Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-26
Grasping at Straws.

NervouSly the politicians are seeking
to learn how public opinion is reacting
to the Wickersham report on national
prohibition. Nothing has happened
since national prohibition became the
Nations law which has focused the
limelight on the prohibition issue to
the same extent as the commission
report; not even the nomination of AL
fred E. Smith as a wet Democratic
| candidate for President in 1928. It is
obvious that both Republicans and
Democrats are apprehensive over the
effect of the prohibition issue in the COM
ing national campaign. Both fear serious
splits in their party ranks due to pro-
hibition, and there are political leaders
en- both sides who would be greatly
gratified if the whole matter could be
shelved SO that their parties would not
have to take stand on the issue.
These politicians, the leaders who
seek to sidestep the wet and dry issue
are grasping at straws in their efforts
to find a plan to remove prohibition from
the field 70 politics in the 1882 campaign
One of the suggestions now put forward
is that there should be a national
referendum, a resubmission Of the
eighteenth amendment to the people OF
the States, during the present calendar
year. This, it is maintained by those
who favor the plan, would give a clear
indication of what the country really
wants. 1t might and it might not, de-
pending upon the form in which the
question was put to the States. The
proposal contemplateS the adoptiofS Of
resolution by Congress submitting 9
proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton to the States, with the understand
ing that the people of the States will
elect delegates to constitutional con-
ventions to vote on the suggested
amendment.
One difdculty facing such . submis-
sion Of the question to the people Is
the comparatively brief time in which
to adopt the plan and erect the ma
chinery for carrying it into effect. An
ether is found in the reluctance Of
many of the dry leaders to join In the
plan. Its opponents hold that they
now have the constitutional amend
ment which they desire and that there
is no reason why they should place 1t
in jeopardy. Still third objection Is
found among the vets, who believe that
the pendulum Is swinging rapidly
against national prohibition, but that
the time has not yet arrived to put the
issue to the test.
So the politicians who would like to
have this indication of public opinion
manifested through another vote on
the constitutional amendment are not
likely to have their wish. They must
determine for themselves whether they
are to back the dry horse or the wet
| In the coming national campaign.
Some Of the Democrats, even the wet
test Of them, are fearful that Their
party is becoming too widely known az
the champion of the wet cause, and q
champion that makes the wet cause
paramount to all other issues. They
too, are soft-pedaling at present the
wet and dry issue. They have in the
backs of their heads that the country
after all is more interested in food thar
in drink, that it is more interested If
jobs and a measure of prosperity thar
in the freedom to purchase alcoholic
beverages. The party which paints or
its standard beer mug and adopts Il
as its device may at times feel rathel
like apologizing for it.