Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-04
DRYS TO DISCUSS
! REFERENDUM PLAN
Majority Favor Proposal to
Submit Question of
Repeal to States. sN
BY MARK SULLIVAN.


From the mass Of proposals about
prohibition just emerging in Congress
and out, there Is one that is concrete
and imminent. The leaders of dry or
CARNATIONS now arriving in Washington
for formal conference beginning next
Monday will discuss as their principal
business proposal to submit the ques-
ton Of the repeal of the eighteenth
amendment to the 48 States at an early
date.
This proposal engages the attention
Of dry leaders more than any other one.
They are not agreed about it, but de-
ctded majority favors it. The sugges-
ton was heatedly discussed at informal
conferences of dry leaders held in New
York and Washington two weeks ago.
In the informal canvassing of opinion,
the principal opposition came from the
spokesmen of the Anti-Saloon League.
Nearly all the other leaders OF other
dry organizations favored the move, and
it is certain those in favor will be
majority in next weeks conference. OF
the three religious UNCONVENTIONAL
groups represented, Baptist, Methodist
and Presbyterian, two favored the pro-
posal Practically all the non-religious
organizations favored 1t. The stand
pat" attitude of the Anti-Saloon League
on that occasion was largely response
bic for feeling that it would be wise
for the drys in general to have broad
er base of representation and leader
ship than the Anti-Saloon League.
Special Convention Asked.
The specific proposal is that there
should be submitted to the AZ States as
early as possible the direct and simple
question of repeating the eighteenth
amendment. The State conventions
chosen for this purpose would have no
other business. The delegates to these
conventions would be chosen in cleo
tions in which no other candidates run
for any offices. The aim of these two
provisions of the proposal is that the
question of prohibition should be passed
upon in an atmosphere confined to that
question alone, not complicated by other
political questions or other aspects of
the personalities of candidates.
One of the advantages claimed for
the proposal as a whole is that it will
make a start toward taking prohibition
out of politics by having the voters and
the States pass upon it as separate,
detached question.
1t is certain this proposal will be
introduced in Congress under impress
sive dry sponsorship. Even If the
Anti-Saloon League at the conference
next week should oppose the proposal,
IT will be introduced nevertheless. 1t
reflects the determined intention of dry
leaders who are important in Congress,
but not associated with the Anti-Saloon
League. These other dry leaders are
not disposed to override the Anti
Saloon leaders, and will try earnestly
to persuade them.
1t is possible the Anti-Saloon League
ut the conference next week may assent |
to the submission of the proposal in |
hill =
the idea in the recent informal and |
private conferences, it has not con-
demned the suggestion publicly or
formally. 1t is true the league has |
been in the past always opposed to !
anything in the nature of referendum. |
Just this week an affiliate Of the league |
has publicly repudiated the idea of |
referendum of sort differing from the |
one here described.
Leadership Questioned.
Secretary Cherrington of the World |
League Against Alcoholism declared on |
wednesday that If the eighteenth |
amendment is submitted to popular
referendum, "the temperance forces of |
the country will insist that every other |
article and section of the whole Con- |
stitution be subject to popular refer J
enda." 1t can be said with certainty !,
that Secretary Cherrington in his in |
elusive phrase, "the temperance forces |
OF the country" claims a broader fran /
chise than many leaders of the tenn |
perance forces" concede.
The fact which has emerged since |
the recent election is that majority of |
the active dry leaders who participated |
IN recent informal conferences uues- |
ton the leadership of the Anti-Saloon |
League because of precisely the attitude |
illustrated by Secretary Cherrington's |
threat. These. so to speak, lay and |
amateur temperance leaders. think the |
Anti-Saloon leaders are showing an un- |
reasonable recalcintrancy such as may |
lose some public sympathy for the whole |
dry cause.
The net is that next weeks confer |
ence of dry leaders will discuss the pro- |
posal for formal submission of repeal |
OF the eighteenth amendment to the |
States as described above. The proposal |
will almost certainly be adopted 1t is |
possible the Anti-Saloon League leaders |
may submit to the majority, composed |
of other dry leaders. Whether that |
happens or not, the proposal will be in !
PRODUCED in Congress by the most inn |
portant dry leadership in that body. |
The wet leadership in Congress, con- |
siSting of an informal committee, will |
be asked to agree. The reaction of the !
vets and of public opinion generally will |
constitute the one concrete important |
step about prohibition now in sight. |
How the 48 States would divide is, Of |
course, vital speculation.