Evening star., 1932-07-31
ROOSEVELT ROLE LTKENED
TO BRYAN'S In 1896 LULL
Return to Better Times Before Election
and Conservatism Held Factors
in COmmOner's Defeat.

and expect. That end, very decidedly,
is not what the commercial liquor in
terests hope and expect.
The mistake-if you look at 1t that
way-of the vets has been their will
ingness to placate the drys with q
promise of mo saloon" What is fac
ing the vets now is the call for fulfill
ment Of that promise. The vets are
caught by their mo saloon" promise.
Whether they realized the conse-
quences, or whether they merely
placate the drys, does not matter
Practically every important wet dec
laration has included, in one form of
words or another, the promise mo
saloon" They have been saying 1t
from the beginning. The following are
exact quotations:
Ex-Gov. Alfred E. Smith of New
York, in his 1928 campaign. said: No
return Of the saloon" and without
the old evil of the saloon"
Gov. Franklin Roosevelt, when he
first went wet, said: II am positive
in saying that there must be some
definite assurance that by no posi-
bility, at any time or in any place. can
the old saloon come back"
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler says
effectively abolish the saloon"
The Association Opposed to Prohibi-
ton says: The saloon is as dead as
the dodo bird"
The New York State Republican
platform, when it first went wet, said:
"Efectually and forever forbid and
prevent the return of the saloon"
The New York State Democratic
platform, when the party In that State
flrst went wet. said: Definitely and
effectively Danish the saloon"
Two Aims Conflict.
These pledges by leaders and organ
iZationS universally accepted as speak
ing officially for the vets are now en-
braced in the recent Democratic plat
form at Chicago, which specifically
says: Prevent the return of the saloon"
These wet leaders and their pledges are
as antl-saloon as the Anti-Saloon
League itself.
OF course, We must assume that the
vets quoted above meant what they
said. We cannot assume they said it
with their fingers crossed.
Now will some one please say how
the vets can bring about, or how the
country can have, two things at the
same time. the two things being:
CD Complete repeal of the eight
zenith amendment. and
(2) Guarantee that there shall be
no saloon anywhere in the country.
The drys and the moderates are now
saying to the vets: I'VE accent YOUR
no saloon promise and, therefore, we
reject your 100 per cent repeal; we are
willing, though, to have Just as much
repeal as is consistent with no saloon.'"
That Is going to be the position of at
least half the Democrats in Congress
and most of the Republicans.
There is one way, and only one way
to let liquor come back but keep the
saloon out. A proper definition of
saloon" would say it is place "for
the retail sale of liquor for consump-
ton on the premises" Senator Ash
urst Of Arizona says a saloon Is "a place
for perpendicular drinking.'O To the
ordinary definition of a saloon we must
add a clause, always understood, "for
private profit" That last clause covers
the real and only essential objection to
the saloon. 1t was the stimulation of
consumption for private profit that
made the saloon odious and caused the
public anger which resulted in ma
tional prohibition.
The only way to have liquor back
but keep the saloon out is by State
manufacture and sale. That IS the
only way that will meet what both
platforms are driving toward. and most
Of the vets and much of public opin-
ion. "Al" Smith knows this with his
practical mind and hard common sense.
Smith had done much talking about
prohibition. He had led the fight
he was nominated for the presidency
in 1928 he was obliged to have a pro-
gram. He was obliged in put in con-
crete words precisely the thing he
proposed to bring about. Being hon.
est-minded and able-minded he saw,
at the end of his thinking. that there
is only one way. He put that way
program as a candidate for President
in 1928.
Urges State Control.
Smith said: IT personally believe in
an amendment which would give to
each individual State the right
wholly within its borders to import,
manufacture or sell alcoholic beverages,
the sale only to be made by the State
itself"
Scholarly and onstitutional-minded
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler has also
thought it through. He arrives at the
same conclusion. which is the only con-
clusion that will meet the conditions.
DR.. Butler says:
Personally would urge, by every
power that possess, the adoption
to our needs of the Quebec liquor law.
The most successful method
yet devised Of getting rid of the saloon
and abolishing the private traffic in
intoxicating liquor without depriving
the individual citizen Of his civil and
political liberties"
That is the direction in which we
are going. 1t is the only opening we
can come out at.