The Washington times., 1931-03-06
BITTER PARTY
STRUGGLE
CERTAIN
Opinion Is Divided on Wisdom
. Of Precipitating Battle;
Smiths intentions Puzzle

CONTINUED From Page y
ing humanity imperilIed by the
useless and violent controversy
which the attempt to insert a
wet plank in our national plat
form would precipitate within
our ranks.
"The dissensiOn which occur
red at the meeting of the Demo
cratic National Committee when
RaskOb proposed his wet plank
Is but a feeble fOrerunner of
what will happen II he succeeds
in securing the recommendation
he desires"
Issue Brought Into Open
Thus, the prohibition issue, as
It affects the Democratic party,
was brought squarely into the
open. there to remain until the
national convention next year
makes it's choice of wet or dry
for the presidential campaign of
1882.
The process Of getting it into
the open left some ruffled feel
ings and sore heads among those
who participated in yesterdays
tempestuOus meeting Of the ma
tional committee, but on all sides
today and in all factions there
was apparent a feeling Of relief
that at last the controversy has
been dragged from the darkness
Of suppression and into the light
Of discussion.
Effect Appears Uncertain
From now on, for the next 16
months, Chairman RaSkob'S bold
proposal that the party adopt a
'''home rule" plank on the liquor
question in the 1882 platform
promises to be the principal topic
of conversation in Democratic
circles. It's effect on the party
and it's chances for the Presidency
next year remains to be seen.
In 1923 the Democrats pre-
sented the anomaly Of a dry plat
form and a wet candidate. In
1882 Chairman Raskob and ex-
Gov. AL Smith are determined
that no such paradox will be
offered the voters. They are
confident that next year both
the platform and the candidate
will oppose prohibition, which
they enviSion as probably the out
standing issues of the campaign,
with President Hoover champion
ing the dry side.
RaskOb's Liquor Plan
RaskOb'S proposal, in brief,
does not contemplate the repeal
of the Eighteenth Amendment,
which many regard as impractic-
able if not impossible anyway.
He proposes, rather, to amend
the amendment or to write
totally new one, which will make
the original amendment inappn.
cable to those States which by
referendum decide that they want
to deal with the liquor problem
In their own way.
Thus, dry Kansas could con-
tinue dry, with Federal assistance
in preventing the interstate SNUG
Cling of liquor, while wet New
York or New Jersey could set
up, within their own borders any
form of liquor control they de-
sired. Chairman Raskob de-
Scribed the proposal as home
rule"
The strategy in pushing the
proposal forward at this time is
that it will allow years discus
sion in advance of the 1882 con-
Vention, so that the delegations
to the convention may be chosen
with the full knowledge of what
they are going to be asked to
endorse, and so they may go to
the convention with the public
opinion of their communities
crystallized on the subject.
Hope to Balk Strife
While the Democratic South
may prove irrecOncilable in the
matter, the RaskOb- Smith idea is
that the projection of the fight
at this early date will eliminate
some of the bitterness and the
conflict in the convention proper.
At least, they believe, a good
part Of the fighting will be
staged in the local selection of
delegates and not in the plat
form committee of the conven-
ton.
"sT O1 II