reads as follows.
We reaffirm the constitutional doc
trine as announced by George WASH
ington In his farewell address, when he
said: The Constitution which at any
time exists, until changed by an au-
thentfc and explicit act of the whole
people. is sacredly obligatory upon ALL
The people through the method pro-
vided by the Constitution have written
the eighteenth amendment into the
Constitution. The Republican party
pledges itself and its nominee for
President to the observance and vigor-
Gus enforcement of this provision of
the Constitution.
This proposed plank of two simple
paragraphs and roundly 80 words, puts
into platform language Herbert Hoo
ver's position on prohibition as expressed sse
IN reply to the Borah QUESTIONABLE
last Winter. 1t omits the Commerce
Secretary's thought about "construc-
tive" enforcement Of the liquor laws, but
as his use OF that expression in his
reply TO Senator Borah met with no
objections from the dry organizations
the proposed plank committing the
@. o. P. to"vigorous" enforcement of
the eighteenth amendment will be even
more satisfactory to them.
Republicans who lean toward mod
tfication of the Volstead act saw a ray
OF hope in Hoover'S Constructive en-
!orcement suggestion. But he and
Borah are now evidently of the opinion
that not even so subtle concession as
that should be made to the wetter eie-
ment OF the Republican party If the
Hoover -Borah prohibition plan pre-
walls, Kansas City viii serve notice on
Houston that the @. o. p. is ready TO
take the 100 per cent dry side OF the
liquor argument In the 1923 presidential
contest in case the Democrats care to
make prohibition the, or a, paramount
issue
In essence, the Hoover -Borah plank
follows along the lines proposed by the
national conference on prohibition en-
forcement planks." This is the organ
ization formed in Washington last Feb
ruary at joint meeting of all the
organized dry forces In the country
IL was charged with the special duty Of
getting the right kind of prohibition
declaration In the platforms of both
great parties this year. The national
conference" Its spokesmen at Kansas
City. explain Is not intent upon any
particular language for giving effect TO
Its viewpoint. 1t is concerned only
with the principle voiced. That princi-
pie is concrete and categorical indorse-
ment Of the eighteenth amendment by
name and not merely an espousal OF
IT by such glittering generality as
''law enforcement" The Hoover
Borah plank exactly carries out what
the national dry organizations desire.
Anxious for Harmony.
1t, OF course, remains to be seen how
blandly convention shot through with
wet sentiment will swallow a ringing
prohibition plank. DR.. Nicholas Muir
raj Butler Of New York has abandoned
his original purpose Of seeking an out
right anti-prohibition plank. How far
he and his fellow Fasteners are pre-
pared 10 accept fiat-fiooted pro-
eighteenth amendment affirmation can
not be foretold.
The convention managers are burn
ingly anxious for a harmonious session
at Kansas City as regards both nomi-
nee and platform, Probably there
will be a plenty OF behind-thc-s
bargaining and discussion over the pro-
bibiti0n plank before II Ii trotted out
for the conventions adoption In order
that no unseemly public controversy
may ensue over IL.
In which these prohibition plank devel-
opmenta are derived comes q forecast
Of the farm plank. This will sustain
President Coolidge's veto OF the
McNary- -Haugen bill. although 1t may
avoid offenSe 10 corn belt susceptible
ties by eliminating mention of the
equalization fee, which the President
10 kavagely condemned.
IT Is already certain that there will
be minority report from the reEolu-
tons committee calling for adoption Of
n McAary- Haugen farm plank. The
minority report Is expected TO be sub
mitted by Senator John J. Blaine. Re-
publican progressive, OF Wisconsin. It's
submission To the convention win, of
course, call for roll call showdown
and perhaps precipitate bitter dis
ctission before a vote is taken. With
administration forces In command
there can be little doubt of the out
come. The Coolidge Hoover ~Jafdine
point Of view win be maintained and
sustained.
May Denounce Equalization.
The agricultural plank now contem-
plated win identify itself Whole~heart~
IDLY with the demand Of the American
Farm Bureau Federation for the imme-
diate enactment OF legislation which
would place agriculture permanently on
an equal basis with other industries, {"
Df. Jardinc. the Coolidge Secretary Of
Agriculture, who Is on the convention
scene IN the dual role Of a Iiooger-for~
President booster and an adviser 10 the
platform committee, asserts that the
I"arm Bureau Federation proposal above
quoted win have 10 be- supplemented by
This pfoyiso. with The understanding
that the unconstitutional equalization
fee and Government price-flxing ideas
are things 0f the past
II and when the time comes for Gov.
LoWden'e battalion of death200 corn
belt delegates. more OF less 10 swallow
that pill, II requires no gift OF prophecy
~ predict hot time In Kansas CITY
that dhY. The tanner In which the Low.