Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-30
EDCERTON ACCEPTS
DRY NOMINATION
Backs Hoover Stand on Pro-
1ibition-Party May With
draw From Race.

l one Of the unique notification
ceremonies OF the current political CAM
paign, held last night in the frowning,
vine-ciad ruins Of one Of the strong
holds Of the Civil War. Fort Lyon. Va,
James A. Edserton of this city and Fort
LYON accepted the nomination to the
vice presidency i the Prohibition party
ticket
With leaders Of the prohibition cause
from, "a. parts of the country present,
the ceremony was conducted in the open
air under a fun moon. Mr.. Edgerton
speaking from the porch of his nome
10 an audience grouped on the ran1partS
of the old fort, which forms natural
smphitheater.
In his speech Of acceptance Mfr. Edger-
Ion. a former Democrat. denounced Gov.
Alfred Z. Smith as a betrayer OF ms
party and praised Herbert Hoover for
his attitude toward prohibition. He de-
cisred the Dem ocran and Republcan
parties have crucifled prohibition be-
tween them. as Christ was crucillea DE-
tween two thieves
He made il plain that if the Prohibit
tion PARTY should withdraw iii favor Of
Hoover. il will support the Republican
standard bearer, not as n Republican,
hut because he stands for the eight
zenith amendment in its integrity; be-
csvSe he favorS strengthening and not
Weakening the Volstead act: because he
Is pledged 70 the enforcement OF that
act. and because his whole life has
shown that his heart is III humanitarian
causes"
To Discuss Withdrawal.
Whether the Prohibition ticket is to
be withdrawn viii be decided tomorrow
at a meeting of the party's nationa!
committee in Chicago. Members of the
committee il is understood. are divided
as to whether the party should throw
ifs strength to Hoover or remain IN inc
field in direct opposition to smith. In
his acceptance last night Edgerton said
with reference to the withdrawal pro-
posal:
NV own plan would be to Withdraw
cur electoral ticket only in the close
States. 10 the end that there should
be no division of the dry forces. who
should rise to this emergency by de-
feating the wet candidate so emphatic
ally that no similar attempt at nuliin-
cation of the Constitution ever VIII be
made again"
The straits 10 which Gov. Smith has
been driven. Edgerton said, must be
embarrassing TO say the least" be-
cause they compel him to repudiAte his
platform and force him 10 1.-THE almost
fantastic expedient of throwing the
whole question gack 10 the States on
some sort of slidiag,-scale arrangement
as to alcoholic content" This, he said,
meets the fundamental objections that
the States themselves expressly surren-
deTed this right in approving the
eighteenth amendment, that 1t would
violate the whole intention of the
amendment and that it therefore is
unconstitutional.
Prohibition can be enforced" Edger
ton declared vigorously, IF We put In
charge those WHY wish to enforce it.
When We put prohibition enforcement
In the hands of honest men who be-
lieve In the cause and believe in God
the fight will be won. That is why the
Prohibition party re-enters the field"
Touching on farm relief, Mr.. Edger
ton advocated a trial of the proposed
equalization fee. which, he said. has
been approved by the representative
farm bodies" and passed twice by large
ersss.
He denounced the growth in this
country of IAN invisible government of
big business and interrelated interests"
whose hand has been revealed in the oil
scandal, II the power trust and the de-
feat Of the efforp TO investigate 1t. IN
the injection of false issues in the past
two Democratic campaigns and in the
present dilemma of that party, in the
dehation measures following the war. in
the repeated veto of the Government
operation of Muscle Shoals and lin q
multitude Of other ways all in the in
tereSts Of some special group and OPP
posed to the public good
Af i've third
party is apparent. Mr.. Edgerton said,
6ecrying the present system Of biparti-
san control. and declaring that "of late
years the two major parties have grown
80 much alike that It has become mat
ter Of universal comment"
Universal peace can be realized,
Edgerton declared. only through the
building of 20 new individual and
spiritual psychology In which the war
Eptrit has no part"
Parade to Home.
An old fashioned political parade pre-
eeded the notification ceremony. a
column of automobiles led by the Boys
Band Of the Sons of Jonadab a temper
ance organization, moving from Seven
tenth and x streets at 6 o'clock yes
terday evening TO Fort Lyon by way OF
Highway Bridge and Alexandria, where
more cars joined the procession.
Dr. d. Leigh Colvin Of New York.
chairman Of the national committee of
the party, notified Edgerton OF his
nomination and briefly outlined the his
tory of the prohibition movement.
william r. Varney Of Rockville Gen.
ter. n. Y, presidential candidate of the
Prohibition party, who was notified Of
his nomination August 9, followed Mr..
Edgerton with q stirring appeal to all
friends Of the prohibition law TO awake
10 the crisis confronting them IN this
campaign.
Rev Thomas z. Boorde Of the Temple
Baptist Church of this city was master
Of ceremonies. An invocation gas made
by Or g. E. p. Prugh Of Harrisburg,
Pa. and the benedictionf was delivered
By Canon william S. Chase Of Brooklyn,
n Y
Following the notification ceremonies
et Fort Lyon Mfr Edgerton, Mr.. Varney,
Dr. Coivin and relatives and friends of
the vice presidential candidate returned
TO this city and the notification cere-
mony was repeated for radio listeners