Evening star., 1928-06-10
DRY DRIVE FAILS
TO ROCK VIRGINIA
Anti-Saloon Stand Does Not
Influence County Mass
Meetings.
peeial Dispatch 10 The Star.

| Special Dispatch TO The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, June 9.--It is a
remarkable feature of the presidential
campaign situation at its present stage
in Virginia that despite the bitter Smith
and anti-Smith talk that has been
heard. the delegates so far chosen to
the State Democratic convention are
about the same in personnel as those
usually selected to 60 to Democratic
conventions held in this State. The
only exception to this rule is the fact
that occasionally a delegate is selected
who has not been much in the political
limelight since the time the prohibition
question became acute.
Delegates so far chosen do not appear
to represent especially wet or dry ideas.
AS rule they are simply Democrats.
men who for years have enjoyed the
game Of politics and are now ready to
have their usual outing of once in four
years. The kind of men chosen indi-
Gates that the State convention viii be
conservative in its actions ani that
the probabilities are that the Anti
Saloon Leagues proposed resolution 10
instruct against wet" candidates will
be defeated.
Meetings Are Silent.
1t Is considered strange that despite
the Anti-Saloon Leagues stand against
Smith. its influence has hardly been
felt in the county mass meetings which
have selected delegates to the State
convention. The precinct meetings and
the county meetings have been generally
silent on the matter of presidential
preferences, although a few OF <le
southwest Virginia counties. Bland as
an instance. have adopted resolutions
expressing the view that Smith should
be the nominee OF the party. But even
resolutions the delegates were left un-
instructed. The fact that the Anti
Saloon League and IFS allies have been
apparently inactive In the choice of
delegates to the State convention he's
led some to the belief that it has given
up hope of defeating Smith for the
nomination and that 1t plans TO center
its work in an attempt TO defeat him
In the general election.
Some of the newspapers OF the State
are saying that the league Is really a
Republican organization and that its
Sympathies are so completely with the
party in power in the Nation that it
would support the Republican candidate
even If the Democrats selected a dry
man as their nominee.
The Ku Klux Khan seems To be TAX
ing the position formerly occupied by
the Anti-Saloon League In It's oppo-
gition TO Smith. The Klan is not as
adroit in It's political maneuvers as the
league has been in the past but 1t is
making lot Of noige and therefore is
attracting some attention. Its activities
do not seem 10, have in any way in
fiuenced the choice Of delegates to the
State convention and 1t appears to have
settled down primarily 10 make fight
On the constitutional amendments which
Gov. Byrd is advocating and which VIII
oa voted on by the people at the special
election June 10. two days before the
date Of the State convention at
Roanoke. So ths Khan is now engaged
in fighting both Smith and Byrd and in
linking them together. although Byrd
has never given the slightest indication
. that he Is a supporter of Smith.
The Republican situation remains
about the same, with growing belief
that the Is delegates chosen 10 30 To
Kansas City are no k'nger In the doubt
fui column but Will present solid
front for Hoover. n. l.. G. BARRET.