Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-15

Chairman John J. RaSkob's letter to
national committeeman of the Demo-
cratic party asking for opinions as to
the issue Of prohibition in the next
campaign and outlining his own theory
of State control has tended toward
confusion, according to press discus
, sion. As the issue is before both
parties, tendency appears in favor
| OF waiting until the convention is pre-
pared to act. Some comments uphold
the chairman as taking a courageous
attitude in the hope of thraShing out
differences.
There can be no objection to what
Mr.. Raskob is doing" according to the
Richmond News-Leader, provided. Of
course, his conclusions are presente
to the Platform Committee as a recon-
mendation and not as mandate.
From the vigor of the opposition to a
practical, sensible method of foruu-
lat1ng party opinion, one must suspect
that some of Mr.. Raskohs critics are
more fearful of his findings than OF
his methods. They begin to suspect
that majority of the National Com
mittee are for modification of the
eighteenth amendment"
Referring to the reaction of various
Democratic leaders, the CHATTANOOGA
Times thinks their attitude with re-
gard to prohibition is of a kind with
that of the ostrich when he thinks to
conceal himself by hiding his head =
That paper concludes that prohibition
is political issue in the Nation and
in the Democratic party and it cannot
be avoided in either" 1t is declared by
the Times that "the attitude of the
very men who insist that prohibition
Is not political issue is itself proof
that 1t is such an issue.
X
Mr.. Raskobs modification plan i'm
presses the Scranton Times as the way
in which HE believes the will OF the
people in the various sections would be
recognized" while the Cincinnati Times
Star suggests that 'RaSkob is aSSailed
for rushing in where angels and poll
ticians fear to tread" and that "in pre-
Stunning to say anything between presi-
dental elections except that the other
party is all wrong, he has violated a
precedent, however quaint the prece-
dent may be-" The Providence Journal
contends that he offers his fellow COM
mittee members a chance to present any
issues they have in mind for the gen.
eral consideration of the committee and
out of this potpourri may come some
valuable results"
by and large" in the opinion of the
Nashville Tennessean, Mr.. Raskob is
SOAACNt III lllS SId1lO bIIdO JIl6 party InuSL
stand for something" The Philadelphia
Public Ledger states that Mr.. Raskob
apparently feels that since the Demo-
cratic party is hopelessly divided over
prohibition, it would be better to face
the issue squarely, even at the risk of
alternating several States, than to at
tempt to Straddle' it,
Committeeman Greenhouse of Indiana
who is secretary of the National Com
i1 81 h. IT.
Star as complimenting the frank and
fearless manner of the chairman" but
as preferring to leave the declaration
of policies and issues to the Democratic
State and National Conventions" The
Star adds: THE HooSier leader admires
frankneSS in the abstract and con-
structive leadership on the part Of the
national chairman, but personally does
not propose to get ahead of the process
sion until certain in which direction 1t
is going. He could not be more cautious
and non-committal If he were running
for Office
"The roar about prohibition project
ment in the ehairman's proposed plat
form for the National Convention" says
the Charlotte Observer, seems to have
drowned out some of the economic
aims of the chairman and party men
tor, for he outlined program that is
likely to develop considerable discus
sion, and 1t is likely to emphasize criti-
cism of RaSkob on the score of telling
the party what It must do. Sig
nificantly Chairman Raskob incor-
porates Senator Morrison's idea in one
of his two ways in which the next
election may be won by the Demo-
Gratis One way. he says, is through
the public voting-not for the Demo-
cratic party, but against the Republic
can party as a protest against its con-
duct of affairs of Government. If the
Democratic party is interested only in,
winning one election, it might be argued
with a great deal of force that we
should avoid or Straddle all contro-
versial issues and resort to every ex-
pediency to gain votes, not through
courageous leadefship on our own part,
but through promoting. dissatisfaction
with the Republican partyain every con-
ceivable way Standing by the princi-
pies of the Democratic party and max
ing war on Republican failures of the
past and present administrations. is
the policy advocated by Morriso4 When