Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-29
The Political Mill
BY C. Could Lincoln.

Dy We OOutG LbSOHNs
The prohibition issue, which has been
in eclipse for the last 10 days or more,
due to the fact that the row between
Senator Norris of Nebraska and other
Progressive Republican Senators, on the
one hand and Robert H. Lucas, director
of the Republican National Committee;
Representative Will Wood, chairman of
the Republican Congressional Commit
tee, and other regulars" on the other,
has held the spotlight, is likely to bob
up again within a short time. The
Wickersham Commission, as President
Hoover's Commission on Law Observ-
ance and Enforcement, has come to be
called, is expected to hand its report
to the Chief Executive within another
two weeks. BY the Chief Executive, the
report and such recommendations as 1t
makes are expected to be forwarded
to the Congress.
X x y
The report of the commission in all
probability will be made an occasion
for another outburst over the wet and
dry question, with both sides to the
issue firing broadsides The issue still
cuts sharply across both political par
ties. The vets, however, seem to have
the bulge in the Democratic organiza-
ton. while the Republicans, If Chair
man Fess of the Republican National
Committee is to be credited with sizing
up the situation, must support the
eighteenth amendment. All kinds of
speculations have been published con-
corning the probable character of the
report of the Wickersham Commission.
Some of them have asserted that the
commission would recommend some
kind of modification-and that the
Hoover administration would seize on
the report as a pretext for getting
away from the ultra-dry side of the
question. Still other reports insist that
the commission will recommend another
five or ten year period of experimental
ton with national prohibition before
any change is suggested The truth Of
the matter is that the commissioners
have been particularly close-mouthed in
regard to their report.
X X X
The liquor question holds as many
pitfalls for the Republican party, it
seems, as does the Water-poWer issue,
raised in particular by the Progressives,
including Senator Norris of Nebraska,
Senator Couzens of Michigan and Gov
elect Clifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania.
The Progressive Republicans themselve
are not unit at all on the liquor ques-
ton. For example, here is Senator Norris
declaring himself friend of prohibi-
ton, and Brookhart of Iowa, Borah of
Idaho and Pinchot also on the dry side,
while Blaine and La Toilette of Wis
consin and CouzenS of Michigan are
against prohibition as now practiced
and favor beer. at least, as a substitute
for national aridity.
X x x X
The vets do not intend, if they can
h
merged in any row between the regular
and irregular Republicans. 1t is true
that if the. Republicans fall out among
themselves, 1882 may bring the election
of a Democrat for President. And the
Democrat is likely to be against the
continuance of the eighteenth amend
ment. 1t would not be a surprise, there
fore, if the Association Against the Pro-
hibition Amendment and its officers
should prod the Republicans when they
find it convenient, to keep them flying
at each others throats The association
has many Republican members and
many Of them wealthy in its ranks.
But it also has had with it John j.
RaSkob, chairman of the Democratic
man of the Republican National Com
mittee is Senator Simeon D. Fess of
Ohio who has been member of yari-
GUS boards of dry organizations.
+ X
Senator Norris of Nebraska, having
turned thumbs down on the proposal of
Prof John Dewey of Columbia Univer-
sity for the establishment of new
liberal political party with himself at
its head, has nevertheless left it an open
question as to what he will do if Presi-
dent Hoover is renominated by the Re-
publicans in 1882. Senator Norris has not
said he will leap the political fence
once more and vote for the Democratic
nominee, unless he happened to be
Owen D. Young or some other Democrat
whom Norris would consider friendly to
the water-power trust. Supposing that
Gov. Franklin d. Roosevelt of New York
were the Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent, Senator Norris might seek to carry
Nebraska for him-and he might sue
coed. There would be no religious issue
raised such as was raised against Sena-
tor Norris candidate for President in
1928, Alfred e. Smith. Senator Norris
denies fatty that he is committed to
the candidacy of Gov. Roosevelt.
Just where the rest of the Republican
ProgreSSiveS in the Senate would wind
up in a contest between President Hoo
yer and Gov. Roosevelt remains to be
seen. All of them, with the exception
of Blaine of Wisconsin, followed Hoover
in 1928 and opposed Smith. Howell of
Nebraska has remained a consistent
though a Progressive Republican. Would
he vote for the Democratic nominee for
President against Mr.. Hoover? Mr..
Howell was for many years member
Of the Republican National Committee.
And Mr.. Borah, would he get out and
stump for Gov. Roosevelt against Mr..
Hoover? Brookhart Of Iowa has already
indicated that he is off the Democrats.
They are not active enough to suit him
not like the wetness of Gov Roosevelt
any more than he did the wetneSS Of
Gov. Smith in 1928.
Senator Norris, incidentally, did quite
a bit to boost the presidential boom for
Gov. Roosevelt when he declared his
admiration for him. Even though Nor
ris said that he did not agree with Gov.
Roosevelt on the prohibition question,
he indicated that he considered the
water power issue the paramount issue
in the country today and said that he
considered Roosevelt right on that
issue. X
Another row between the Senate and
the Chief Executive looms, should the
Senate undertake to vote reconsider
alton of its approval of the nominations
of the three members of the Federal
Power Commission who recently 'let
out" Secretary Bonner and two other
principal employees of the old Water
Power Commission. The Senate, hav-
ing ratified these nominations, the Pres
ident was formally notified of the &C
ton and issued commissions to the