Evening star., 1932-07-22

Efforts bv members of both parties to
bring the LIQUOR question to vote in
Congress in the last DAYS of its session
have become the subject of warm de-
bate throughout the country With
Senator Bingham Of Connecticut. Re-
publican. proposing changes in the VOL
stead law. and Senator Glass Of Viz
ginia, Democrat. introducing a measure
looking 10 repeal of the eighteenth
amendment, it Is generally felt that. In
view of the wet planks of both party
platforms. the moves were entirely po-
litical in character. with view to plac-
ing the members of Congress on record
for campaign purposes Some opinion
upholds the slow process Of constitu-
tional change.
The Bingham measure attached as a
rider to the home loan bank bill. is de-
clared by the Lexington Leader RE
publican) to raise the question of viola
ton of the Constitution. and that paper
feels that neither Republicans nor
Democrats have any intention of modi-
tying the Volstead act at this time" 1t
contends that members of neither
party believe that the party platforms
make 1t incumbent upon them to vote
against their convictions" The Rutland
Herald independent Republican, feels
that the serious problem Of govern
ment known as national prohibition
ought not to be sniped at" as 1t calls
for the heaviest artillery at the COM
mand of both sides" and is convinced
that the only way to settle it is for
Congress to adopt resolution repeal
ing the eighteenth amendment. and for
that resolution to be ratified or repu-
dated by the people of the several States
through conventions called for the pur-
pose"
Since no form OF submission or re-
peal or change of any kind will be sub
mitted TO the States until the new Con-
greSs is elected and meets" says the
Roanoke World-News CDemocraticD.
there will be ample time for full and
free discussion Of the form that refer
endum is to take" The World News
gives the analysis of the Glass propos-
al: 1T does three things. 1t repealS
the present eighteenth amendment and
substitutes a new one. 1t provides in
that new one that nowhere in the
United States or its dependencies may
any alcoholic beverages sbe sold to be
drunk on the premises. thus imposing a
direct constitutional barrier to the re-
turn Of the saloon and making the
SUcdkthSN dS HULL VA Oil Ou'io" 40 ~
is at present. 1t gives constitutional
authority and pledges the efforts OF the
Federal Government to protect dry
States from their wet neighbors."
The fact is" thinks the youngstown
Vindicator independent Democratic),
prohibition is so deeply imbedded in
the Constitution that it is going to take
more than a vote of Congress to get it
out" The Oakland Tribune CRepub-
lican), however. finds that ''the attempt
to pass the legalized beer bill in Con-
gress was decidedly embarraSSin for
members there could not approve the
measure without reversing their attitude
as expressed during the same session"
The Tribune adds: Democrats. voting
1t down. had to turn their backs on the
plank in their platform, II is long
road l,s.Ween a Chicago convention hall
and the Democratic majority in Con-
gress.''
Contention that the Bingham meas
ure should not have been attached
made by the Topeka Daily Capital IRE
publicanl and the Oshkosh Daily North
western Republican,. The charge that
Senator Glass. by advocating the elimi-
nation OF the saloon, is not in harmony
with the platform of his own party is
made by several papers. The Boston
Transcript independent Republican,,
comments: THE crux Of the situation
is the doubt in the minds of many
whether prohibition of the saloon should
be embodied In another constitutional
amendment or the States themselves
should outlaw the institution through
their own action. The school who be-
lieves that IT, old-fashioned saloon can