Evening star., 1933-10-16
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

L Il - A1S u Nh AVAS0kA AvA1&1U i
By G. Gould Lincoln.
In at least two congressional districts
the Republicans and the Democrats will
60 to the mat during November In
tests that may give some idea Of the
trend of political opinion. These are the
third West Virginia and the ninth
Pennsylvania congressional districts.
There are other vacancies in the House
which will be filled by election in No
vember. but they are In the Demo-
cratic solid South"-in such States as
Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, where
the election Of Republican member Of
Congress is almost unheard Of. The
ninth Pennsylvania district was repre-
sented, until his recent death, by the
late Henry w. Watson, q Republican.
The present ninth district in Pennsyl-
vania represents a new deal growing
out Of the reapportionment Of the State
due to the last census. In the old ninth
were Bucks and Montgomery Counties,
! UOL1 6LIOlkiy 4tCPdN1ASdAA' 40 sAAS 80
ninth. however, are Bucks and Lehigh
Counties, and Lehigh has been Demo-
cratic stronghold. Lehigh County was
formerly part OF the fourteenth district.
a district which was represented by
Norton L. Lichtenwalner, Democrat.
The reapportionment threw LichtenWal-
ner and Watson into the same district,
the ninth, and Watson carried the dis
trict last year by about 5000 votes.
| The Democrats have already nomi-
mated their candidate for Representative
in the ninth Pennsylvania district. He
is Oliver w. Frey. an Allentown attor-
ney. He was chosen by the State
Democratic Executive Committee on
October g. The Republicans. SO far as
official Washington knows, have yet to
select their candidate.
+ 4
The third congressional district In
West Virginia has been represented by
the late Lynn s. Horner of Clarksburg,
a Democrat, for several years. Mr..
Horner carried the district in 1880 by
2,123 votes over his Republican op-
ponent, and was reelected in 1882 by
7.0l3 votes. And in 1926 the district
went Democratic by 2,235 votes. In
1928, when the Hoover landslide was
under way, the Republican candidate,
Wolverton. succeeded in winning the
district election by scant 800 votes.
The district, therefore, certainly since
1926, has been more Democratic than
Republican. From 1916 to 1924, inclu-
sive. Stuart F. Reed. who had big per-
sonal following, kept the district in the
Republican column, winning $50 votes
in 1916. reaching a maximum lead OF
! $4,000 in 1920 and dropping down to
! tn tho PanlJhliconc ond
Democrats are making plans for party
nominations for this contest, which is
to take place November %. There are
reports that former Gov. Gore of West
Virginia may be the Republican nomi-
nee. Mr.. Gore served as Secretary OF
Agriculture during the Coolidge admin
istration.
The acquittal of Senator James j.
Davis of Pennsylvania Of charges OF
having violated the law against lot
teries quite naturally will have its effect
on the political picture in the Keystone
State Senator Davis was reelected to
the Senate last year after the charges
had been made against him, connecting
him as leading figure in the Loyal Or
der Of the Moose with selling lottery
tickets" He does not come up for re-
election until 1888 However, Senator
Davis A. Reed must run again next
year in Pennsylvania. Both he and
Senator Davis hail from the western
end OF the State. and there have been
rumors that the eastern section of Penn
sylvania might protest against such a
state of affairs. Then, too, the stormy
petrol of Pennsylvania politics, Gov
Clifford Pinchot. may decide to have
another crack at the senatorial success
sion. Gov Pinchot has won his way
into the office Of chief executive in the
State a couple of times. but he has not
been so successful in his efforts to be-
come a member Of the Senate. 1t was
in 1926 that Gov. Pinchot, then Gov
ernor entered the three-cornered race
for the Republican senatorial nomina-
ton against William S. Ware, the boss
of the. G. o. p in Philadelphia. and
against former Senator George Whar-
ton Pepper. Ware won and Pinchot
ran third.
It may remain for Utah to be the first
State in the Union to declare against
the repeal of the eighteenth amend
ment. Along with five other States
Utah is to ballot on the question No.
vember z. It's failure to vote for the
ratification of the twenty-first amend
ment, repealing the eighteenth amend
ment, would not prevent repeal. accord
ing to the present schedule, but it would
give the drys at least one State in the
Union. The chances Of the drys in
Utah have been bolstered considerably
by the strong opposition to prohibition
repeal announced by the Mormon
Church. The church has always stood
strongly against the liquor traffic and
liquor. Now 1t lis reported to be ac-
lively engaged in q drive to prevent
State Constitutional Convention, which
will pass on the repeal question.
| X
The administration is at work on the
problem prohibition, what?'
It is particularly interested in the reve-
nue. question, for the Treasury Depart
ment Is counting on a golden stream
of revenue-perhapS not golden, since
the Government has taken over all the
gold but at all events stream of reve-
nue-from the manufacture and sale OF
liquor in this country. 1t wants to raise
as minimum $220.000,000 additional
revenue from this source, the amount
needed to amortize the public works
program of $4,000, 900, 900 which is now
under way as one of the Governments
contributions to recovery of business in
this country. The administration Is
seeking to decide what tax will bring
in the greatest amount of revenue, how
much the traffic will bear" also. There
is always the danger that if the taxes
on liquor are placed SO high a
quart of whisky or gin becomes too ex-
pensive luxury for most men in the
country. When that high price has
been reached. then the sales drop off
and men either go without it or they
turn to the bootlegger to help them out