Evening star., 1932-06-23
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

filling Chicago and the Chicago hotell
The Republican gathering Is made al
most to appear = drab affair in com
parison. There 10 reason. The Re
publicans had but one candidate TO
cfat8 have q dozen. Each one OF thes,
candidates has following, and the fol
lowing has followed or Is following hin
to this city. New York's democracy
the Tammany brand, Is coming from
the greater city in 10 special trains
The New Yorkers have taken for thei
stay here practically every room in tn,
Drake Hotel. one of the most fashion
able in the city. They have spread int
other hotels, and Tammany means Il
make itself heard.
Speaker John N Garner, having
waited until every one else in public life
has declared himself or herself on the
prohibition issue, has come out for re.
peal of the eighteenth amendment He
looked pretty dry to the prohibitionist,
Who voted in the California primarie.
time back, when the wet vote was
split between AL Smith and Gov. Roose-
Welt Of New York. and Los Angelo,
County rolled up about 10000 lead for
Garner, making 1t possible for him to
win the delegation Of Democrats now
coming to the National Convention
Another wet delegation by Garner
might have had some effect on the
Democrats In Texas, too, although the
State Convention. which instructed the
delegates for Garner, voted wet"
Gamers declaration, coupled with
that made by Gov. George White OF
Ohio in favor of repeal and beer in the
candidates for the presidential nomina
ton all wet. Perhaps former Gov
Harry Flood Byrd of Virginia Is least
wet, but he has for week been support
ing resubmission Of the eighteenth
amendment to the people, regarded in
omclal dry circles as q wet step. OF
course, the Speaker never had a chance
lor the nomination without q frank
declaration against national prohibi-
tlon. This Is to be q wet convention
Whatever may be said of Mr.. Gamers
declaration at tins time on the prohibi.
tlon issue, it Is at least brief and to
the point. He said: When the proni-
oitlon amendment was proposed, 1, As
a member OF Congress, voted against it
nave never believed 1t sound or work
able, and 1t should be repealed" Tha,
Tells the whole story as il he had used
a thousand words. 1t is not likely that
Mr. Garner has ever changed his mind
ABOUT prohibition, but he recently de-
cioeo he might as well say what he had
in his mind.
Back OF Mr.. Garner. leading the
CaIl1ornia delegation instructed for the
Speaker, stands william Gibbs Nc
Aooo. In 1924 at the Madison SQUARE
Garden convention the women support
ers OF prohibition and Mr. McAdoo used
10 pray every day on their knees for
the nomination of McAdoo for Presi-
dent. Mr.. McAdoo was the leader of
the dry cohorts in those days. Now he
has wet candidate for President on
MS hands. and has Endorsed Speaker
Gamers declaration for resubmission
OF the eighteenth amendment. Well. II
John D. Rockefeller. jr.. had a right to
change from the dry side TO the side of
repeal of the eighteenth amendment,
Mr.. McAdoo certainly has a right to 20
as lar as favoring resubmission of the
prohibition amendment
No one here in Chicago doubts that
the Democratic platform will 70 as far
as did the Bingham. or minority. pro-
hibition plank turned down by the Re
publican National Convention. The
only question now is Will it seek at the
same time TO put the party on record
as favoring repeal Of the prohibition
amendment and also as favoring beer"
even before the eighteenth amendment
shall have been repealed? The fight is
hot VI the nlndnro . ha
wringing vets. The drys seem to be
fading more and more out of the pic
ture. Even dry leaders Of dry organi-
zations are making excuses for not put
ting up more desperate fight on the
ground that 1t is impossible to oppose
resubmission Of the eighteenth amend
ment with any degree o, success.
But the drys are not altogether idle
They are laying their plans for the
congressional fights. in primary and
election, which are vet to come. After
all. Congress. not the President. is the
branch Of the Government which ini-
tiates changes in the construction. So
the drys are promising to dig in and
fight it out all along the line from
Maine to California and from Michi-
gan to Louisiana.
New York in this Democratic con-
vention has two candidates for PreSi-
dent, Roosevelt and Smith. Roosevelt
has a chance Smith has none, for the
largest delegation in the convention
What that delegation will do has be-
come . point of greatest interest John
F. Curry, Tammany boss, wants. 1t is
said. to play a prominent part in the
national political picture Well, he
may. if he does not everyday his hand
But the Democrats assembled here are
not likely to let the voice of Tam
many be the dominating note that goes
out Of this convention city II Curry
Is willing to go along with the bulk
Of the rest OF the leaders. that is one
thing. But If he undertakes to prevent
the will of the majority and to set OH
candidate with Tammany backing
that is another.
Mr.. Curry has no great love for
Franklin D. Roosevelt and none what
ever for Alfred E. Smith Very likely
it would suit Mr.. Curry admirably if
neither one of these gentlemen were
nominated. He does not have to worry
much about Smith, for his nomination
Is IlOC Ia tllc CdICS. out IL fIOOSeVell is
nominated. and especially if he is nom
mated without the aid of Curry or over
Curry's opposition. then Curry will have
something to think about indeed Smith
would not appoint Curry insurance
commissioner when he (Smith) was
Governor, and thus he Inundated
Curry. Roosevelt has never ridden over
Curry in such fashion. but Tammany
does not care for the Governor. Curry
may be wondering just how safe it will
be to oppose Roosevelt for the nomi-
nation. He wants to sound out the
temper Of the convention as far as pos
sible before finally reaching q decision,
it is said.
This convention Is likely to be q
hardboiled affair. The Democrats
want to win the coming national cam
paign. They want to take charge in
Washington. They have been out of
office for q dozen years. There are q
lot of deserving Democrats who are
at present among the army of the un-
employed. For that reason the per-
sonal ambitions of this candidate or
that for the presidential nominal tion