Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Voters In IL States next Tuesday will
find themselves Immediately involved in
the prohibition question on q State
wide scale. This Is regarded here as
the election fact having most to do with
the politics of the future and with the
presidential campaign Of 1882. The
Democrats next Tuesday are expected
to gain certain seats in. the Senate and
certain numerous seats in the House Of
Representatives on the basis principally
of the present business depression.
These seats they might we'll lose two
years from now with a return of pros
perity On the other hand, the struggle
Of next Tuesday over the prohibition
question in virtually one-quarter Of the
States Of the Union promises to protract
itself without fail into the national
party political battles Of the next presi-
Dental year.
The States in which prohibition Is this
year again a Statewide political con-
tentious subject are scattered through
all regions Of the country except the
solid South and the strictly Prairie
Northwest.
They are also, for the most part,
States which are politically doubtful and
debatable as between the two parties.
They accordingly thus have an impor-
lance exceeding even their actual total
Of presidential electoral votes. They
are prizes which either party may
stretch its principles in 1882 to gain.
They are therefore the central objects
Of professional political observation from
the National Capital today.
In Massachusetts, the voters on a
referendum will sustain or repeal the
Statewide local prohibition enforce
ment act. This referendum is not a
straw vote" 1t has legal binding effect.
The betting, right or wrong, is that
the vets will win it, II they do, the
penalties now imposed by the State of
Massachusetts, upon the manufacture
and transportation of Intoxicating
beverages will automatically disappear
In that degree Massachusetts will Join
the five other StateS-New York, Mary
land, Wisconsin, Nevada and Montana
which today have no Statewide pro-
hibition enforcement laws
In Illinois next Tuesday the voters
will face q three pronged prohibition
referendum ballot. The first prong asks
them If they want to repeal the eigh-
tenth amendment. The second in
quires as to whether or not they want
to amend the Volstead law in such a
way as to let Illinois and not the Fed
the word Intoxicating" The third de-
mands if they desire to repeal the ILL.,
nois prohibition enforcement statute
This referendum has no actually bind
ing effect upon the State Legislature,
but 1t is supposed to have a persuasive
effect in the manner illustrated last
year in Wisconsin.
A Wisconsin referendum on State en-
forcement went wet last year and
| the Wisconsin Legislature thereupon
promptly succumbed to the referendum
and threw the State enforcement law
| out of the Wisconsin statute books
This precedent Is relied upon by the
Illinois vets. They have ALREADY. 1t Is
true, carried two referendums in nli-
| nois-one in 1922 and one in 1926
without converting the Illinois dry
Legislature to their views but they
think that three times will put the drys
out and give them now the State prohi-
bition enforcement repeater. which they
seek
Such a victory in Illinois, along with
similar victory, If it happens, In Mas
| sachusetts, would give the vets seven
States which would have repudiated al
share in the enforcement of the eigh-
tenth amendment; and these State:
| have a total of lib presidential electoral
votes out of grand total of 53l votes
in the presidential electoral college.
In Illinois, and also in Rhode Island
the Republican party State organiza-
ton has committed itself to the rum
referendum idea. Ruth Hanna McCor-
mick, Republican senatorial nominee
in Illinois, dry, has engaged to abide
| by the Illinois rum referendum re-
suits.
In Rhode Island the referendum inquiry
this year is simply snappily as follows
THE eighteenth amendment-shan II
be retained?" Senator j. H. Metcalf
Republican. striving to keep his Rhode
Island seat in the Senate against the
onslaught of ex-senator P. G. Gerry
Democrat and wet, seems to think that
the Rhode Island voters will say that
the eighteenth amendment should not
-not-be retained. He has gone over
to the wet cause
In Massachusetts the Republican
senatorial candidate, w. M. Butler, re.
mains dry and may win but. according
to the professional political gamblers
may not. If he fails, the push thai
sent him down will be from the Re-
publican wet deserters, who have gone
over to the Democratic wet senatorial
candidate, M. A. Coolidge.
In Connecticut the Democrats used
their State platform for a straight
drive into eighteenth amendment repea
and the Republicans contrived to gel
themselves photographed in a posture
Of diving without actually hitting
their heads on the verbal repeal wave
In New York and New Jersey, botf
parties adopted entirely saturated wei
repeal planks. and in New York the
Democratic candidate for Governor, F
D. Roosevelt, who is wetter than his
Republican rival, G. H. Tuttle. seems
likely to beat him, while in New Jersey
a senatorial contest once thought hope.
full for the Democrats has seemingly
been assured to the Republicans through