Evening star., 1932-07-13
Another Scrap of Paper.

ignored, the cynlc says. They nave
been ignored frequently in the past, in
many details. But a chance is not
usually given the voters to observe
political party in operation on plat
form before an election Is held. The
unusual has happened. The Demo-
cratic party, meeting in national con-
vention in Chicago, adopted platform
containing a plank pledging the party
to support repeal of the eighteenth
amendment and, pending repeal, to sup
port modification of the Volstead act
to permit light wines and beer. To the
voters it would naturally appear that
the Democratic members of the Senate
and the House would be bound by such
a platform declaration. But in actual
practice this is found to be entirely
erroneous. On Monday the Democratic
members of the Senate were given op-
portunity to vote on the legalization of
2.75 per cent beer. Did they vote for
it? They did not. The record shows
that twenty-four Democratic Senators
CdSG llltlL FOlCo dSoAAob tAiC PAOPoooAb
while only eleven of them supported it.
When the Democratic liquor plank
was written into the party platform IN
Chicago by big vote of the conven-
ton it was hailed as direct, clear
and unequivocal statement of the party's
attitude en- the question Of national
prohibition. Democrats congratulated
themselves on having been so specific
and contrasted their liquor plank with
that adopted the G. o. P. national
convention a couple of weeks earlier.
The Republican plank, the Democrats
said, was neither wet nor dry, but
straddle. Well, If the vote in the Senate,
p.us statements which are being issued
by leading Democrats, means anything,
the Democratic plank instead OF being
a'straddle is merely a prevarication. to
use the milder term. And as such it
is likely to labeled by the Republicans
during the coming campaign.
There is only one way by which
pplitical party can translate its plat
form pledges into affirmative action.
That is through the action Of its repre-
sentatives in Congress and in the White
House. 1t is quite true that Senator
Bingham of Connecticut Republican
wet, was seeking to put the Democrats
in a hole" when he offered his amend
ment to the home loan bank bill TO
legalize 2.75 per cent beer. But that
does not excuse the Democratic Sen
ators for failing to vote in conformity
with the party platform pledging the
people light wines and beer through
the modification Of the Volstead act.
The platform calls for immediate"
modification of this law, not for its
modification or repeal only after the
next election.
In an effort to avoid the charge that
they failed to support the party plat
form, Senate Democrats, through their
leader, Senator Robinson of Arkansas,
submitted motion to refer the Bing-
ham beer amendment to the judiciary
Committee. The vote came, therefore,
upon reference to the committee. But
this device will not fool the discriminate
ing voter. The Democrats had their
chance to vote for 275 beer and turned
it down, by more than a two-to-one
vote of their party strength in the
Senate. What may the people expect
at the hands of the Democrats in Con-
gress should they be given control of
both houses of Congress in the cleo
tion next November? Is there any real
reason to suppose that the Senator'S and
Representatives Of the Democratic faith
would undertake to carry out the plat
form pledge to modify the Volstead act
Immediately or that they would sup
port resolution for the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment? There is not, |
in the light of what has just happened
in the Senate.
Daniel C. Roper, Roosevelt sup
porter in the Democratic National Con-
vention, has issued a statement saying
that the prohibition issue should be
ninimized in the coming campaign and
calling upon the drys to elect dry Sem
atprs and Representatives. These Sen
aeors and Representatives are, of
course, to be dry Democrats. Mr.. Roper,
lie the Senate Democrats, seems to
be intent upon making the party plank
on prohibition merely another scrap
of paper
Argllment as to war guilt calls for