The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-08
NATION VOTES
IN FIRST REAL
DRY LAW TEST
First Time in VoIStead Era
Peoples Voice Is
Speaking.
BY HERBERT LITTLE
Times stan Writer

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8.-The ma
ton went to the polls today for its
first real prohibition vote of the
Volstead era.
The presidential contest involves
an outright issue between the wet
Democrat Roosevelt and the "revi-
sionist" Hoover, with Roosevelt
favoring beer and Hoover silent.
In fifteen states the prohibition
issue is involved in senatorial races.
In eleven states referenda are be-
ing held on various phases OF state
and national prohibition.
In 161 house congressional dis
tricts the issue of prohibition has
been drawn.
A Scripps- Howard survey of the
prohibition situation, with regard to
the ABS house seats, shows a ire
mendouS swing that almost is GER
tain to bring in a wet majority. 1t
is q forecast also of wet gains in the
presidential, senatorial and refer
enda contests today.
Many Prohibition Contests
In comparison with the house vote
of last March IA, when the Beck
Linthicum prohibition repeal-state
option constitutional amendment
proposal was voted down, 1877 to 227,
the survey shows:
1. Seventy-f1ve seats where unop-
posed candidates are pledged to vote
for repeal, and in most cases for
modification; only twenty-four seats
of this classification where the can
didateS are silent or evasive, and
only five where the candidates are
outright drys.
2. One hundred ffty-four seats
where both major party candidates
are vets; only sixteen where both
are dry.
3. One hundred sixty-one contests
involving the prohibition issue, the
majority involving fights between
Hoover "revisionistS" and Demo-
cratic repealists, few involving
outright drys, and very few in
volving Democratic drys.
Assured of House Control
This survey shows that in the
last four months the anti-prohi-
bition forces have assured them
selves of 229 votes, more than one
half of the house.
Capture of even one-half of the
161 contested seats will give them
309, or more than the two-thirds
necessary to pass a resolution sub
hitting the question of repeal. Only
a majority is necessary to pass a
beer bill.
The backgrounds in which the
electors will decide whether the
vets make an overwhelming COM
pletet sweep that will insure that
even the lame-duck congress will
act on prohibition. include these
states New York, Is districts; Ohio,
IA; Pennsylvania, IL; North Caro-
lima, IL; Illinois, IL; Minnesota and
Kentucky, 9; each; Indiana and
Iowa, 8 each; California, 7; Mich
igan 6, Washington and West Vir-
ginia, 5 each; Idaho, Maryland,
Missouri, New Hampshire, South
Dakota, Utah, 2 each, and Florida,
Montana, New Jersey, North Da-
kota, Tennessee, Vermont and Wis
consin, each.
Some Vets Unopposed
The unopposed wet candidates in
clude 10 in Texas, 10 in Georgia. 5
in California, in North Carolina
and in Virginia, nearly all Demo-
Gratis. Some opposition has been
put up, but nomination in these
districts are tantamount to cleo
ton.
The field in which wet candidates
have been nominated by both
parties includes New York, 30 dis
tricts; Pennsylvania, II; Illinois, Is;
Massachusetts,, 10; New Jersey, 13:
Missouri, II; Mic igan, IL; Wis
consin, 8; California and Ohio, 7
each; Connecticut, 6, and smaller
numbers in ten other states.