Evening star., 1932-07-25
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

The Democratic votes in the Senate
against the Bingham beer bill are COM
ing home to roost already. Labors Ma
| tional Committee for Modification Of
the Volstead Act today, through its
president. Matthew Woll, put out long
statement in which the committee said
fatty that the declaration of the DEM
ocratic national platform for "tmmedl-
ate" modification of the Volstead act so
as to permit light wine and beer ap-
parently meant little, because important
Democratic leaders in Congress since
the adoption of the party platform in
Chicago have failed to observe their
recent political party pronouncement
under the plea that a scientific study
must first precede any attempted legis-
lative modification Of the Volstead
act"
The committee statement adds that
| such a study Is demanded by the
Democratic Senators despite the fact
| that there have been innumerable con-
gressional hearings on this subject, and
| with all shades of views, opinions and
convictions presented, including the
studies of scientists, physicians, sociclo-
gists, educators, statesmen, labor Off
cials and others. despite the exhaustive
study of the Wickersham Commission,
whose membership was in unanimous
agreement as to the validity of organ
ized labor's demands for the return of
a beverage OF 2.75 per cent alcoholic
content by weight.
again, other Democratic leaders have
since held that the recent Democratic
convention pronouncement was de-
signed to guide members Of both
Houses hereafter elected, and not in
tended for those now honored as
Senators and Representatives. Thus,
the word immediate would seem to
be designed to mean merely immediate
political propaganda and some vague
and far distant legislative action. On
the other hand, there are quite num-
ber of influential Republican leaders
who worked for modification of the
Volstead act by the Congress which
has just adjourned, despite silence on
this subject on the part of Republican
party platform. 1t Is thus evident that
in relation to any party pronouncement
consideration be given to the attitude
of individual Senators and Representa-
tlveS and Of candidates aspiring to
membership in either House and the
voters be not misled in giving greater
attention to political party declarations
than is accorded them by the Senators
and Representatives of either party u
X
Here, indeed Is a remarkable and a
discriminating discussion of the atti-
tude assumed by the Democrats toward
their platform liquor plank. The Labor
Committee does not give the Democrats
much credit for having placed in their
platform a pledge to modify the Vol
stead act, for the simple reason, as 1t
says. the Democrats apparently are not
going to be bound by the platform
Furthermore, while the Republicans did
not place in their platform any pro-
posal for the modification of the Vol
stead act, which the Labor Committee
desires, there are a number Of Repub-
licans in Congress ready to support
such proposal, as shown in the fight
over the Bingham beer bill.
So far as President Hoover Is con-
cerned. the Labor Committee does not
at this time accept the Democratic
suggestion that Mr.. Hoover is enti-cly
dry and opposed to the modification oi
the Volstead act. 1t says in this con-
; nection:
CAS- for the attitude of the Democratic
presidential candidate, he has manifest
ed his approval for the immediate modi.
| llCdllOIl VI Ille NOlSIedu dLI, Willie lIlt
Republican presidential candidate has
not as yet announced his attitude or
this subject, though his point of view
while food administrator, was agains
the Federal Government prohibiting tht
manufacture and sale of beverage o.
not more than 2I5 per cent alcoholic
content by weight, which attitude was
and is, in complete accord with organ.
lied labor's demand for the immediate
restoration Of beverage CONTAINING no
more than 2:75 per cent alcoholic con
tent by weight"
The Labor Committee is hpt com
mitting itself or organized lsbor t.
either Of the presidential candidates
nor to the support of either the Repub
llcan or the Democratic candidates. TO
Congress. 1t will work. the committe
says, to bring about the election q
members of Congress honestly in favo
of modification of the Volstead act. M
matter to which party they may belong
And there you are.
r 4
Perhaps the speech made by Gov
Franklin D. Roosevelt's son, James
Roosevelt, at clambake of the Wor-
cester Democratic Club yesterday. was
intended as an answer to the criticism
that the Democrats did not intend to
stand by the platform declaration fol-
the immediate modification of the Vol
stead act. Young Roosevelt said that
his father, If elected President, would
call special session of the Congress
If necessary" after March next, to
modify the Volstead act and put lot
OF citizens back to work thereby.
X X
The Democrats have already begun tc
count their electoral vote chickens,
although the campaign is not yet under
way to any appreciable extent. James
A. Farley, in New York, has listed the
} electoral votes of the States in fou1
columns, one Of which he designates as
Democratic another as probably
Democratic" a third as doubtful and 2
fourth as probably or safely Republic
an" In the sure Democratic column
Mr.. Farley includes New York, all the
. Southern and border States except West
Virginia South Dakota, Montana, Ne.
J Vada, New Mexico, adding up to a tota
OF PAT, or just 19 votes less than the
266 electoral votes needed to elect 9
President. He lists SO other electora
votes as probably Democratic, including
those of Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska
New Hampshire, Wisconsin and West
Virginia. He can find only five States
with IS electoral votes, to set down as
} probably or safely Republican, and oi
these only two are actually conceded tc
Mr.. Hoover, Vermont and Maine. The
other three are Pennsylvania, California
and Michigan. Ohio and New Jersey
} are two of the doubtful States" In this
tabulation.
X
Certainly the Democrats are a con-
f1dent lot today. Yet they still have to
accomplish the ironing out Of differ
enceS among themselves in some of the
| big Eastern States, and in Wisconsin
Iowa, Minnesota and several other
States where the Al Smith following is
large. The fact of the matter is that
many of these Smith supporters feel
that the Democrats, in their national
convention, defeated MIR. Smith in just