Evening star., 1933-07-02
Vets and Drys Line
Forces in Missouri
For Repeal Battle
Spirited Campaign E1.
pected With Edge Fa-
voring Repealists.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. July 1.-THE
lines are shaping for the wet and dry
showdown in Missouri, which is ex-
pected in September. the exact date
yet to be fixed by proclamation Of the
Governor
An unusually spirited campaign Is in
dicated, with the dryS bending every
effort to delay the election in this State
through a move for referendum OF
the legislative act which sets up the
machinery under which Missouri may
express itself for or against repeal
Undaunted by the dry move the re-
pealists are going ahead with every
vigor on the theory that the prohibi-
tionists will fail in their effort even
though they obtain sufficient petitions
to comply with the State constitutional
requirement governing the referendum.
The attorney general Of Missouri in
recent opinion held that the law
setting up the machinery under which
the State may act is not subject to
referendum because of the right of ex-
preston on Federal constitutional
amendment.
Continue With Petitions.
Disregarding this. the prohibitionists
are continuing with their referendum
petitions with the plan of bringing
mandamus proceedings to compel their
acceptance by the secretary of State
This will produce legal complications in
Missouri, but undoubtedly the courts
will act promptly on the questions in
volved.
Under the legislative act Missouri's
delegate convention which will cast the
States formal decision after a popular
vote on the subject, will be either all
wet or all dry.
Unless all signs at this time fail in
dications are that Missouri will join in
the parade Of States favoring repeal.
The big Democratic organization in
Kansas City. headed by T. ]. Pender-
gast has been told that its followers
should keep the platform pledge, ma
tional and State, of the party.
Staging Man Hunt.
Missouri and neighboring States have
been staging an old-time man hunt.
somewhat reminiscent of the days when
Jesse James roamed these parts. The
object of this search is Charles pretty
Boy Floyd, the Oklahoma bandit to
whom numerous crimes are charged.
Two weeks ago Floyd kidnapped Sheriff
Killingsworth Of Polk County. Mo.
and later released him near Kansas
City. There are those who believe the
elusive Oklahoman also was one of the
principals in the recent massacre of
four officers and a prisoner in front of
Kansas City's union station.
The democracy of Missouri which
gave the new DEAL in Washington its
fourth largest majority among the
States last November, is patiently hop
ing that it will land more substantially
on the Federal patronage list. To now
Missouri has received comparatively few
places and several Of those have been
IN recognition of original Roosevelt
boosters and not directly chargeable to
regular political channels.
Substantial rains over many sections
OF the State in recent days have broken
drought of months duration which
threatened crops and left pastures
brown with temperatures in the nineties
for most of that period.
The sharp reduction in the personnel
OF the prohibition enforcement agencies
in these parts with indefinite furlouehs
to many is regarded by some interpre-
ters as the beginning of the end of the
enforcement of national prohibition.
G. X. w.