Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-19
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

Should Dwight w. Morrow be nomi-
mated and elected Senator from New
Jersey, does he then become the Al
smith Of the Republican party? Does
he become the wet hope Of those mem
bers Of the @. O. p. who have failed TO
subscribe to the tenets Of national pro-
hibition? And did Mr.. Morrow. by an
nouncing to the people Of New Jersey
and to the rest Of the country that he
favored turning back to the States
regulation Of the liquor traffic and tax
ing the Federal Government OF the job,
make It impossible for himself ever to
be seriously considered Is . presidential
nominee by the Republicans?
Mr.. Morrow, In very mastery way,
set forth the doctrine which Al Smith
advanced when he was q candidate for
the presidency on the Democratic ticket
In 1928. Now the Republicans fell upon
Al Smith and his wet platform and
smothered them in an avalanche of
votes two years ago. How can the Re-
publican party In the short space of four
or eight years turn to o wet Republic
can for its standard bearer? It Is quite
true that there have been hundreds of
thousands, probably millions of voters,
In the @. o. p. who have been opposed
to national prohibition and who agree
Of Democrats who sided with Gov.
Smith on this liquor question. But can
the party to this fiipfiop from support of
the drys' cause-which has come to
mean national prohibition and nothing
else-to the States rights proposition
advanced by the Ambassador to Mexico
In such Q mastery way? 1t IS more
than doubtful, although the vets in the
Republican ranks have been greatly
heartened by the declaration Of Mr..
Morrow and regard him as the Moses
tional prohibition-if there Is such
thing.
On the wet issue Mr.. Morrow might
be able to command now the support
Of the delegations to the Republican
national convention of 10 States, New
York and Pennsylvania included. But
there are 80 other States. It Is pos
sible that sentiment in regard to the
eighteenth amendment may switch m
the new few years to such q point
that Mr.. Morrow's doctrine will be &C
ceptable to q considerable number Of
Mr.. Morrow by his frank announcement
UP In Jersey may have put himself
into 0 strategic position for the presi-
Dental nomination - providing, OF
course, that Mr.. Morrow would like
to have such nomination. He has
abandoned business and turned to pub
lie service, or rather the service of the
public, so 1t is to be presumed that
he would not be averse to the White
other hand, II the prohibition wave
does not recede, he has eliminated him
self probably from consideration by his
party for the nomination for Chief
Executive.
There Is not the slightest doubt that
Mr.. Morrow's statement In regard TO
national prohibition has greatly
heartened the vets. It has had Q
profound effect upon them for two
reasons. First, because he has set forth
his stand In clear and understand
able manner and with force and rea-
soning that have made the proposition
more appealing. Secondly, Mr.. Morrow
has in recent years grown In stature
as public man until he has become
an outstanding figure. He has never
before made any public statement IN
regard to the prohibition issue and his
decision In the matter was watched for
with great eagerness. In Pennsylvania,
New York, Massachusetts,, as well as In
New Jersey, his declaration against
having the Federal Government con-
tinue In the business Of prohibiting
the American people from obtaining
and using alcoholic beverages has made
deep impression.
A comparison of certain sections Of
the speech made by Mr.. Morrow with
parts of the speech Of acceptance made
by Gov. Smith In 1928 shows q paral-
lei OF ideas. though not In identic words.
Gov. Smith said:
II personally believe in an amend
ment In the eighteenth amendment
which would give to each individual
State, only after approval by ref
erendum popular vote Of Its people, the
right wholly within it's own borders TO
import, manufacture and sell alcoholic
beverages, the sale to be made only by
the State itself and not for consump-
ton in any public place.
There Is no question here Of the
return Of the saloon. When stated
that the saloon Is and ought to be
defunct institution in this country I
meant It,"
Referring to the principles Of Thomas
continued:
'"They knew that in rural and sparse
~ settled districts people would develop
different desires and customs from
those in densely populated sections and
that If we were to be a nation united
on truly national matters, there had to
be q differentiation in local laws to
allow for different local habits"
Mr.. Morrow said:
present difficulty is to recognize clearly
the fundamental between the nature OF
the Federal Government and the State
government believe this involves o
repeal Of the eighteenth amendment
and the substitution therefor Of an
amendment which will restore to the
States the power to determine their
policy toward the liquor trafic, and
vest In the Federal Government power
sistance to those States that desire
complete prohibition against invasion
from the States that do not"
Further along in his address Mr..
Morrow said:
"The saloon must not come back"
Mr.. Morrow is silent on the proposal
of GOV. Smith that alcoholic beverages
shall be sold only by the State. That
is a matter which Mr.. Morrow appar-
states along with the decision as to
whether there should be any sale OF
alcoholic beverages within It's borders.
But otherwise the proposals to meet
the situation which has arisen over
prohibition are very similar.
+ X
The drys In New Jersey and through
out the Nation, who wish no change In
the eighteenth amendment, quite nat
urally are anxious that Mr.. Morrow
should not now become Senator OF
the United States and o further poten.
tial tower of strength against the con-
tinuance Of national prohibition. They
- e,rrvHorf RaproeAnta tive