Evening star., 1932-05-23
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

week was not irlpressive-only "a for to
81 against the Tydtngs amendment to
the revenue bill, which would have
legalized 2.75 per cent beer. This vote,
as other votes in the present Congress
on the prohibition issue In one form or
another, has certainly not reflected the
so-called rising wet" tide In this
country. And 1t has made 1t still clear
er that the voters In the States and
congressional districts will have to
elect Senators and Representatives t.
Congress who are ready to take the
anti prohibition side II the drive to re-
prohibition laws Is to be effective. To-
day in the House, the vets will have
another vote on q bill to legalize light
beer, and 1t is expected that the show
ing will be better than that made In
the Senate, largely because Of the big
vote Of the populous wet States in the
House. In the Senate q big wet State
like New York has no more votes than
dry Idaho, for example. The wet lead
ers in the Senate, however, are persis-
tent and gluttons for punishment.
Senator Bingham, the big beer man
from Connecticut. is the author Of an
other beer amendment to the revenue
bill. He hopes to have at least 80 votes
for his proposal, because it is not tied
In with public works program, as was
the Tydings amendment.
Take look at the way in which the
, Senate voted on the Tydings amend
ment. Only Is Of the 48 States were
represented by Senators who voted for
beer. Another State, Ohio, would have
q Senator voting for beer, too, had
State, been able to vote. He was paired,
and so would Minnesota, had Shipstead,
rmer-Laborite. been permitted to
vote. Had all been permitted to vote.
l8 States would have been represented
In the wet column. although only nine
OF these States would have cast two
votes for the beer proposal. Senators
Reed OF Pennsylvania and Noses of
New Hampshire. both Republicans,
voted for Bingham substitute for the
Iydings amendment. increasing the
alcoholic content Of the beer permitted
signify and divorcing the legalization
| OF beer from the public works pro-
gram. They could not, they said, stom-
ach the whole Tydings amendment be-
cause OF the proposed public works
program.
Notwithstanding the showing made
IN the Senate for beer on the Tydings
| amendment. the Senators themselves,
talking privately, insist that the change
IN sentiment for repeal or modification
OF the dry laws of the Nation Is marked,
even in hitherto supposedly strongly
dry States. Furthermore, the ease with
which the Government could gather in
large amount. of revenue from a beer
tax Is making its appeal to the hard
pressed members of Congress now
working on the revenue bill 1t is quite
possible, 1t Is said, that if the Republi-
can and Democratic National Conven-
tions, meeting next month in Chicago.
should both include in their national
platforms planks regarded as wet or
hostile to the dry cause and the Con-
gress remain in session thereafter, a
new attempt to legalize beer and make
1t subject to Federal tax would have
a chance Of favorable action. The SEN
ate would be the highest hurdle for
the beer people to jump. What the
President might do in the way of
vetoing beer bill if it ever got to him
Is still another question.
One vote that was noticeable in the
Senate roll call on the Tydings beer
amendment was that cast by Senator
Samuel Shortridge of California. Mr..
Shortridge voted for the beer amend
ment. He Is up for Reelection this
Fan and he has a wei opponent for
the Republican senatorial nomination.
Notwithstanding the large dry vote in
Southern and Republican California
Senator Shortridge has cast his lot with
the vets. Perhaps the report that Will
liam Gibbs McAdoo, who is seeking the
Democratic senatorial nomination to
iy,cf -.
he will favor referendum on the pro-
hibition issue also had its part in de-
termining the course of Senator Shcrt-
ridge on the beer amendment Senator
Johnson. his colleague, voted against
the beer amendment.
Only 10 States have not so far indi-
Gated in some manner their choice of
delegates to the Democratic national
convention and presidential candidates
Four of these States pick their dele
gates this week. They are Texas and
Delaware tomorrow and Colorado and
Utah on Saturday. Texas Democrats
will instruct their 46 delegates for Car
ner, giving the Speaker a total OF 90
votes in the convention when the A
Of California are added to the Lone
Star States quota. The delegates from
Delaware, Colorado and Utah, total
of 26, are expected to be lined up for
Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Roose-
velt strength has been variously and
OBVIOUSLY estimated. But any way one
looks at it, the chances now appear very
favorable for the New York Governor
to receive more than a majority Of the
delegate votes on the first ballot in the
Democratic national convention. Here
is a list of States and the delegates
they are sending instructed, pledged or
promised in some way to Roosevelt: