The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-02-24
Dry Strategy Apparent

After yesterdays hearing on several bills
 dealing with the prohibition question before
 the legislative judiciary committee it is ap- parent that the dry forces of Connecticut are unwilling for the state to register any fur ther opinions on the subject. They begrudg- ingly admitted the need of holding con- vention to act on the repeal of the 9th Amendment. but haggled SO over the method in which this convention would be called and delegates chosen that it becomes imme- diately evident it is their purpose to post pone this action just as long as possible. By preclpltating an argument Tn states where wet sentiment has been freely ex- pressed at the polls the opposing forces will still be able to maintain their control. But once the convention machinery is set up and the actual date set the dry's day will quickly wane. Connecticut must be placed in the list of those states where majority of the i. people are registered in favor of change in the existing prohibition laws. We moved : last November to memorialiZe Congress to repeal the 18th Amendment. That action has just been taken. It now remains for us to do our part.
 s It seemed to be the concensus of those present at the judiciary committee hearing yesterday. as well as the members of this ] group. that little attention should be- paid l. to bills seeking repeal of the state enforce ment act now that actual repeal of the 9th ' Amendment had been proposed to the sev- !. eral states. As result the committee con- cerned itself chiefly with a discussion of the ' state convention method of ratification and possible systems of liquor control in Con- dneetieut should the dry era end. That necessarily means the creation of liquor tfast-finding commission. such as Governor Gross suggested. We urge its immediate creation even before the state convention is , constituted.
 As to the state convention itself that must be discussed more than it was yesterday. { Two plans seemed to stand out from Thurs days hearing. They were advanced by the opposing forces. The drys favored the idea of electing delegates to convention just az we do representatives and senator's to the Assembly. It strikes us that this would be an unwieldy group for merely discussing i. one question, also expensive. and last, but not least, hardly representative of the peo- pie, 1naSmuCn as our SyStem ol poiouSH representation is model of what not to do. The outstanding wet plan was to pick flf- teen delegates at large in the state set of delegates being named by the vets and a set by the drys. If anything, this plan is too much like skeleton. It might be said that fifteen delegates couldn't well represent population well over million and half.
 Naturally there were other plans dis cussed such as authorizing the Legislature to sit in special session as the state convention. This has been mentioned in other states, but its constitutionality is in question. We are confident that out of the forty-eight states there will be worked plan that will have universal appeal. It may even come from our own judiciary committee. At any rate it is up to all of us to lend willing hand rather than critical one to the task of acting on the proposed 2lst amendment to the Constitution. Delays cannot be countenanced.