Evening star., 1932-12-01
The Picture Remains Unchanged

lie OIy ltdQClo Nbl AiNNS -
ington next week, presumably to poo
their suggestions as to policy IN con-
nection with the forthcoming figh
over repeal or modification of the 18th
amendment and efforts to legalize beer
perhaps wine, pending constitutions
change. Their strategy remains to bs
decided then. In advance OF theil
decision, it becomes more evident thar
ever that their soundest strategy fol
the time being is to sit tight and, like
Br'er Rabbit, to say nothin'.
For the House leadership, unless the
signs fail completely, has deliberately
chosen the most difficult route toward
repeating the 18th amendment, and
unless other signs have also changed
are taking a route that almost to
certainty promises prolonged delay In
reaching that objective.
Leaving aside here the remarkable
aspects Of cutting of debate on ar
amendment to the Constitution in
manner that comes close to agreeing
by unanimous consent to amend the
Constitution, and leaving aside the fact
that the House leadership is willing te
risk its prestige-if even for a short
time-by such a stern test as has been
devised for next Monday. the most in
teresting part of the matter lies in the
choice by House leaders Of the amend
ment itself. That amendment, accord
ing to published reports, takes this
form:
The 18th article Of amendment is
hereby repealed.
This article shall be imperative un-
less it shall have been ratified as an
amendment to the Constitution by
conventions in three-fourths of the sew
eral States within seven years from the
date of its submission to the States by
Congress.
That amendment may deserve the
praise it has been given as gem OF
succinctness. 1t possesses the merits
Of not being capable of misinterpreta-
ton.
But in speaking Of just such pro-
posal in the Senate last July, on the
closing day of the session, a prominent
Senator had this to say:
I am as sure as that I am standing
here that SO of the 48 States will never
ratify proposed amendment that does
nothing more than provide for the re-
peal of the eighteenth amendment.
Therefore, think We have got to be
practical about it and that any other
course than using some such words as
those employed by the Senator from
Virginia tSenator Glass, author OF the
resolution for an amendment designed
to prevent the return of the saloon)
$ would result in nothing but pest
poning, delaying endlessly the repeal
of the eighteenth amendment.
SpeakeasieS may be bad, butt saloons,
open saloons, regulated and controlled,
where liquor is sold publicly, drunk on
the premises, where those who engage
ia the business participate in politics
and sometimes join hands in corrupting
American pontics-do not forget for a
moment that the American people have
not lost that kind of picture OF the
saloon. It is folly; 1t means no repeal
Of the eighteenth amendment If we
attempt to 60 before the American
people on q proposition merely Of fiat
repeal.
The Senator so speaking was Senator
walsh of Massachusetts,, one of the
leading Democratic vets in Congress
Said another Senator:
I want to warn those gentlemen who
now think they are in the majority anc
seem disposed to tolerate nothing but
their method of submitting this ques.
tion that the divergence Of opinion
which has manifested itself here in the
Senate this day should convince any
one of the difficulty of submitting th'
question at all. Certainly it is goint
to be impossible to submit it unles.
some regard is paid to those OF US Wht
despise the saloon ;, system: VINO re
member not only all its intemperanc'
but its profanity, its vulgarity and 1t!
attempt to seize and exercise politica
authority.
The Senator SO speaking was Senate
Glass, leading and respected and in
Auential member Of his party and {
personal and political dry.
And when Senator Wagner, autho
Of naked repeal proposal similar Il
the House proposal, suggested that tn
women Of the State of New York ar
confident that public opinion will pre-
vent the return of the loon, Senate
Walsh asked him: What promise cal
the Senator give the women OF Ney
York that in five years from now tn
Legislature will not permit 1t? Their
Is no promise, there is no provision
there is nothing in the Constitution
we have only flat repeal"
Thus, and by authoritative and abb
spokesmen. has the House proposs
been condemned in advance as tn
amendment which invites the return {
the saloon. Thus have most effectiv
weapons been placed in the hands of tn
drys. And up to this time, no man ha
been able to explain how, except by Sen
ator Wagner's reliance on public opin
ion." the Democratic party can at on
and the same time sponsor the propose
House amendment and fulfill Demo
cratic platform pledges against th
return Of the saloon and guarantee pre-
lection OF the cry states against tf
net States.
Since the debate In the Senate mer
toned above there has been a nations
election. Its result. has been interpret<
Is a mandate for repeal Of the eighteent
amendment. It could as well be inte
preted ss mandate forbidding Il
return Of the saloon. The election d
not change the picture as Senat,
walsh Of Massachusetts, saw it or
Senator Glass Of Virginia saw It,
the House on Monday favors by tw
thirds of its membership the amen'
mcnt to be jammed through by
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