The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-07-28
THE DEMOCRATIC LIQUOR
PLANK ~.

"The shortest platform ever put out
by national party" boasts the chair
man of the Resolutions Committee of
the Democratic National Convention.
Perhaps it is.
But it might have been shorter still.
! 1t might have contained but one
plank, for it has but one plank that in
terested the convention which adopted
/ it or that will interest the country.
That is the liquor plank.
In this plank the Democratic party
goes all the way. 1t is not only wet,
it is sopping wet, it is wringing wet,
it is the last, ultimate, nth degree of
wetness.
1t "favors the repeal of the 18th
| Amendment" and it wants it, done
RIGHT NOW. 1t demands that the
Congress IMMEDIATELY propose a
constitutional amendment" to effect
such repeal.
But it does not want to wait until
the amendment has been repealed to
get it's liquor. It demands "IMME-
! DATE modification of the Volstead
| act to legalize the manufacture and
sale of beer and other beverages of
such alcoholic content as is permissi-
BILE under the Constitution" That is
! to say it demands that something
that is not legal now be made legal
right away.
But the convention did not content
itself with merely declaring that the
Democratic party is wet. 1t declared
that all Democrats must be wet. Not
in set terms to be sure. But by every
implication and by the declarations
of the leaders of the party again and
again emphasized and repeated dur
ing the debate upon the platform.
"You are making belief in repeal Of
the 18th Amendment a test of party
loyalty" protested Senator Hull. "You
bet we are" answered Governor Al
Smith. at has never been done be-
FORE" walled the Senator. ut is be-
ing done now," shouted the trium-
phing Governor. And the vast crowd
that packed the Chicago stadium in
gleeful anticipation of this moment
booed the Senator till the walls bulged
and cheered the Governor until the
roof lifted. And thus party whose
slogan is personal liberty writes a
platform which closes the door to per-
sonal liberty.
So that point is settled. No man or
woman can be a Democrat in good
standing anywhere in the forty-eight
States of this grand and glorious Re-
public from this time forth unless he
or she is for immediate repeal of the
18th Amendment and for immediate
modification of the Volstead act to
permit the manufacture Of beer and
other alcoholic beverages. How does
that sound in the SO states that were
dry by their own action before the
18th Amendment was adopted? How
does it set with Democratic congress
men who have made campaign after
campaign as supporters of the 18th
Amendment? How does it accord with
the sentiment of voters in the Old
South who four years ago broke away
from all the political traditions of
their section rather than support a
candidate for President who then de-
clared that he was for repeal of the
18th Amendment?
In his speech before the convention
Tuesday night Jouette Shouse de-
clared that for four years he and
Chairman Raskob had been pressing
steadily toward the goal which was
now within their sight-to make the
Democratic party the party of re-
peal. He certainly was entitled to
his chortle of jubilation. He had won
his fight. 1t was his hour of triumph.
He, with the help of Mr.. Raskob, had
brought the Democratic party to the
point where it was willing to stake
all it's chances of victory, perhaps to
stake it's very existence, on fight for
BEER!
And now what will the country
have to say about it. For it is the
country that has the last word. The
tumult and the shouting of the con-
vention will soon die away and be for
gotten. Out in the country men and
women will have time to think and
quiet in which to think. What will
they say? Will they give their adher-
ence to a party whose responsible
leaders openly boast that for four
years they have bent all their ener-
gies to bring about the result that
was achieved at Chicago?
Here are some of the questions the
leaders of the Democratic party will
have frequent occasion to ask them
selves during the coming four months.
A GOOD COMMUNITY HOBBY
L