Evening star., 1932-06-30

HEARD RDFREQUENTLY
Maryland Governor Regarded
as LikelieSt Choice for
Vice President.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
CHICAGO, June 30.-Victory sweeter
than the selection OF presidential can
didate came to the Raskob- -Shouse-S Smith
wing Of the Democratic party with the
adoption today OF the wettest plank that
any national convention has approved
since national prohibition became the
law of the land.
For four years this group has battled
against the dry South and the dry West.
meeting with unflinching zeal the epi-
thets and accusations of the drys that
their only interest was making the
Democratic party a wet party, that they
were bent on splitting the party IL nee
essary to bring about triumph of their
wet ideas.
"Roosevelt-Ritchie and Repeal" was
the slogan heard frequently on the con-
vention floor as the Roosevelt leaders,
feeling confident that the New York
Governor would be chosen to head the
ticket, we're testing the ground to see
what would be the best thing to do
about the second place. Gov. Ritchie
would have the support of New York's
delegation If Tammany ever released the
majority of them. which now are being
held for Al Smith. II would be a great
satisfaction to Roosevelt to be able to
win the nomination with the full sup
port of the New York delegation. Also.
Mr.. Ritchie Is popular with the Eastern
and Middle Western business men
whereas Roosevelt is supposed TO be
weak on that score. Support from
business will become necessary when
campaign contributions are sought. So
Ritchie is the likeliest choice. He would
be harmonizer of differences that al
ready have cropped up in the ccnven-
ton.
Richie Popular With Delegates.
Ritchie's popularity with the rank
and file Of the delegates has surprised
even his own admirers. If something
does happen to the Roosevelt machine
before the balloting is over, Ritchie and
Baker are the two names conceded to
pc able to corral most of the second
choice votes.
A frenzied convention saw the ban
ner of the vets lifted high, saw q dec
laration committing every candidate for
Congress as well as the nominees for
the presidency and vice presidency not
only to the slogan repeal" not merely
to the submission" of repeal, but to
vote for repeal of the eighteenth
amendment and the immediate modifi-
cation of the VolStead act to permit the
manufacture and sale of beer and other
beverages in such alcoholic content as
is permissible under the constitution"
The last phrase was adopted to meet
a possible attack from the Republicans
who might cry notification" Now
the Republicans can only call it a
''near-beer plank" If they wish TO de-
ride it.
So the Democratic slogan is Beer
Now as Well as Repeal" the theory be-
ing that since the removal Of the eight
eenth amendment from the Constitu-
ton, which is explicitly and unequiv-
ocally demanded by the Democratic
national platform, would take at least
two years or maybe more under exist
ing machinery, the public might as well
have beer and light wines in the mean
time It takes a two-thirds vote OF
Congress to get the eighteenth amend
ment before the States for action, and,
judging by the recent votes Of the
present Congress, it may take action by
the Congress to be elected next No
! vember, which could not meet in extra
session till next Spring, to get the
repeal amendment started on its jour-
ney TO the States.
Even, therefore, il II is conceded that
the Republican plank means repeal OF
the eighteenth amendment and the
passage Of a substitute providing for
State control with certain limitations,
nothing could be done toward light
wines and beer for couple Of years or
thereabouts If the problem Of revision
of the fundamental principles involved
in prohibition were to be confined to
that issue. That's why the Democra1S
feel they have stolen a march on their
opponents.
Great Moment for Wet Chiefs.
The wet sentiment in the Democratic
convention was so dominant that even
some of the dry States from the West
and South, as represented by their dele
cations here, fell into line in an over
whelming victory for the wet plank.
The final vote Of 934s4 to 21334 does
not, of course, reflect the actual feeling
Of the delegates numerically, as a few
Of the States voted under the unit rule,
but a substantial majority approved
the new plank.
1t was great moment for the Smith
Raskob faction, too. when the conven-
ton listened to supporting speech sim
ilarly from Jouett Shouse, who only "a
hours ago was beaten for permanent
chairman by the Roosevelt forces. But
since Gov. Roosevelt wisely released his
own delegates to vote as they pleased on
prohibition 1t placed the wet element in
complete control Of the situation and
they had their moments Of sweet tri-
umph.
The logical corollary OF the platform
plank Is Ritchie. Outside of Al SnAth,
whose nomination by this convention
has been considered out of the question,
the Maryland Governor is the wettest
OF the candidates. A Roosevelt and
Ritchie combination would please the
vets in the party and give the conserva-
tives their half, If Roosevelt is consid-
cred radical
The whole platform is hardly con-
Servative, however. While there are
planks in 1t that big business will
like, such as denunciation Of Federal
extravaganza and the demand for q
rs per cent cut in Federal expenses,
there are such things as regulation Of
stock exchanges, rigid supervision of
holding companies and recommenda-
tions with respect to investment bank
ing operations on the flotation of loans
that will hardly be called conservative
doctrine. The platform calls for eco
nomic cooperation rather than eco
nomic isolation, and while opposing
cancellation of war debts, says nothing
about. possible reduction or revision.
The events of the last "a hours have
demonstrated a remarkable degree OF
party harmony. If the nomination of
Roosevelt can be accepted in such spirit
by those who have been bitterly op-
posing him it will complete a conven-
ton in direct antithesis to the Madi-