The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-12
President Backs Revision of
Amendment in His Ac-
CeptanCe Speech.
WANTS SALOON BANNED
No New Issues Presented in
Address; LaudS Own
Depression War.
BY MARSHALL MNEIL
Times stan Writer

The prohibition issue is def
nitely fixed today between
Franklin D. Roosevelt as a
wet and Herbert Hoover as a
moderate dry.
The President, in accepting the
Republican nomination Thursday
night, supported revision of the
eighteenth amendment in opposi-
ton to outright repeal demanded
by the Democratic candidate and
platform.
While both candidates oppose the
saloon, Hoover insists that it be
outlawed by a constitutional amend
ment giving police powers to the
federal government, in contrast to
the Democratic proposal to leave
this problem to the states.
Hoover did not favor modifica-
ton of the VolStead act, as urged
by Roosevelt and the Democrats.
Hoover'S policy, like that of the
Republican platform, indefinitely
would postpone a vote on the ques-
tion of outright repeal.
The Republican platform pro-
posed submission to the state solely
of the question of retention or re-
vision of the eighteenth amendment,
without itself favoring either side.
Avoids Catch Phrases
Thursday night the President
frankly put himself on the revision
side, in case such vote is taken.
But he did not pledge himself to
work even for such limited revision.
He intimated that he would keep
as far away from the prohibition
controversy as possible.
The speech apparently was pre-
pared with studied attention to
avoid inclusion of any such catch
phrases as two chickens in every
pot" "banishing the poor house
from among u.s." and others which
have plagued Hoover these four
years.
1t sought to have the Republican
party embrace vets, drys and inbe-
tweens; it sought to WOO the support
of agriculture and business, big and
little, and it sought to win the out
right support of those opposing and
those favoring, debt cancellation.
Makes No New Issues
President Hoover made no new
issues. Ee pointed with pride to
the reconstruction efforts of himself
and his administration; Scoffed
openly at Democratic economic doc
trines; gave proof that, if elected,
he probably will make no move to-
ward reduction of our high tariff
which has won international con-
demnation.
He promised to carry forward his
reconstruction program; and he ex-
pressed the fervent hope that before
the next four years have passed
genuine progress and genuine pros
perity will return to America.
He indicated he was satisfied with
the present economic system and
vigorously opposed state directed or
state controlled social or economic
systems, because in them is Ety.
ranny."
ut is the RECOMMENDATION Of men
under autogratic beaucracy with all
its extinction of liberty, of hope and
of opportunity"
His Views on JObIess
He suggested no new remedies for
putting the 100000, and more,
unemployed persons back to work,
but is relying on the working out
of his reconstruction program to &C
complish this end, with the cooper
alton of citizens.
In unemployment relief, pending
the return of normal times, Hoover
explained his long reliance on pri-
vate agencies and their co-opera-
ton, as policy in line with our
Democratic government and it's
Constitution, and one that would
def1le neither.
He saw it as a fundamental
function Of government in emer-
gencies to help business and banks
through such agencies as the Re-
construction Finance Corporation
which, he hopes, easily be demobi-
lized.
And Hoover expressed pride in
the present arrangements to make
loans to states from the r. F. c. to
help them in their unemployment
and relief problems. These, he
said, did not violate the American
principle of self-help and self
reliance.
Middle of-Road Path
The Republican candidate has
built a moderate dry, middle of-the-
road path toward prohibition revi-
sion on the belief that both the le-
gal saloon and illegal speakeasy are
intolerable. He said:
g. Each state shall be given the
right to deal with the problem as it
may determine, but subject to abb
solute guarantees IN the Constitu-
ton of the United States to protect
each state from interference and in
vasion by its neighbors, and that
in no part Of the United States
shall there be a return Of the saloon
system with its inevitable political
and social corruption and its or
ganized interference with other
states"
Prohibition, Hoover said, had
succeeded only where the people
wanted it to succeed.
Hoover's reiteration Of his stand