Evening star., 1933-02-27
The Political Mill
BY C.. Could Lincoln.

Inc ACTIVITY IN the states over the
question of national prohibition repeal
which has been submitted to them
by the Congress, is becoming more and
more intense. The repeal amendment
Is to 60 to constitutional conventions In
each State. The makeup of these con-
ventions is agitating the vets and
the drys. The opponents Of prohibition
would like very much to have the dele
gates to these State conventions elected
at large" that is, in Statewide elec-
tions. Then If majority of the voters
In State supported repeal the whole
list OF delegates chosen would be wet. ~
The contention has been made If the
rural and sparsely settled political di-
visions OF the States are given equal rep
resentation in the conventions with the
more populous and urban divisions, the
majority OF the people will not really be
able to express their will in the matter.
There is in the making fight by the
wet organizations to bring about "at
large elections of the delegates to the
conventions. On the other hand, it is
contended by some of the repealists
that it would be a mistake for the vets
to launch such drive, when it might
conceivably delay action by the State
legislatures and cause diSsension. The
theory OF the latter is that the senti-
ment for repeal OF the eighteenth
amendment Is SO strong now ali over the
country that repeal will be accom-
plished anyway.
1t has been said by some of the drys
that members of the Senate and the
House who voted to submit the repeal
amendment to the States would &c
back TO their States and districts and
night the adoption Of the amendment
From practical political point of view
this does not seem a likely thing to
happen. When the members voted for
submission they voted wet" Ask any
dry crusader If that is not fact. And
having voted wet" they will have to
take the consequences, whatever they
may be. Instead OF going home to
oppose what they did in the Senate
and House. they will, perforce, go home
TO justify what they did, or else they
Will find themselves hated by vets and
drys alike and in a bad way the next
time they come up for nomina ton and
election, particularly for nomination.
On the other hand, If they can prevail
upon their States to ratify the repeal
amendment they will feel that their
votes IN Congress on the repeal amend
ment have been sustained; they will
not be in half so much danger of
defeat at the polls as If their constitu-
ents had turned down repeal and at
the same time turned them down.
Lame ducks" who voted against
submission of repeal. on the other hand
may return to their States and dis
tricts and get into the battle for the
drys, In the hope that a dry victory
would restore their own lost political
fortunes. The position of the lame
ducks is In marked contrast therefore,
with that of the members who were
reelected and who will serve in the
next Congress. Some of the lame ducks,
however, are by no means dry. Take
Senator Hiram Bingham of Connecti-
cut, Tor example, who has been vir-
tually the wet Republican leader Of the
Senate for several years. Senator
Bingham owes his defeat in Connecti-
cut last Fall to the fact that a number
OF dry Republicans backed an inde-
pendent dry candidate for the Senate
against him and his Democratic sue
cessor, Augustine Lonergan, now a
member of the House. When Senator
Bingham goes back to Connecticut it
Will not be to work against repeal OF
The eighteenth amendment-anything
but.
Two very prominent lame duck mem
bers Of the Senate-James E. Watson of
Indiana and George H. Moses of New
Hampshire-will, like Senator Bingham.
not raise a finger to help defeat the
repeal amendment. While Senator
Watson in the past voted dry be-
cause he believed that his State wished
for national prohibition, he feels no
such compulsion now, since the Repub-
llcans and Democrats of the Hoosier
State both went wet" in the campaign
last year
The approaching departure of Jim"
Watson and George Moses from the
Senate was responsible for a dinner
given in their honor Saturday night by
the Gridiron Club at the Willard Hotel.
One Of the skits at the dinner was a
dialogue between Mr.. Finnigan" and
Mr.. Flanagan" impersonated by
Thomas w. Brahany. in which the re-
turn OF these veteran Senators to pri-
vate life, the change in the times and
customs of Washington since they came
to Congress, were discussed.
1t won't be long now" said Mr. Fin
nigan, till Jim Watson an George
Moses are out iv public life
Not at ALL said Mr.. Flannigan,
mot at all. They're just int'rin' public
life. La-avin' tn Sinate is tn first
sthep. They've wasted a lot iv time
tubby Sure, but at last they're headed
fr fame an fortune. There was a
time whin Congriss was known an
ray-cognized firm pole t. flag. as Bill
McNally says. 1t was called tn
pal'ajum iv our liberties, tn crownin'
achievemint " poplar cover mint, an
its Numbers were betther known an
more poplar than tn base bail players.
Within an hour afther he landed at tn
Cap'tul an drew his mileage. a sin tor
was a public kay-rackter. But that S
all long past an gone.
"Th' public is no longer INTERESTED
in its public min. " tn two branches
iv Congriss were t. march tin abreast
in tn Inagruls parade mkt Saturdah,
they wud' d'dnt get as many cheers as
tn Rockville Fire Day-partmint.
X X
."Th' 18th Amindment caused min t.
lcSe ray-Spect f'r law but what caused
thin t. lose ray-spect f'r law makers
nobody knows. Some blame it on TIL
prim ries an some on Hoover an some
on tn day-pression an some on France.
AS fr meself think its just wan iv tn
signs iv tn times that has t. run its
course like tn hay fay-ver or Tom
Thumb golf
How times have changed. Whin Jim
Watson came here George Norris was
fghtin tn bosses. Now he's bossin' tn
fighters. He has more promisin'
lads in trainin' than Jack Curley-most
iv thin middleweights firm tn Middle
West, Shoomakers bar an Hancock S
cafe were runnin' full bhlast an iv a
late Winther afthernoon at aye-thur
place yed la-arn more iv political
econ-my than Prof. Mooley cud tell We
in days walk. Politicians firm Louis
yanna came to Washin'ton f'r their
sugar insted iv gettin' it at home MINI
bers iv Congriss lived in boardin' houses
on Aist Captul street an wint home t
lunch. Now they have two marble Of
fees, son an daughter on tn pay
rool, an most iv thin wud sooner miss
a roll call then an afthernoon tea at
wan iv tn imb'ssies. Whin a mimber
died his wildly was given ya-ar's SAL