Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-16
Massachusetts, Votes Today.

MasSachusettS votes To-Day,
The wet and dry issue, which seems
to be cropping up more and more to
ernbarrass the Republicans this year, Is
the main issue In the Republican sena-
torial primary in Massachusetts, today.
The G. o. P. in the Bay state is to
determine whether it prefers for its
senatorial candidate this Fall william
M. Butler, who has declared for the
eighteenth amendment and for strict
enforcement of the dry laws, or Eben
S Draper, running on a wet platform.
Although no exact measure is available
to determine how many wet Republicans
and how many dry are in Massachu-
sets today. it has become kind of
tradition that the Republican party
there is SIS per cent dry and 35 per cent
wet. No one knows exactly just what
the wet sentiment amounts to. Mr..
Draper is undertaking TO measure it.
There are other factors in the Repub-
lican senatorial primary. Mr.. Butler
has been a party leader for years ORA
per belongs to the younger element and
will receive the support Of many of the
Younger voters, regardless Of the liquor
question. Mr.. Butler, when he was Re-
publican national chairman in 1924,
ansered the followers Of the late SEN
ator Lodge because, it is generally re-
ported. Senator Lodge was given the
cold shoulder at the Cleveland conven-
ton in that year at the suggestion of
Mr.. Butler. Draper was in the World
war and served overseas. His appeal Is
to many of the veterans.
Butler is running on platform OF
better business for Massachusetts,. He
has proposed an amendment to the
Constitution which would limit workers
TO an eight-hour day. Draper, his OPP
ponent. would tinker with the Constitll-
ton also by repeating the eighteenth
amendment. He laughs at the Butler
proposal regarding an eight-hour day,
insisting that it could never be written
into the Constitution. Butler ridicules
the suggestion that the eighteenth
amendment can be repealed as pro-
posed by Draper. But. notwithstanding
these other issues. the liquor question is
paramount in the senatorial campaign
on the Republican side.
The Democrats in Massachusetts, have
issue. 1t is true that there are dry
Democrats in the State, but they are
distinctly in the minority. Those who
are loyal to prohibition have an OPP
portunity to register their preference
for the dry laws today by voting for
former Gov Eugene N. Foss, who is
running as an adherent to prohibition.
Gov. Foss has no chance at all, not
withstandins the fact that there is
big field Of candidates for the Demo-
cratic senatorial nomination and the
candidates are making the fur ny. The
Democrats Will nominate for the Senate
the wringing- wet former Representative
O'Connell, or the equally wet Thomas
j. O'Brien, or Marcus A. Coolidge, who
has declared for "a per cent alcoholic
beverages and a modification of the dry
laws.
But If the Democrats have COMPARE
lively little trouble over the prohibition
issue in Massachusetts,, they have
plenty of other troubles. There are
more ambitious Democrats in the Bay
State than in any other similar area
Of the United States. The Boston
Democracy is accused by the out-State
Democracy Of seeking to hog" all the
big ofhces. The Boston Democrats say
they cast most Of the votes when cleo
ton day rolls round and are entitled
to the big offces. Within Boston itself
however, there are cliques among the
Democrats. Mayor James F. Curley, one
Of the most ambitious Of the lot on the
Democratic side is accused Of seeking
to bring about the defeat Of Demo-
cratic gubernatorial candidate this year
so that he may have the nomination
for Governor himself two years hence.
And so It gees The Democrats in
Massachusetts, are used TO warfare, how
ever, and their votes At the polls con-
tinue to grow in size Many cities and
towns which were formerly Republican,
lying near Boston. have swung to the
Democratic column. The Democrats are
infltrsting fast in old Republican terri
tory.