Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-22
The Political Mill

After prohibition, what? This is
question which must be answered II the
voters OF this country are to act favor
ABLY on the proposal to do away with
national prohibition. 1t is a question
winch the leaders of the Anti-Saloon
League and other dry Organizations are
putting up to the anti-prohibitionists
and 1t Is a question that some of the
outstanding men who have turned away
from the dry cauSe-f they ever were
with it-have attempted to answer.
The drys insist. however, that the
suggestions advanced by these anti-pro-
hioitionists are not sufficiently definite.
Ihey claim, for example, that Dwight
w. Morrow's stand on the LIQUOR uues-
ton, as stated In his first speech in
his primary campaign for the Repub-
ncan senatorial nomination in New
Jersey last Spring, is far too vague.
They do not accord to the more recent
statement of Gov Franklin ID. Roose-
welt of New York credit for being much
more definite than Mr.. Morrow.
Some of the vets. are more interested
Just now with getting rid of prohibition
man they are in what may follow 1t.
But generally speaking the leading
spokesman for the wet cause, like Gov
Al Smith, Roosevelt, Richie, and Nor
row, all insist that there should be no
return OF the Saloon" There is pretty
general agreement, too, that there shall
be return of control of the liquor
traffic TO the State governments and
that the Federal Government is to
nave nothing further to do with con-
trolling that traffic, except to collect
taxes, perhaps, on the liquors which
may De manufactured and sold.
X
How tho 1io,Inr sIoa1I L. .s...
however, brings differences of opinion
among the vets. Some of them would
have the Government of the United
States sell the liquor. Others would
nave the State governments handle the
liquor supply, and still others prefer to
nave liquor sold under strict regulation
by the States, but with private con-
Germs doing the selling. Another ques-
ton that might arise is the manufac-
ture Of alcoholic beverages. Would the
Government, either Federal or State,
control the manufacture as well as the
sale OF liquor and malt beverages and
wine?
Leaders of the Anti-Saloon League
INSIST there Is to be nothing after pro-
hloitlon Tor the simple reason that
prohibition Is here to stay. They say
quite frankly they are glad that the
opponents of prohibition have now TAX
en- TO demanding the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, for the dryS are
confident that the repeal of the prohi-
oltlon amendment to the Constitution
is an impossibility. They do not believe,
and apparently nothing can yet con-
vince them, that there would not be Is
OF the 48 States of the Union which
would reject proposal to amend the
Constitution by doing away with the
eighteenth amendment, or for a re-
vision OF the eighteenth amendment SO
as to hand the control of the LIQUOR
traffic back to the individual States, for
example. Since the Constitution can
be amended only by q three-fourths
vote of all the States, one more than
IL States would always be SUFFICIENT to
block repeal of the eighteenth amen
ment. 1t would be a dangerous stu
alton, however, should the time come
when 35 States of the Union demand a
repeal of the eighteenth amendment
and l3 States should undertake to stand
out against the demand of this over
whelming majority. Just how long the
tail could continue to wag the dog I'M
der such circumstances no one could
foreten. 1t may be presumed, however,
that If the time ever comes when IS
States are favorable to repeal of ma
tional prohibition 1t will be so unpop-
ular in this country that some of the
other States will also yield to popular
opinion and agree to repeal.
The Senate Slush Fund Investigating
Committee and Mrs. Ruth Hanna Nc
Cormick have stopped for the moment
hurting charges at one another. Sem
ator Clarence. C. Dill of Washington, a
member of the Senate committee, now
in Washington, insists, as did Senator
Nye, chairman of the committee, that
neither the committee nor any of its
agents had anything to do with tapping
the telephone wires running to Mrs.
McCormick's home. If the wires were
tapped, and apparently photographs
have been taken to establish the fact,
the tappers were not employed by the
Senate committee. Some of the enemies
of Mrs. Mccormick go so far as to
suggest that she had them tapped her
self so that she might make a case
against the committee. The claim of
Mrs. McCormick's supporters is that the
Senate committee has through its per-
sistence in investigating Mrs. McCor-
mtck's expenditures and activities in
her primary campaign actually made
votes for her in Illinois. That may be
true, but the Senate in the end is
going to pass on the credentials of Mrs
Mccormick, If she be elected Senator.
In view of what has so far been de-
veloped in the Illinois investigation and
in view of what the Senate did to Frank
L. Smith and William S. Ware after
they had been elected to the Senate,
no one can well suppose that Mrs. Nc
Cormlck's entrance into the Senate will
not be challenged. 1t is one thing for
tn haR he
Senate should not undertake to dictate
to the States whom they shall elect as
Senators. 1t Is quite another thing,
however, for the candidates for sena-
torial nominations to win nomination
and possibly election by the expenditure
OF huge sums of money. The Senate |
put Mrs. Mccormick and other candi- |
oates on notice what they might ex-
pect should they transgress the rules |
lald down by the Senate when they |
acted on Ware and Smith. There may |
be some doubt as to the wisdom of |
having the Senate supervise primary
elections in the States. But there can |
be no doubt that the Senate is right |
when 1t says that seats in that body |
shall not be sold to the highest bidder. |
x /
This week will see the Republican |
and Democratic parties of New York |
State write their party platforms and |
nominate their candidates for Cover |
nor. There is Nationwide interest in |
what the platforms may contain and |
also in the gubernatorial nominees.
Governors of New York have in the |
past been drafted as presidential can |
didateS. The Republicans are in the |
midst OF a big row over what their |
platform shall say about national pro- |
nlbltion, as well as the selection of a |
candidate. United States |
Attorney Charles H. Tuttle, who re- |
GENTLY created stir by handing in his