Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-24
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

W VI na1 Denn1Q us It Is possible
toestimate the results so far,
as respects wet versus dry.
The estimate in its bearing upon the
wet versus dry fight and In its bearing
upon the wetness or dryness Of the
next Congress, can only be partial, for
the most important of the States Is
respects this question are yet to hold
their primaries or conventions. MasSa-
chusetts and New York both hold pri-
maries September 16 and New York
has q State convention little later.
In both these States are situations
which, as they come to head, viii de-
In these States Is to be wet. (The
Democratic party in these two States
is already wet)
West Not Over Enthusiastic.
As respects the primaries already
held, the vets have made some con-
crete gainS-yet not enough, so far, to
be more than minor movements In q
conflict that has already been under
amendment went into effect and can
not possibly come to q conclusion for
several years more.
Though the gains OF the vets are
definite and unmistakable, the state Of
mind Of the wet leaders is far short OF
immediate confidence They are less
confident-with respect to making 1890
q turning-point year--than they were
O few months ago. At one time,
shortly after the Literary Digest poll
showed apparently only six States
now dry in sentiment, some OF the wet
leaders expected that the Congress to
be elected in November would be wet.
That was grotesque hope for them at
the time they entertained 1t and they
have now abandoned 1t.
Digest Poll Not Accurate Index.
The Literary Digest poll was correct,
In the sense that 1t was taken accu-
rately and conscientiously- clearly
It was not correct as an index to wet
versus dry political sentiment In the
States. In the final Digest poll every
State except six showed . majority
against prohibition; that Is, majority
made up Of those favoring repeal added
to those favoring modification. To
state 1t another way, only six States
showed majority for continuance OF
the eighteenth amendment and strict
enforcement of 1.-THE six States being
Arkansas, Kansas, North Carolina, Mis-
sissippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
In broad way the Digest poll was
faithful to the general trend That Is,
the States that went dry In the Digest
poll were the States well known to be
strongly dry, as In the list above. And
the States that went strongly wet In
the Digest poll were the ones known by
other evidence to be strongly wet.
But IL was and ig clear that the d.
gest polI on prohibition was not &C.
curate In the sense that previous polls
taken by the same periodical about
Presidential elections were remarkably
accurate. If the Digest poll were ac-
curate In the sense Of being correct
hibition-if the Digest poll were ac-
curate in that sense Gas many vets %
the time thought It was) then the Ss4-
ate and House to be elected In Noveri-
Der would be more than five-sixths wet
as respects the House and fully two
thirds wet as respects the Senate. And
the fact Is nothing even family APP
preaching that, hardly even step to-
ward that, is going to take place. II
the Digest poll were an accurate index
in the political sense, the prohibition
two years-and the hard political fact
Ia that no measurable progress has been
made toward repeal Of the prohibition
amendment.
Poll Raised Wet Hopes Too high.
At the time Of the Literary Digest poll
great masses Of vets, and even some
wet leaders, believed they could win
this November and in the Congress to
be elected this November, victory cor
responding to the Digest poll-that is,
repeal Of the prohibition amendment,
or modification Of It,
At the present time, however, the
now existing state Of mind Of wet
leaders who are well-informed Is sug-
geSted by one who expresses the maxi
mum wet hope for November in the
following words: "This November will
be only skirmish but we vets viii
make enough gains to have bad effect
on dry morale and the impression Of
recession Of prohibition viii be inten-
sified."
This Is q reasonable state Of mind,
and the facts Of this years primaries
justify 1t. The truth, as respects the
prohibition fight in this campaign of
1890 Is that the vets have made some
concrete gains-and yet not such gains
as need give confident hope to the vets,
or dismay the drys.
Wet Advances Impressive, However.
Nevertheless the wet advances are
impressive. The most important Is the
one that occurred In New Jersey. It Is
mot merely that wet, Ambassador
Morrow, won the Republican nomina-
ton for Senator from one Of the coun-
try's outstanding crys, Representative
Fort. The impressive advantages from
the wet. point Of view of their New
Jersey victory are two: First, they have
practically secured the presence, in the
Senate, in the person of Mr.. Morrow, of
man Of the very highest character
who is o wet Mr.. Morrow's known
elevation Of mind and character, his
all-round eminence, are such that even
drys have confidence in him. II the
end Of this wet versus dry fight in the
Nation Is to be, some kind Of compro-
mise and adjustment, and II Mr.. Nor
row remains in the Senate long enough,
he will have q leading part In whatever
Is to be the final status.
The second advantage to the vets In
the New Jersey outcome Is that the
Republican party In that State, having
formerly been dry, Is now formally wet.
That step of the Republican party In
New Jersey to a formal wet position is
probably the largest single battle the
vets have won in the Nation since the
fight began. II 1t should now turn out.
as result Of the September primaries
In New York and Massachusetts,, that
the Republican party In those two
States should 60 wet also-in that event
the vets would be entrenched, In both
phEtkGSs III u SOHO SCEOuBuOio COutal0-
Ing q measurable percentage of the
voting strength and the political power
Of the country.
Ohio Victory Conspicuous.
Next to the nomination Of O Repub-
lican vet In New Jersey and the Re-
publican organization In that State go
Ing formally wet, the other conspicuous
victory OF the vets was the winning Of
the neYn0crakic Senatorial r,rsyvnarw a,
Ohio. Ohio Is the birthplace and home