Evening star., 1931-12-04
Raskob QUESTIONABLE Puts
New Force Into Dry Debate

Regardless Of opinions on the subject
of prohibition. the country, views the
QUESTIONABLE from Chairman Jonn ].
Raskob Of the Democratic National
Committee as an exhibition of debat-
able strategy. As the questions were
addressed to contributors to the party
funds in 1928, the point Is raised as to
whether other Democrats should be is-
nored in his action. AS to his sugges-
ton for referendum on prohibition, some
contend that 1t is wet move and
others that it has a neutral quality.
Those who would eliminate the wet-dry
battle from the next campaign view the
Raskob move as unwise.
He probably will learn" according
to the Boston Transcript, what most
of us knew before-that the great
Northern States, which furnished most
of the money in 1928, are wet, espe-
cially in the cities, and that, broadly
speaking, the rural districts of the
United States, particularly in the South,
are more or less dry" That paper adds
that the canvass demonstrates that the
Democratic party bids fair to be split
as badly over prohibition in its national
convention as the Republican"
Quoting Chairman Raskob as "in
favor of giving the people a chance to
vote on the question whether they wish
the eighteenth amendment retained re-
pealed or modified" the Buffalo Eve
ming News concludes that "he goes now
on record as opposing any definite
stand, but merely uring referendum"
and that lin any case the discussion of
prohibition Is q problem primarily of
governmental methods Is making prog
ress, and 1t Is made only more compli-
Gated by attempts to regard 1t as an
issue between parties"
\
Referring to . similar plea from SEN
ator WadsWorth In the Republican
party, the Chattanooga Times con-
cludes: Even the proverbial wayfarer
must understand that neither the pro-
posal OF Senator Wadsworth nor that
Of Chairman Raskob Is for repeal or
modification, but only that the people
be given chance to express themselves
on these matters. And 1t Is difIicult to
understand how q party could commit
fatal blunder' or disrupt and divide
its strength by promising to let the
people vote ON the prohibition question"
The Scranton Times feels that the
questionnaire ought at least to afford
a cross-section Of public opinion as to
the best method of procedure in han
ding the question"
"If 1t seems to start with certain ad-
vantages in favor OF the vets" says the
Baltimore Sun, they are advantages
that are not in any way rigged. but
proceed from the nature of the case, It
would certainly be ridiculous to say
that party seeking to assess public
opinion as means of winning a presi-
Genital fight should ignore or place any
handicap upon the expression of judg-
ment by very active men In very popu-
lous States"
Before prohibition" recalls the DAY.
ton Daily News, Its advocates insisted
that the people be frequently given
opportunity to 60 dry. viii the advo-
Gates now insist that the people have
no opportunity to 60 some other way?"
Commenting on those persons who ap-
parently oppose any official expression
of opinion on prohibition by the people
as q WHOLE" the Louisville Courier
Journal declares: "It Is diflc,ilt TO find
a justification for such a position. If
these dry leaders believe that the sense
of the American people is still to keep
prohibition, then what have they to
fear from an open declaration by the
people Of such a sentiment? If, on the
other hand, they believe that a refer
endum would reveal that O majority of
the American people have decided in
favor Of change Of the prohibition
laws, then do they not put themselves
on untenable ground by opposing
direct vote on the question:"
r y
Observing that an Iowa branch of
the Association Against Prohibition has
been formed, the Bloomington Panta-
graph advises that honest and intelli-
gent drys, CT whom there are millions
in the country, cannot ignore or ridi-
cule the issue on the assumption that it
does not exist" The Milwaukee Senti-
mel takes the position that Mr.. Raskob's
QUESTIONABLE indicates that he believes