Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-16
The Political Mill
By C.. Could Lincoln.

CHICAGO, H., June 15.-Unless all
signs fail, the ultra drys and their fol-
lowers will have to make up their minds
before long whether they will bring out
an independent dry candidate for Pres
ident or perhaps join the old Prohibi-
! ton party, which Is seeking to raise
| its standard again. They have failed
absolutely to check the wet element
in the Republican national party seek
ing resubmission and revision OF the
eighteenth amendment at the Repub-
lican National Convention.
The Democrats in couple OF weeks
will be on record even more wet
than the G. o. p, perhaps far more
, wet. Temporarily at least, the f1rm
hold which the prohibitionists have had
on the Republican party has been
loosened. Already there Is talk among
the dry leaders gathered here regard
ing the ACCESSIBILITY Of holding con-
ference after the conclusion OF the DEM
'ocratic National Convention Tor the pur-
pose of determining what the dry Or
CARNATIONS shall do about the presi-
dental campaign.
The rush of the vets in Chicago has
been remarkably strong, even though
! the Republican national platform may
leave the ultra vets, like WadsWorth
and Butler Of New York and Bingham
of Connecticut, cold. AS a matter Oh
fact. the Republican platform Is going
considerably further than mere resub-
mission of the eighteenth amendment
leaving the people guessing as &c
whether the elephant stands Tor OF
against national prohibition. 1t looks
to a proposed change in the Consti-
tuition permitting the individual States
to go "wet," but keeping Federal control
to the extent of barring the old saloon
This Federal control over the liquor
traffic in the States is declared by Tor
mer Senator WadsWorth OF New VOTE
to be Federal control to the nth de-
gree" He does not like the idea OF the
members of Congress from Kansas and
New Mexico telling New YORK State
| what it may or may not be in the mat
ter of dispensing liquor. But the fact
that the Republican National Conven-
ton is willing to propose a modification
of the eighteenth amendment Is GER
tainly long step away from bone dry
ness.
The dry organizations have felt
severely the absence from Chicago Of
many of the dry Republican members
of the Senate and House. They have
sought for days for a spokesman of
sufficient caliber to represent them on
the floor of the national convention. II
the Senators and Representatives were
here, then the drys would be in posi-
ton to go to them and demand that
they not only lift up their voices, but
also that they use their influence with
the delegates against any modification
plank But the members of Congress
are in Washington, a long way from
the Windy City. Probably many of
them are well satisfied to be there,
away from the contest over the pro-
hibition plank. This liquor question
has caused a lot of grief for many of
them In the last year or two.
Vice President Curtis, whose right
TO be renominated has been challenged
for days by some of the Republicans
here. has been the victim of a social
lobby. both masculine and feminine.
The feminine lobby, however, has been
the more dangerous and persistent
Mccormick Simms and Mrs. Nicholas
LongWorth a lot of trouble for Mr.
Curtis has been stirred up by the wom-
IN. This does not mean that there have
not been plenty Of men engaged in
trying to stop Charley" Curtis in
his ambition for denomination. Incl
dentally. many Of these men belong to
the wealthy, wet group. They have no
use for Mr.. Curtis, who has been an
ardent dry from Kansas, and some of
them have not had the aid Of the Vice
President in support of their own per-
sonal ambitions
The Vice President has suffered be-
cause OF the dry stand he has main
tanned and the present wet wave. Four
years ago, when the Republican party
was sticking to the dry cause like a
burr to small boys trousers, Mr..
Curtis dryness was considered a great
asset to the national ticket. Today,
however, the G. o. P. leaders are cast
ing anxious eyes toward the populous
wet States Of the East. However. the
drynesS of Mr.. Curtis may be valuable
again this year, with a moist, if not
wet plank, adopted by the national
convention. In the great State of New
York itself there are hundreds Of thou
sands OF supporters of prohibition to-
day, and most of them are Republican
cynical observer, who has much
to do with Republican National Con-
ventions. although not a delegate, dis
cuSsing the vice presidential row, SAYS:
The delegates to Republican National
Conventions have usually been permit
ted free hand for their emotions in
dealing with the planks for women
and children and with the nomination
for Vice President"
The wet cause has had restocking
Leadership during this convention. The
speakers who appeared Tuesday night
before the Resolutions Committee.
headed by Pierre S. du Pont, stepped
out of the social register. Money and
position both were back Of these rep
resentatives of the wet cause Chicago
itself has sought to produce an atmos-
phere reeking with ''wetness" during
the convention period. The city has
held demonstration after demonStra-
ton. parade after parade, to show the
delegates just how much anti-prohibi-
ton sentiment there is. Almost all of
the activities of the drys. in churches
and in less conspicuous gatherings.
have been smothered by the avalanche
OF wet parties of one kind or another
Visitors to the convention have not
found it difficult to obtain alcoholic
contentment if they desired it. But
some of them complain that the prices
they must pay for their favorite bev-
erageS are in excess of what they have
been accustomed to pay farther East
and in Washington.
The administration won out In its
fight against the old guard of the Ma
tlonal Committee over Republican or
ganlzatlon and leadership in the South,
In Georgia. Louisiana and South Caro-
lima Postmaster General Walter Brown
and other administration representa-
tives undertook to bring about a new
deal for the Republican party and they
have succeeded. "Tieless" Joe Tolbert.
fo,. -