Evening star., 1932-12-12

AS the embattled dry forces Of the
Nation marched on the Capitol today
in desperate and determined drive to
save national prohibition, the shade of
Wayne B. Wheeler hovered DER their
serried ranks. They have missed his
generalship sadly since the tragic fate
that overlook him when he was burned
to death in his own home In Michigan
three or four years ago. Though the
commander in chief of the Anti-Saloon
League lived to see his lfework reach
the crumbling stage, one wonders
| whether prohibition would have become
a lost cause SO soon had Wheeler been
spared to conduct its defense. BY gen.
eral consent, no dry leader has succeed
ed him who turned out to be so astute and
resourceful a fighter. Cannon, Mcbride,
Cherrington, Dinwiddie, Polling, Wilson
and the rest of them battled shoulder
to shoulder with Wheeler year in and
year out, but none of them is his equal
as strategist and politician. From his
Offices at the foot of Capitol Hill, which
were reached, not inappropriately. by
steps lined on either side with brass
rails, Wheeler for full decade looked
over at the shimmering dome, vir-
tually monarch of all he surveyed.
When the drys have their days in
court before House and Senate COM
mittees this week they will lay al
most exclusive emphasis on the moral
and physiological aspects of prohibi-
ton. Members of Congress who are
promoting legislation in favor of beer,
light wines and repeal are actuated
primarily by the revenue producing
possibilities of legalized liquor. Demo-
cratic Majority Leader Ralney trots out
some graphic figures. The Roman
esoue Representative from Illinois
(who was recently made an LII. D. by
his alma mater, Calvin Coolidge's AM
herst, in recognition Of Rainey's serv-
ices in CongresS) points out that the
Government is running behind at the
present moment $4,000 minute. At
the end of the current fiscal year.
there will prospectively be deflc1t OF
81 600 600 600. The deficit in the pre-
ceding fiscal year was $2,785 900, 600.
For the fiscal year 1881 1t was nearly
81 900 O0o,0 Therefore, on July l,
1893, Uncle Sam will have failed to
pay his running expenses Tor three
years by nearly $4,000, ,000,o 900, which
Mr.. Rainey describes as situation
without precedent in the history OF
nations" Since prohibition, he est1-
-
direct revenues $25 900, 600 900, or about
the cost of our World War activities.
If the eighteenth amendment Is re-
pealed, the House majority leader
| claims annual Federal revenue mlgnt
reach $4,000, 100000.
n 4 n n
Following the recent opening of Con-
gress, it was recorded in these OBJ
servations that Mrs. Virginia Jenckes,
| Democrat, of Indiana, who will sue
ceed that battle-scarred Republican,
Representative Fred Purnell, in the next
House, turned up for the session-as a
member er-elect-with her hat on. She
was the only woman on the floor thus
adorned. There's an amusing exp.ana
| ton. TITS like this" Mrs. Jenckes told
Washington friends "Out on the stump
last Fall, Fred Purnell kept saying to
our folks that If I was sent to Wash
ington I'd be so green 7 wouldn't even
know where to hang my hat. Well,
when I arrived at the Capitol last Mon
day that's exactly what happened. ]
couldn't find a place to park my bonnet,
so I Just decided to keep 1t on. Fred
was right"
! X II 4 \
One day last week the wife Of one
of washington's leading merchants re-
ported at the central offlces of a certain
charitable organization and proclaimed
her desire to fill any sort Of position
available. Shed heard they were look
ing for voluntary workers. "Ill tend
babies, sew, operate a switchboard, run
errands, visit the sick, keep books, type
write, or do anything else" she said to
q young woman who received callers,
We're not hiring any help Just now, /"
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