Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Next week, on Thursday, the 5th Of
March, the National Committee Of the
Democratic party will meet in Washing
ton on call by its chairman, Mr.. John
]. Raskob, in order, as he has stated It,
ITO discuss plans and policies to govern
our activities during the next IS
months"
This viii be perhaps the most impor-
tant event in national politics between
now and the assembling Of the national
conventions Of the two parties In the
Summer of next year.
Two main topics will arise for debate
at next Thursdays meeting. The first
is prohibition. The second Is an eco
nomic reform program.
On prohibition the issue Is whether
or not the next platform of the Demo-
cratic party should contain q plank
denouncing prohibition or, at any rate,
denouncing alleged prohibition evils and
demanding some sort Of prohibition
change. It Is to be clearly understood
that this issue has to do with the plat
form and not with the wetness or dry
ness of the next Democratic presiden-
tial nominee. The SouthernerS and
Westerners in the Democratic party
who are vigorously and vociferously OPP
posing Mr.. Raskobs surfnised intention
Of trying TO commit the Democratic
National Committee to an anti-prohibi-
ton avowal are, for the most part
quite reconciled to the possibility that
their next presidential nominee may be
In his personal views and in his per-
sonal policies altogether wet.
That Is, while they think that Q wet
plank would split their party, they do
not think that wet candidate would
split it, and they do not think that
the solid South would bolt & wet can
didate.
On this point, Senator McKellar Of
Tennessee has stated to this writer:
THE other day in the Senate said
that the next Democratic platform
should contain certain principles and
policies. which / listed under 80 heads.
The thirteenth Of these was, No po-
litical party can endure by fiouting any
law, and, accordingly, we favor the
strict enforcement of all laws and con-
stitutional provisions The twentieth
Of them was, We are opposed to the
return Of the open saloon If on top
Of such declarations the Democratic
party should nominate as its presiden-
tial candidate q man OF personally wet
convictions, 1t would not In any way
bind our candidates for other ofhces to
a following of those convictions. In
such circumstances, as long as the
platform was for law enforcement and
against the return of the open saloon,
do not believe that any Southern
Democratic State would bolt the party"
kk
Similar opinions are voiced in private
conversation by almost all Southern
statesmen, who have been INTERCEPTED
kT14 he 70 pFnCc
Gallery. The Southern delegations in
the Congress are alarmed by the pros
pect not so much Of a wet candidate as
of q whole party committed formally to
wetneSS.
They argue that neither party, as a
party, has to date committed itself
either to Federal prohibition or against
it. They argue that Federal prohibition
was not brought to pass by party decla-
, rations and that no effort should be
made to cause it to pass out by party
declarations. They contend that the
Democratic party should continue, as in
the past, to favor simply law enforce
ment and should allow Federal prohibit
ton, as also in the past, to get worked
out to solution through the individual
views and votes Of individual members
Of the Senate and of the House OF Rep
reSentatives.
On the other hand, Mr.. Jouett Shouse,
chairman Of the Executive Committee
Of the Democratic National COMMITTEES,
and close friend Of Mr.. Raskob'S, has
| said:
It do not hesitate to express the hope
that my party In its next national plat
form may face the vexed problem OF
| prohibition with courage and without
| equivocation. It Is idle to suggest that
prohibition is not political question.
Only through political action can its
correction be had. A straightforward
recognition of prevailing prohibition
| conditions and an honest effort to cor
rect them constitute perhaps the fore
most duty of good citizenship that con-
fronts America today"
-
Mr.. Shouse, when q member of the
| House Of Representatives, voted to sub
| nit the eighteenth amendment to the
| States. He did this because he felt that
| the sentiment for Federal prohibition
was strong enough to deserve an oppor-
| tunity to express itself in the direction
| Of constitutional change. He today
| thinks that the present sentiment
against Federal prohibition Is similarly
| strong enough to deserve an opportunity
to express itself in the direction OF con-
stitutional counterchange. He feels so
strongly on the subject that he would
| like to see his party committed to q
| project for enacting that opportunity.
The chances seem to be that next
Thursdays meeting will result, for the
Democrats in some clarifying but in no
completing of the conflict thus raised
among them. It is widely held, however,
that even e. little clarifying of opposing
contentious viii be Of benefit to the
party mind.
~ -
In the field Of economics the contest
i between what might Ra called the