Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-06
The Persistent Mr.. Raskob.


Democratic National Committee is no
gutter. When he set himself to the
task Of placing his party on record In
its next national platform for his "home
rule plan" Of dealing with the liquor
traffic, he knew that his proposal would
raise q rlmpus. But that failed to
deter him at the meeting OF the Ma
tional Committee, called by the chair
man to discuss party policies, which
was held q few weeks ago In Washing
ton. He went through with his rec
concentration, so far as its submission
to the committee was concerned, all
though he did agree not to press
for action at that time. Now he has
written letters to the members of the
National Committee calling upon them
to get behind the home rule plan. {"
He has also called upon the members
to send their individual recommended
tions to the chairman, particularly with
reference to national prohibition.
The Democratic chairman is forcing
the fighting. He will be roundly criti-
cized by those members Of his party
who are seeking above all things Har-
mony with big III" The Democrats
who feel sure they can win the next
national election will not applaud his
insistence upon bringing up a topic
which so sharply divides the Democrats
themselves. At the time of the meet
ing Of the National Committee Mr.. Ras-
kcb was charged by Senator Robinson
Of Arkansas. Democratic leader Of the
SenRte, with having needleSsly precipi-
tated crisis" for the party. The view
Of Senator Robinson Is the view Of q
great majority Of the Democratic
members of Congress, who see a chance
fer national victory at the polls next
year and do not wish to do anything
that will lessen that chance.
Mr.. Raskob. however, insists that It
is up to the Democratic party to take
q stand for "principle"-th home rule
principle with regard to liquor. Only
by making q fight for principle, Mr..
Raskob says, can the Democratic party
hope to be strong enough with the
people to win again and again at the
polls.
If the Democratic party is interested
in winning only one election, it might
be argued with a great deal of force"
says Mr.. RaSkob in his letter to the
committee members, that we should
avoid or straddle all controversial is
sues and resort to every expediency to
gain votes, not through courageous
leadership on our part, but through
promoting dissatisfaction with the Re-
publican party in every conceivable
way"
The dry Democrats, on the other
hand, say that Mr.. RaSkob apparently
can see only one issue, prohibition, and
that his fight for principle" ignores
their own ideas of what Is right.
The appeal Of the chairman to his
committee members and to the whole
party through them is for an adjust
ment Of the serious division between
the dry Democrats Of the South and
the wet Democrats of the North. But
he wants the matter adjusted so that
1t will please the liberal element of the
North to which he belongs. Mr.. Ras-
kob insists that his home rule plan"
does not call for the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, but merely for
the adoption Of another constitutional
amendment which would give individ-
ual States the right to determine
whether they wish to continue bone dry
or to permit trafic in alcoholic bever-
ages. But that seems to be merest
subterfuge. Anything that disturbs
the present scheme of national prohi-
bition, that permits any State to take
over the control Of liquor traffic and
authorize the manufacture and sale Of
alcoholic beverages, is in effect a re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment.
Mr.. Raskob has asked all of the COM
mittee members to send him letters ap-
proving the home rule plan" or sub
hitting other recommendations by Sep
TENDER. 1t is presumed that later In
the FAN or Winter he will call the COM
mittee together and demand that it
take some action on his plan. When
that happens. the committee members
should prepare for 9 long stay in Wash
ington. where the meeting is expected to
be held.
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Baltimore reduced the price OF milk