The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-06
RASKOB BETS
Fl DRY LAWS
FACE CHANGES
Canvass Shows Democrats
Favor Prohibition
Referendum.
URGES STATE CONTROL
Plan to Be Laid Before
National Committee
Saturday.
BY RAY TUCKER
Times STAFF Correspondent

RdSkOb, Democratic national Chair
man, today offered to bet two-to-
one that the eighteenth amend
ment will be modified within four
years, if congress permits the
people to pass upon his home rule
program empowering each state to
handle the liquor problem.
Though decrying assertions that
he seeks to commit the party to
the wet side for the 1882 presi-
dental campaign, RaSkob made this
wager on the basis of a prohibi-
ton canvass of Democratic contrib
utors which he will lay before the
national committee meeting here
Saturday.
He will not ask any action except
that it be referred to the June con-
vention for consideration of the
platform makers, hoping to avoid
wet-dry row.
Proposes New Amendment
There is no question" he said.
that prohibition will be an issue
at our convention, because so many
delegates demand some kind OF
change.
What I fear is another row if
we do not reconcile the So-called
vets and drys in our party. I think
my plan takes it out of politics,
where it ought not to be-"
His program contemplates a new
amendment permitting those states
to manufacture and sell liquor
which care to take advantage of this
authority, but permitting dry ter
ritory to continue to operate under
the eighteenth amendment, which
would not be repealed The pro-
posed amendment would be, virtu-
ally, superimposed on the other.
In explaining his hope for adop-
ton of this amendment if, through
action by one or both parties, con-
gress authorizes popular vote.
RaSkob said he thought sentiment
had changed in the south.
Hopes to Avoid Furore
II believe" he continued. that
even dry southern states are will
ling to let other states have liquor.
provided they themselves can re-
main dry.
In territory where there are So
cial problems requiring prohibition,
the people, in my opinion, will re-
main dry. But at the same time l
don't f11iT7L fboVy ,ryo ~ r. f-~oo of1-
ers, to have the same system. I
believe there has been great
change"
Raskob's new views, with the re-
suit of his poll, will be placed be-
fore the national committee in the
form of a letter. BY requesting no
action, he hopes to avoid the furore
his proposition aroused among
southern drys when he first pre-
sented it at the meeting last March.
He does not expect any one to be
SO "discourteous" as to move to table
his whole proposition.
Raskob now stresses the point
that the people should be given a
chance to pass on the dry laws by
popular vote, and his proposal for
letting the states handle the liquor
question is embodied in nothing
stronger than referendum.
In fact, he pointed out that Demo-
cratic candidates for congress can
run as vets or drys, even if his plan
is incorporated in the platform.
80 Per Cent Want Vote
His poll showed that SO per cent
of those canvassed favored submit
ting the eighteenth amendment to
referendum; that IS per cent ia
vored submitting all future amend
ments to the people; that 80 per
cent favored popular vote on his
home rule idea; that 70 per cent ia
vored submitting straight repeal
amendment; that 81 per cent pre-
ferred the home rule proposal to a
repeal amendment; that % per cent
believed the platform could success
fully ignore prohibition; that 81 per
cent favored submitting either the
home rule plan Or repeal amend
ment.
lie sent his QUESTIONABLE to 10000
contributors, bus they reached only
1880. There we're %, 57s replies re-
celVed, and the percentage of an
Swers to queries was 80 per cent.
Confident of Victory
Though he conceded the ma ioritv
OF contributors to the Smith cam
palgn IN 1928 might be wet. the
chairman thought the result fairly
represented party sentiment. Even
ory states, he pointed out. voted
With the wet ones in most instances
So confident is he of presidential
victory that Raskob favors ignoring
tne Republicans as completely as
president Hoover ignored Smith in
the 1928 contest.
In fact, he thinks it would no
wise for the Democrats to hold
their convention in advance of the
Republicans, do their work in
hurry, go home and await the peo-
Pies mandate to take over the gov
eminent.
Bids for the convention have been
from San Francisco
kansas City, Chicago and Atlantic
City.