Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12
McAdoo, Insurgent.

McAdoo, Insurgent.
William Gibbs McAdoo, former Secre-
tary of the Treasury and son-tn-law
of the late President woodrow Wilson,
will have nothing to do with the
Raskob home rule plan" for the control
of the liquor traffic. That was to be
expected. This memory of the Madison
Square Garden convention Of the Demo-
cratic party in 1924, with Mr.. McAdoo
cast in the stellar role for the ardent
drys, is still a vivid one. But Mr..
McAdoo his declined to serve on a
reception committee of Democrats in
Los Angeles to welcome Jouett Shouse,
the chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committees Executive Commit
tee, giving as his reason opposition to
the Raskob recommendations.
Mr.. Shouse has painstakingly ex-
planned that his trip through the West
is not to sell the Raskob recommended
tons, including the home rule plan."
He has said that he is making the
tour In the interest Of the Democratic
party. However, Mr.. Shouse is the
choice of Mr.. Raskob for the executive
head of the Democratic organization
now functioning with headquarters in
Washington. In the opinion of Mr..
NIcAdoo it is not possible for Mr..
Shouse to disassociate himself from
the ideas and recommendations of his
chief, Mr.. Raskob, even If he wishes
TO do so. So Mr.. McAdoo will have
none of Mr.. Shouse.
The destination of Mr.. McAdoo 10
serve on the Shouse Reception Com
mittee IS just another indication of the
cleavage in the party over the wet and
dry question. Mr.. McAdoo does not
intend, if he can help it, to have the
great West subscribe to the home
rule plan" or anything else which
would upset national prohibition. 1t
is his contention that if the Demo-
lcrats will tackle the unemployment
problem ntslligently they may win
the national election next year. If
the party makes prohibition the ma jor
issue Of the campaign, taking the wet
side, Mr.. McAdoo looks for certain
and disastrous defeat. There are a
lot of other Democrats who take the
same view as Mr.. McAdoo. But they
90 not make much of hit with the
wet Democrats of New York, New Jer-
sey, Massachusetts, and Illinois, for
example.
1t Is a matter Of public interest,
however, when Mr.. McAdoo breaks
definitely with the Democratic national
organization to the extent of declining
70 serve on a committee picked to re-
ceive the executive director. Whether
it is prophetic Of an attempt on the
part Of Mr.. McAdco TO take an active
If not a leading part in party affairs
again does not now appear. Certainly
at the time Of the 1928 Democratic Ma
tioral Convention Mr.. McAdoo was
about as dead politically as he could
well be. His failure to win the nomi-
nation in 1924, coupled with the deter
mination of majority Of the Demo-
Gratis to nominate his arch opponent,
Al Smith, brought his political fortunes
to low ebb in 1928. Is he TO lead a
revolt now in the West against the
Smith Raskob- Shouse leadership Ct the
Democratic party?
Mr.. Shouse, taking the position that
he is representative Of an organization
which is working for all Democrats, has
declined to enter upcn a controversy
With MFR. McAdoo. He has heaped few
ashes on Mr.. McAdoos head, however,
calling attention to the fact that in the
1924 convention as a Democrat from
Kansas he had supported the candidacy
Of Mr.. McAdoo for the presidential
nomination
OYe 1d,,. ~ "a that NAV he claim or