Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-26
wst,Dry Fight in the East.

| threatening dry control OF the great
populous Republican area which lies
between the Atlantic Ocean on the East
and the Mississippi River on the West
and between Canada on the North and
the Mason and Dixon line on the South.
This may in part explain the last ditch
fight which the dry organization lead
ers in New York are now planning If
the Republican State convention adopts
plank in the party platform calling
for repeal of the eighteenth amend
ment.
It is quite true, as the dry leaders
will argue, that New York, New Jersey
and several of the other States in this
territory have been wet in sentiment
for a long time and that the present
swing is merely what might be expected.
But Notwithstanding this existence OF
wet sentiment in the past the drys have
been able to impose their will on the
Republican organizations in these States.
Their grip has weakened, apparently.
The wet Republicans In New York to-
day prefer to take their chances with
wet platform and a wet candidate in
the coming gubernatorial election,
rather than to continue to go along
with the drys. This may mean sure
defeat for the Republican nominee, II
the ardent drys place in the field an
independent Republican dry for gov
ernor.
If dispatches from New York are cor
rect, the Republican State Convention
today will adopt repeater plank in
It's platform. Further, it will norni-
nate Charles II. Tuttle, United States
attorney, who has declared for the re-
peal of the eighteenth amendment, as
the Republican candidate for Governor.
And that, 30 far as the Republican or
ganization of the state is concerned,
spells defeat for the drys. They may
succeed, it is true, in bringing about
the victory of Gov. Franklin D. Roose-
welt, who is to be the Democratic can
didate to succeed himself, by the expe-
dent of splitting the Republican vote
with dry independent candidate. But,
after all, that is mere defeatist pro-
gram which Is scarcely calculated to
win over the Republicans generally
again TO support Of the dry cause in
New York.
It is no news that New Jersey has
leaned strongly to the wet side Of the
prohibition issue in the past. The
state has had wet Republican 6ena-
tors as well as wet Democratic Senators
in recent years. But majority Of the
members of the House delegation from
New Jersey have been dry in the past.
But this year. when Dwight w. Morrow,
In his campaign for the Republican
senatorial nomination in New Jersey,
announced his approval Of the repeal Of
the eighteenth amendment and later
won the nomination over the dry
Franklin Fort by tremendous major
ity, the state Republican organization
went all the way over and adopted
repeater plank in the party platform.
New Jersey set the pace for the New
York Republicans. In Connecticut, al
though the Republicans nominated
dry for Governor, they adopted q
moist platform. Pennsylvania Re-
publicans nominated the dry Clifford
Pinchot for Governor, but 1t was in a
three cornered race with the wet Mr..
Phillips and the moist" Mr.. Brown,
and Gov. Pinchot's victory was plu-
rality victory, not q majority. Farther
north, in Massachusetts,, the wet Re-
publicans polled for their candidate for
Senator Eben S. Draper, only 1900
less votes than did the dry Republicans
for william M. Butler.
Moving farther West, it Is found that
| the Republican organization in Illinois
is pledged to support repeal Of the
eighteenth amendment If the State
votes for such repeal In q referendum
to be held in November. Michigan Re
publicans In q primary cor :st went
strongly for the wet SenatcN Couzens
and against the dry Chase s. Osborn,
and in Wisconsin both the candidates
for the Republican nomination for
Governor came out wet. The winner,
| Phillip La Toilette, declared more
strongly for repeal than did his OPP
ponent, Gov. Kohler.
Evidences are at hand that the wet
sentiment among the Republicans in
Vermont and New Hampshire is on
the gain, although Maine Republicans
have remained steadfast In their sup
| port Of the dry laws. In Ohio and In
diane. the O. o. p. clings also to the
dry cause.
Under the circumstances it 10 not
strange that the dry organizations are
fighting today with their backs to the
wall TO stall on wet control Of the Re-
publican organization in the Empire
State. They have long ago lost their
grip on the Democratic organizations
in this great territory of the North
and East. If they ever had such a grip.
These populous States not only have
large votes in the national party con-
ventions which nominate for President
and Vice President, but they also have
large votes In Congress.