Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-12
Politics and Prohibition.

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Unless all signs fail, the prohibition
issue will be desperately fought over again
In the next Democratic National Con-
vention. 1t is becoming increasingly
apparent, too, that the issue of wet and
dry. which has been successfully brushed
aside by the Republicans at national
gatherings since the eighteenth amend
nlent was adopted, is likely to come to
the fore in 1882 when the G. o. P.
delegates meet to pick a presidential
candidate and to draft platform.
The formal announcement of Gov.
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York
that he favors repeal of the eighteenth
amendment and a return of the liquor
reservation that there shall be no more
saloons and that the dry States shall
DO protected from an MNlow of liquor
from the wet States, Gas brought the
prohibition question again into national
Democratic politics. Gov. Roosevelt
has been much discussed in recent
months as the probable candidate of
the Democratic party for President in
1882.
Except in the South, the wet cause
the demand for the repeal of national
prohibition-has fastened itself more
and more securely on the back of the
Democratic party. Practically every
Eastern and Northern Democratic can
didate for important ONCE in the cleo
ton in November is committed to the
alati-prohibition cause. This is true in
Massachusetts,, In Rhode Island, in
Maryland, in Pennsylvania, in Della
ware, in Connecticut, In New Jersey
and In New York. But the wet cause
has reached out farther West and laid
its grip on prominent Democratic
candidates for Office. Stretching across
Pennsylvania, 1t has placed its label on
the Democratic senatorial nominee in
Ohio, Robert j. Buckley, former mem
Der of the House. 1t has leaped to
Illinois, where James Hamilton Lewis
IL battling with Mrs. Ruth Hanna Nc
Cormick, and apparently with so much
success that it has brought Mrs. Nc
Ccrmick TO straddle the issue. In
Oklahoma, usually considered a South
ern as well as Western State, the
Democrats nominated this year for the
Senate former Senator Gore, who had
the support of the vets in the bitter
fight which was waged in that State
over the Democratic senatorial nomina-
ton. These are but instances, however,
In the list of Democratic candidates
who have announced themselves in
favor of prohibition repeal.
Gov. Roosevelt's declaration against
the eighteenth amendment has received
the immediate and delighted approval
Of the present chairman of the Demo-
cratic National Committee, John ]. Ras-
kob. Mr.. Raskob sent q telegram to
Gov. Roosevelt which literally over
flowed with praise because of the atti-
tude assumed by ne Governor. Alfred
z. Smith, the Democratic nominee for
President in 1928, has likewise declared
his qualification. Mr.. Roosevelt's declara-
ton differs little from that of Mr.. Smith
ut the time Of the last presidential
campaign. Mr. Raskob, however, as
serts that the Roosevelt statement
should please even the Democratic
brethren Of the South, that arid area.
He points out that Mr.. Roosevelt plans
10 have the National Government safe
guard all the dry States from importa-
ttons Of liquor, in the event his plan is
followed out. Mr.. Raskob might point
out which Southern States today are
safeguarded by the National Govern
nnent from the importations of liquor,
although the entire country is supposed
to be dry.
The Democrats still nominate their
presidential candidates by the old two
thirds rule. The South has hitherto
been able to impose a veto power, gen.
orally speaking, on the selection of
these candidates. Will the South, stick
ing TO the dry cause, be able to head
Of q wet Democratic nominee for
President two years hence? It failed
to do so in 1928, and the pressure for
q wet candidate will be even stronger
II 1909.
With hitherto dry districts in Wash
tngton and Michigan nominating wet
Republican candidates for the House
and indications that the Republican
leaders in New York and Illinois, not
to mention New Jersey and Massa-
chusetts, are swinging more and more
to the wet side Of the prohibition ques-
ton, the dry grip on the @. o. P. APP
pears to be faltering, at least for the
moment. The next two years are likely
TO be momentous in the history of pro-
hibition in this country. President
Hoover's Commission on Law Enforce
ment has still to submit its final report
on national prohibition.
1t Is frankly admitted by Sir Thomas
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