Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-29
The Political Mill
By C.. Gould Lincoln.

Walsh Of Montana, who have been
strong supporters Of the prohibition
cause, have stated that If the voters
IN their States declare In q referendum
they wish the eighteenth amendment
repealed or amended they will vote
for resolution in the Senate 10 submit
the proposed constitutional amend
ment to the States for ratification.
! Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas, CO.
author of the eighteenth amendment
has indicated that he would follow suit
| In the event his people made q similar
demand. All of these dry Senators
insist emphatically they have not
bition.- Mr.. Sheppard doubtless believes
| that there Is not the slightest chance
that the people of Texas would vote
wet" Senator Jones has said in his
statement he does not believe the people
! of Washington would agree to the
repeal of the eighteenth amendment
| or its amendment.
**
Nevertheless, these gentlemen have
agreed to vote for a resolution in the
Senate to repeal or amend the prohibi-
ton amendment to the Constitution,
provided their people back home by q
majority vote signify their desire for
such a change. They have, In effect,
promised to vote wet" on a resolution
to amend the Constitution, under cer-
tain circumstances. They talk about
posed amendment to the Constitution
to the States. But the vote on the
Senate resolution Is the only opportu-
nifty they, as Senators, would have to
deal with this amendment When the
eighteenth amendment resolution was
before the Senate, there was no ques-
ton as to whether a Senator was voting
merely for a submission Of this matter
to the States. They were counted as
voting wet" or voting dry"
Whatever may be the situation In
Texas, there seems to be swing to the
wet cause In the Northwest. The Re-
publican State convention held q few
days ago in Bellingham adopted wet
resolutions. That Is Senator Jones own
party. Furthermore, the State is re-
garded as Republican State, although
tt has today one Democratic Senator
and one Democratic member Of the
House. Senator Jones and four mem
bers Of the Mouse from the State are
Republican, and the State has cast It's
electoral vote in presidential elections
for the Republican nominee with great
regularity. 1t Is not beyond the bounds
Of reason to think that q vote on the
liquor question under these circum-
stances might turn out to be wet In the
State of Washington.
\ y
Senator Walsh's home State, Mon
tana, has twice in the last four years
indicated q majority for the wet cause.
In 1925 the State voted for the re-
peal of the State prohibition law. The
vets cast 6S,2S1 votes In that referen-
dunn and the drys, 72.982, giving a wet
az AZ
enforcement of the prohibition laws
again lost by approximately $4,000 votes.
From the record to date, II looks very
much as though Senator Walsh might
ind himself In position where, II he
follows the wishes of his people as ex-
pressed by majority, he will have to
vote for repeal or amendment of the
prohibition amendment. Incidentally,
the Republicans are likely to put up a
wet candidate for the Senate against
Senator Walsh this coming November
when he must stand for reelection.
There has been talk, too, of his being
opposed by q wet candidate in the
Democratic primary for the senatorial
nomination. Bruce Kremer, the Demo-
cratic national committeeman for Mon
tana, has been suggested as a possible
contestant for the nomination. A de-
feat of Senator Walsh would be re-
garded as q distinct misfortune by
many members of the Senate, Republic
can IS well as Democratic, because of
his recognized ability and service.
The momentum Of the wet cause has
increased greatly in the last year.
Eventually the issue will have to be
settled at the polls. It has cut across
both political parties. Further, 1t has
caused a disregard of party lines in
recent elections that Is alarming to
party leaders. The fact that dry Sena-
tors now are stating that they will be
guided by the referendum vote of their
people on this issue is at least q new
phase. 1t has been generally supposed
that any one wishing to retain his po-
littcal position in Congress would be
guided by the wish of his constituents
or would be prepared to transfer his
activities to another field, whatever the
issue coming between him and his peo-
pie. But apparently the vets are giving
the oryS cause for some serious think
ing right now. The Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment is beginning
TO loom in proportions. 1t can command
large funds. This was demonstrated
recently in the Pennsylvania primary
when the association sent into that
State 100000 to aid in the campaign
Of the wet ticket there for Senate ana
gubernatortal nominations.
The drys are waging a desperate
battle In New Jersey today over the
Republican senatorial nomination. They
hope to win with Representative Fort
over the wet Ambassador Dwight w.
Morrow and the wet former Senator
FTelmghuysen. If they do, 1t will be
because the wet support splits between
Morrow and FTelinghuysen and Mr..
Fort slips past the post q winner. New
Jersey has been reckoned q wet State
on o showdown on the prohibition
question. Up in New Jersey there Is a
law which provides that candidates for
nominations may not expend or have
expended for them more than $50 900.
This law makes a vastly different
situation from that which maintained
In the recent Illinois and PENNSYLVANIA
primaries when two of the candidates
for Senator, one in each State, spent
more than a quarter of a million dol
lars out of their own pockets in their
campaigns for the nomination. Doubt
less the Senate sluSh fund committee
will keep its eye on the Jersey primary,
just as it has done in the cases of
Illinois and Pennsylvania.
NJ ~
Up in Massachusetts, the Democrats
are still in the air over nominee for
the Senate this year for the seat now
held by Senator Gillett, Republican
veteran. The big political figure among
the Democrats of the Bay State is
Senator David 1. Walsh. There are
signs that he may in the end be called
up II settle the Veysd question of a