The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-01-06
RASKOb INSISTS ON
PROPOSAL TO OBTAIN
VIEWS OF ELECTORS
Would Have Party Take No
Stand Other Than For
Referendum Vote
SEES HARMONY AS RESULT
Says Idea Would Permit All
Factions In Party to Agree
on Program
SEES HARMONY AS RESULT

Washington, Jan. 6.-(AP)-The
democratic party faced Wednesday
the freshly stated desire of Chairman
Raskob to keep the prohibition issue
to the fore in this year OF prcsiden-
tia) election.
Under warning that its virtual
destruction would be the alternative,
the chairman laid down a pressing
demand that the party declare at the
convention this summer for submit
ting the entire question to the people
for q new decision.
He was equally emphatic that the
party itself keep on the fence, going
neither wet nor dry, until the voters
have had their say. Raskob made
public his views Tuesday night In a
lengthy letter to the national COM
mittee he heads, supplementing this
with remarks evoked by questioning
reporters who surrounded him as he
arrived for the committee meeting
Saturday.
The stand for resubmission, con-
tended the chairman. will allow the
contending elements in the party, both
vets and supporters of prohibition,
to find common ground. The alterna-
tive, as he saw it, was either party
rent aSunder, north against south, or
a party diminished in Importance by
the rise of third political group. a
liberty" party. The issue, he MAIN
tanned, must be met by convention
time.
Holds Center of Stage
With publication of the letter, 9TH
cr business to come before the COM
mittee session, such as selection ct tie
convention city and date. faded into
the background. To avoid q repetE
ton of the outbreak he precipitated
with the issue last March, the chair
man intended, he said, to ask the
committee to refer his plan to the
convention, without declaring itself
for or against it. but an outburst
seemed unavoidable, nevertheless.
The proposition RaSEo5 wishes laid
before the voters does pot involve
complete repeal Of prohibition, but
rather choice between retention OF
the eighteenth amendment unmodi-
fled. and his "home rule" plan under
which the people of each state could
exempt themselves from national pro-
hibition by voting for state liquor
control.
At his press conference the demo-
cratic leader offered to bet two to one
the country would reverse its prohi-
bition stand within "our lifetime"
Under pressing questions Of half q
hundred neWspapcrmen, he asserted
he was not trying to jam" any wet
plank into the democratic platform.
that he had no choice among the
democratic candidates for the presi-
dental nomination, that he had no
preference among cities seeking the
convention.
Would Junk Tradition
Furthermore. he favored junking
tradition and holding the democratic
convention ahead Of the republican
meeting of June H. He spoke for q
brief platform touching all vital is
sues without the usual whereases."
In his letter to the committee Ras-
kob reported that his QUESTIONABLE
poll of 1928 campaign fund contribu-
tors showed that Of 25,578 replies re-
ceived, 80 per cent favored resub-
mission Of the 18th amendment: s5
per cent wanted all future cOnstitu-
tional changes ratified by popular
vote and not legislatures of the states,
while only % per cent considered pro-
hibition could be ignored by the party
platform.
Replies came from 80 per cent OF
those queried.
Raskob restated the convention
plank he has had in mind, saying:
1.-THE plank ! suggest for considera-
ton provides that the democratic
members Of the United States senate
and house Of Representatives will vote
in favor Of proposal (Which is real-
ly q referendum which will give to
the people Of the United States OPP
portunity to vote directly on the ques-
ton as to whether they wish the
(COntinlIad IN mage SeVen)