Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
'BULKLEY VOTE STEP
TO WET DEMOCRACY
Ohio Nominee for Senate Inn.
portant for Prestige and
Leadership.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

| by MARK SULLIVAN.
! fundamental aspect of last weeks
primaries is symbolized in the nominal
ton for the Senate by the Ohio Demo-
Gratis of Robert ]. Buckley. This nomi-
nation is outstanding because it is a
step in the direction of wetness by De-
mocracy in Ohio and because the ag-
| gregate OF such steps in other States
has taken the Democratic party in the
Nation farther in the wet direction than
i Is commonly realized, and. farther than
would have eTen believed possible
! year ago.
The nomination of Buckley also is
important because of the nominees per-
sonaI elevation of ability and experience.
II Buckley should win the senatorial
election In November, he would be
denntte addition to the stature of the
Senate. Nomination by the vets of a
man OF this type, If followed by his
election, would mean more than the nu-
merical addition of one to the wet
strength In the Senate. Because of his
standing and personality, Buckley
among the Democrats would give to the
vets IN the Senate prestige and lead
erShip comparable in some degree to
that which Ambassador Morrow of New
Jersey gives to the Republican vets.
support primarily Wet.
Buckley in his campaign for nomina-
ton was supported by some drys or
peutralS, and will again be supported
by some OF them in the election, not
primarily on account of his wetness,
but because, as the Youngstown Vindi-
Gator put 1t, he would bring to the
/ Senate the large ability and dignity
which Ohio used to consider indispens-
able IN It's statesmen. He is the
candidate Of the thinking Democrats of
Ohio who wish to see their State again
send its best men to the Senate"
some II years ago, Buckley served
two terms In the House. Although then
new member and only a little over
so years old, he had an important part
in writing the Federal Reserve legisla-
ton. He Is graduate of Harvard Col
lege and of the Harvard Law School
and Is distinctly leading citizen of
Cleveland
In last weeks race Buckley ran in
held OF five, of whom the other four
were drys. Buckley got twice as many
votes as his leading opponent, who was
veteran Democratic politician. Al
though the Ohio Democrats in. the same
primary last week nominated a dry for
Governor, nevertheless Democratic ma
tional leaders recognize that the nomi-
nation OF Buckley as wet for the SEN
ate Is step by the Democrats in the
direction of favoring repeal of the
eighteenth amendment.
Wetness of Nominees.
To summarize the steps taken by the
Democrats in the Nation toward the
wet position, it can be said that outside
the South substantially all the nomi-
nations made by Democrats to run for
Senate seats now held by Republican
dryS have been or will be wet The
Democrats have nominated& Buckley in
Ohio. They have nominated the wet
ex-senator Gilbert H Hitchcock to run
against the dry Republican Norris in
Nebraska. In Illinois they have nomi-
mated wet ex-senator James Hamilton
Lewis to run for the seat now held by
dry Republican Charles s. Deneen. The
Democrats have made a wet nomination
in Pennsylvania, although in that State.
Of course, they have practically no
chance to win. Even in Oklahoma,
Democrats have nominated the wet ex-
Senator Thomas p. Gore to run against
dry Republican Senator William B.
Pine.
In addition to wet nominations for
the Senate already made, the Democrats
will almost certainly nominate vets in
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and Della
ware. Success by even half Of these
wet Democratic nominees would be a
considerable addition to wet strength In
the Senate, although the wet strength
would still be less than Is out Of
total of 96.
. Regardless Of success in November
these nominations constitute a decided
step by the Democrats in the Nation
away from. the dry position and in the
wet direction In addition to the nomi-
nations here cited, the Democratic State
Convention in Washington State has
adopted a wet platform. Though there
are several important exceptions 1t can
almost be said that the Democratic Or
ganization has become or is becoming
wet in practically all the country except
the South. ANY summary of steps taken
by the Democrats in the wet direction
should, of course, include the fact that