Evening star., 1932-01-08
.RASkOB PROPOSAL
MAY AVERT FIGHT
Dry Democrats May Find
Way to Peace by Letting
Plan Go to Convention.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

The Democratic drys have not yet had
onnortlInity to confer with each other as
to what they will do about John j. RaS-
kobs prohibition proposal. Mr.. Raskop S
effort is to find some common grouno
upon which both the wet and dry eie-
ments in our party can unite: me
question, therefore, is whether the oryS
will be willing to stand on 1t:
The next development VIII occur oat-
urday. Mr.. Raskob will present ms
recommendation to the meeting mere VI
the Democratic National Committee,
consisting of two representatives from
each of the 48 States ana touL ue
tendencies. Thereupon some friend OF
Chairman Raskob will move that the
recommendation be referred to the Demo
cratic National Convention in June Tor
the Iatter's information and CONSIDER
alton" Such a resolution thus phraseu
would be satisfactory to Mr.. RasKop. II
need not be repugnant to the drys, De-
cause it does not commit the party 10
ANYTHING. Presumably, therefore, IL Is
a possibility such a resolution may De
adopted Saturday without explosive
commotion.
Truce Is Possible.
IF the Democratic drys are as eager
to avoid controversy and as Wiling 10
conciliate as Mr.. Raskob Is. TINS Sug-
gested program may readily be followed.
If, on the other hand, the orys are
disposed to be stiff -necked, some one
of them probably will move that Mr.
Raskob's resolution be Iald on tne
table" That would be snub to Mr..
Raskob, but it would keep the whole
matter within customary parliamentary
procedure.
In short, it is certainly possible, and
perhaps likely, that Mr.. Raskob's pro-
posal may not provoke anything sensa-
tionaI Saturday Thereafter the whole
matter will await the Democratic Ma
tional Convention in June. The pres
ent intention of the dry Democratic
leaders. so far as they have conferred
with each other, is to oppose Mr.. Ras-
kob's recommendation In June, but de-
cidedly not to split the party on it.
Mr.. Raskob, in the position he now
holds, has undoubtedly taken q step
in the direction of conciliation. The
national chairman says, and undoubt-
edly believes, he has not changed his
position since his first expression Of
it startled the Democratic National
Committee last March 5. Newspaper
men and others who have followed the
situation closely, are, however, quite
certain Mr.. Raskob, perhaps uncon-
sciously, has modified his position very
materially in the direction Of concili-
ating the drys.
Change In Position Seen.
The wet Democratic Baltimore Sun,
not speaking in spirit Of complaint, says
in both it's news an deditorial columns
that Mr.. Raskob has changed his posi-
ton Ito mollify the dry leaders from
the South" The record bears this out.
In March Mr.. Raskob said: MY rec
ommendation is that the Demo-
cratic party advocate" plan in which
control over liquor be given wholly to
the States Mr.. Raskobs present posi-
ton, however, he states as follows:
The plank I suggest provides
referendum which will give the
people the opportunity to vote directly
on whether they want the eighteenth
amendment retained ="
The difference between Mr.. Raskob's
position in March and his position now
is the difference between advocating a
specific wet step and advocating merely
referendum on the same step. The
difference, politically, is very great
Dry Democratic Senators and Repre-
cNAICoOLfCo wiz SOulI1 L1OL 1uIl OIl u pIdG-
form calling for change of the eight
eenth amendment can with compare
tive comfort run on platform calling
merely for a referendum on the pro-
posed change.
Offers Drys Chance.
So far as Democratic drys are willing
to be conciliatory for the sake of party
solidarity, Mr. Raskob's present position
offers them platform plank upon
which presumably they can stand if a
majority of the convention adopts it.
Presumably a dry Democrat running
for Congress or other Office would not
be regarded as fatally a hereto if the
platform merely calls for referendum.
1t may be the drys in the June Demo-
cratic convention, after voting against
Mr.. RaSkob'S proposal and after being
beaten, would accept 1t as the will of
the majority. The desire and expecta-
ton OF party victory Is great CO.
hesiVe.
The prevailing wish of an immense
ma jority of Democratic leaders, Office
holders and party workers is to avoid
a controversy on prohibition and to
make the campaign on economic issues
with prohibition as far as possible in
the background.
Tie Democratic drys, of course, have
no illusion about Mr.. Raskobs ultimate
intention. AS one of them puts it, "he
intends to make the party wet, but he
has concluded TO give it to us in homeo-
pathic doses" To the same effect is
a triumphant quip in the wet Demo-
cratic Baltimore Sun. 1t says Mr.. Ras-
kob, after his plan is ultimately sue
cessful, will label it Painless Puncture
of Prohibition"