Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-17
Raskob Under Fire Again.

,
dry Democrat, is the latest of the
Southern members of that party to
sound a call for the political scalp OF
Chairman John j. Raskob Of the Demo-
cratic National Committee. The North
Carolina Senator dubs the national
chairman Alfred E. Smiths "monu-
mental mistake" and at the same time
refers to Gov. Smith as our great can
didate for President in 1928" 1t hap
pens that, despite the wetness Of Gov.
Smith and his declaration Immediately
following his nomination by the Demo-
cratic National Convention that he
would do all he could to bring about
some liberalization Of the national pro-
hibition laws, the dry Senator Morrison
gave his support to the candidacy OF
Gov. Smith. In 1928, apparently, Sen
ator Morrison believed quite firmly that
a wet Democrat was preferable for
President TO a dry Republican. In all
proba bility, Senator Morrison would
take the same view of the matter If
his party puts up wet candidate for
President in 1882 All of which tends
rather to break the force Of the argu-
ment advanced now by Senator Nor
rison that the Democrats must turn
their backs upon the wet faction in the
party and eliminate Chairman Raskob.
The North Carolina Senator would be
in a more consistent position now If he
had, like Senator Simmons, opposed
Gov. Smith, when as nominee he an
nounced his personal platform on the
wet and dry issue. His attempt now to
distinguish between Gov. Smith and
Gov. Smiths selection for the chair
nanship of the Democratic National
Committee, his praise for the first and
censure of the latter leave feeling that
perhaps Senator MorriSon's convictions
are not so strong, after all. Further
more, the wet Democrats will quite nat
urally say, eff the Senator from North
Carolina was able to support a wet can
didate for President In 1928, he can do
so again in 1882"
The argument of Senator Morrison Is
to the effect that the nomination OF a
wet Democratic candidate for President
next year will spell ruin for the Demo-
cratic party. 1t is quite true he has not
gone so far as to say that he will bolt
the party candidate If he be wet. But
while Senator Morrison and other dry
Democrats from the South are shouting
from the housetops that dry Demo-
crat must be named for President next
year, there are others in his party, and
some Of them from the South, who are
asking quite pertinently how the DEM
ocratic party could hope to carry States
Like New York, New Jersey, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
and Ohio, not to mention a number OF
others. if they put up dry as their
standard bearer.
Notwithstanding the demands Of
some of the dry Democrats today that
their party stick to the dry cause; not
withstanding their Nominations against
Chairman Raskob, it does not appear
probable that the dry Democrats will
! A>NAAASS@ ~
Is nominated for President in 1882.
The Southern Democratic leaders have
slipped the cup Of bitterness which was
passed TO those who left the party in
1928, among them Senator Simmons of
North Carolina, Senator Hefin of Ala
bama and Tom Love of Texas. The
Democrats, after all, are out to win
the national election next year. They
are figuring that if the G. o. P. nomi-
mates a dry for President the prohibit
ton issue will cut deeply into the Re-
publican ranks In New York. New Jer-
sey, Illinois and other States which
must be carried by the Republicans If
they are TO elect President. If the
Democrats decline TO place in the field
a candidate favoring revision Of the
national prohibition laws, the chances
are, they fear, that these big Repub-
lican States will prefer TO stick to the
dry Republican candidate than to 60
over 70 a dry Democrat.