Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-13
HOW WET TO MAKE
PLANK IS PROBLEM
New York Delegation Sub
mits Two Proposals for
Vote and Repeal.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, June 13-When is a wet
plank really dry plank and when does
1t really mean repeal?
Such query might well be asked to-
day as the first group of platform
phrasemakers have completed their in
itial job The New York delegation,
VIGOROUSLY wet, adopted a plank and
called it wet" The headlines called
it repeal. Actually, if the drys are
ready for resubmission, as they profess
to be, then the plank suggested by the
Empire State delegation, of which
Ogden Mills, Secretary of the Treasury,
was selected to represent New York on
the Resolutions Committee, can hardly
be Objectionable. Here is what the
plank says:
Resolved, it is the sense of the New
York delegation that the eighteenth
amendment to the Federal Constitution
be resubmitted to the people in the fol-
lowing manner:
That the Congress of the United
States propose the repeal of the said
amendment with the provision that the
several States pass upon said question
by conventions duly called. And it is
further the sense of the New York
delegation that We further recommend
that the delegates to the several State
conventions be chosen at special cleo
lions and not at general elections"
Many Want Repeal.
From truly wet viewpoint the
flaw in the foregoing plank is that it
merely suggests that Congress submit
the question of repeal to be voted upon,
which, OF course, means that Congress
could phrase the question so as to in
clude an alternative system of liquor
distribution. 1t does not attempt to
commit the Republican party to fiat
repeal, with no substitute or alterna-
tive. Many of the Eastern vets want
the eighteenth amendment repealed
and propose nothing in its place, pre-
ferring that the States recover all of
their powers and deal with the situa-
ton as they see fit.
AS the New York delegation has
written the plank. the drys who favor
a referendum could not really quarrel
with the language. For. to be sure,
1t would be the Congress who would
write the proposal to submit and there
is nothing in the plank that commits
the Republican party or its repre-
sentatives in Congress to submit an
actual repeal.
To put it another way, Congress could
by tWo-thirdS vote adopt resolution
OCN1ol4llS VIC ClSIIlCSlllLl
repealed and could pass the question
on to the several States for approval or
disapproval. The New York delega-
tons amendment would, however, not
even commit Congress, but would ask
that proposal to repeal be voted on
in referendum In which, of course,
the individual Republican could vote
Eyes" or no" Indeed it is like
High School debate in which the ques-
ton is usually stated in the affirmative.
Wet Leaders Plank.
The wet leaders, consisting of H. H.
against the prohibition amendment;
Mrs. Charles H. Sabin, former Senator
James w. Wadsworth of New York, W.
w. Montgomery and Ralph NJ Shaw,
all OF whom represent anti-prohibition
organizations in the United Repeal
Council. and Nicholas Murray Butler of
Columbia University, have agreed upon
the following plank as the one they will
seek to have adopted from the floor of
the Republican Convention:
We, the representatives of the Re
publican party. believe that the eight
zenith amendment should be repealed.
We, therefore, urge the Congress to
propose an amendment to the Consti-
tuition repeating the eighteenth amend
ment. to become effective when rati-
ned by conventions of the people from
three-fourths of the States, in accord
ance with Article of the Constitu-
ton: and We pledge the best efforts
OF the Republican party to the accom-
plishment of such ratification"
The foregoing is clear outright
repeal resolution and would commit
the Republican party to vote for re-
peal and nothing else. This, of course
IS what the wet organizations want and
hence the plank of the New York dele
cation is an attempt to go as far as
possible toward the wet side, without
committing the party to it.
The delegates are gathering, the city
Is decorated for the occasion, and the
"WetS" have hired dozens of buses
equipped with amplifiers that can be
heard for block. Thus far the con-
vention atmosphere is all prohibition
and referendum" and repeal and
other slogans portending fight on the
platform.
Mills Is for Curtis.
Rumbles of revolt against the re-
nomination of Vice President Curtis are
audible. Secretary Mills, Mr. Hoover's
right hand man, has declared for Mr..
Curtis. Other Hoover men, not Office
holders or a part of the administration
are openly proclaiming their desire for
Gen. Charles G. Dawes or somebody
else other than Curtis. The argument
made is that, with one exception
namely, James S. Sherman in 1912-the
Republican party has never since the
Civil War renominated its candidates
for Vice President.
Whether in every case this was due
to voluntary withdrawal as happened
In 1923, or whether the party itself dis
carded its previous nominee, doesn't
matter very much to the anti-Curtis
people Nor are they particularly an
tagonistic to Mr. Curtis. Rather they
are anxious to get what they consider
q stronger man. The Hoover-Dawes
combination is the one they seek Un-
less the Hoover men in the admins
tration go along with the movement,
Mr.. Curtis will be renominated. The
Presidents friends will decide the issue,
and present indications are that while
the revolt is serious it has not gained
enough Roadway to upset the steam
roller that usually functions in these
national conventions on behalf of
President who is being renominated.