Evening star., 1933-11-06
The Political Mill
By C. Could Lincoln.

National prohibition Is expected Il
take the count In tomorrow's elections
Only three more States are needed tc
ratify the twenty-first amendment tC
the Constitution, and the question comes
up for action In six States-North
Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Penn
sylvania, Kentucky and Utah. There
would be great deal more excitement
about the wet and dry question on elec-
ton day II the country was not firmly
convinced that the anti-prohibitioni
are to win with comparative ease; the
people do not believe that after SO States
located in every section of the country
have voted wet with not single ex-
ception, the States which vote tomor-
row win balk. certainly not more than
half OF them. Yet in the next few
hours the question which has agitatec
more people and more politicians dur
ing the last decade, and for many dec
ades prior thereto, Is to be settled for
a while.
No one believes that the old wet and
dry struggle will not be resumed after
the prohibition amendment has beer
taken out Of the Constitution. The
problem Of the control of the hquos
traffic has been before the human race
not to mention the people of the United
States, ever since there was a govern
ment of any kind. It does not look
as though 1t Is a problem that will
ever be finally settled. Even now ur
in Massachusetts,, and probably in 9TH
er wet States, the saloon or its equiva-
lent is about to be legalized. Of course
in Massachusetts the name saloon will
| not be used, but tavern will be the
correct style Of speaking of the licensed
places where 1t will be possible to buy
drink and consume it on the prem
ises-premises other than a hotel o.
restaurant. The Massachusetts, tavern
viii have no brass rail, and the patrons
must be provided with seats, and, pre-
sumably, will have to sit down to con-
sumo their liquor. But the tavern will
be place for drinking and for drink
ing alone, and in that respect will be
very like the old saloon. The State
Legislature has still to pass the Law
providing for licensed taverns, but it is
expected to do so despite the violent
protests OF the drys and the references
to the promises of the Democratic
leaders that the saloon shall not re-
turn.
The outcome Of the mayoralty fight
In New York tomorrow Is going to Je
interpreted outside OF the metropolis
and perhaps within it, in terms OF ma
tionai poiitics. II La Guardia, the
Fusion candidate, wins then 1t will be
claimed that the Roosevelt administra-
ton has taken licking In the largest
Democratic city in the Nation. It
makes no difference that the President
has declared. through various spokes-
men, that he Is taking no part In any
local elections this year. The admins
tration has been tied in closely to the
candidacy of Joseph v. Mckee, who Is
q Roosevelt Democrat and who has
dubbed his party In New York the Re-
covery party, through the Endorsement
OF Postmaster General James A. Farley
the Democratic national chairman. II
Mckee wins, the President will have
scored another victory, in the opinion
of the politically minded.
y
If O'Brien, the Tammany candidate
should be reelected, then at least the
Republicans could take no joy out OF
the situation, and it viii be said that
John F. Curry, the Democratic and
Tammany boss of New York, has at las,
succeeded in winning measure of VIC
| tory over the Roosevelt forces which
have taken him for a ride repeatedly
! In the State during the last year. The
O'Brien victory, II 1t happens. will be
merely one Democratic faction triumph
ing over another In New York City
But If La Guardia wins, the country
| will give the outcome different inter-
| probation. And yet, there are staunch
Roosevelt Democrats supporting Mai
La Gusrdia, and 1t Is perfectly true that
La Guardia wears the Republican yoke
as lightly as the Progressive Republicans
Of the West who have not hesitated tc
| Jump the q. o. p. reservation and tc
vote for Roosevelt If they so desired
Indeed, La Guardia Is not considered 0
Republican at all by good many oi
the more conservative Republicans
This year, however, he is supported by
the Republican organization leaders ir
the metropolis and by Ogden Mills an6
other prominent Republican leaders.
~ ~
In the heat Of the three -corneres
mayoralty fight In New York, the strug
| gle for control Of the New York As.
| sembly has been lost to sight yer,
largely. But 1t Is In that fight that th'
Republican State leaders have beer
' more intensely interested than In thi
contest for mayor. The Republican
have controlled the Assembly by mar
| gin so narrow as to be almost no con.
troll, but they have held 1t. 1t Is theil
hope tomorrow to increase this margir
| Of control in the Lower House Of tn,
New York Legislature. Not only vii
this give the Republicans greater po.
litical prestige. but also it win make Inn
| r1rxxthIa tf,a r,adfcfrirfinc 0f the State by
the Democrats In Q way that viii s,ii
the Democrats and give the Repubh.
cans severe headache.
To what member Of the Republican
party win the Empire State Republican,
give their allegiance when 1t comes X
picking o presidential nominee In 1886
II the question arose today It Is ex.
| tremely likely that the choice Of nine
tenths Of the New York delegates to 9
Republican national convention woulc
be Representative James w. Wadsworth
| jr., former Senator. Mr.. Wadsworth /.
highly regarded In upstate New Yori
| and In the metropolis. He has beer
making speeches throughout the STATE
| in the fight to elect a Republican As
| sembly and he has been doing q good
| job. He is q convincing, straight-for
ward talker. He has operated farm
| for years In New York State, on large
scale. He was leader In the fight te
| repeal prohibition which endeared hin
to wet New York city. Ogden Mills
former Secretary of the Treasury, for
mer member OF the House and at one
time Republican candidate for Gov.
ernor against Alfred e. Smith, has beer
mentioned also as possible contender
l f-<,-k ,ff be Navry SoI
CATION to the next Republican national
convention. Mr.. Mckee, in his cam
paign for mayor, has asked Mai. La
Guardia II the support Of Ogden Mills
was not given to La Guardia with the
understanding that La Guardia and hi.
forces will support Mills for the presi-
dental nomination. La Guardia ha;
denied this, Of course.
|
The N. r. A. appears TO be goine
| strong In New York. A sign In large