Evening star., 1933-04-03
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lineoln.

The people begin today the big show
down on the question Of national pro-
hibition repeal Starting in Michigan,
the battle goes to Wisconsin tomorrow
and then on through the months to all
those States which provide for the elec-
tion Of constitutional conventions to
pass on repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment. In many Of the States this will
be the first opportunity the people have
had to register their will on the ques-
ton Of prohibition. In none of them
have the people ever before voted so
directly on national prohibition. When
the eighteenth amendment was adopted
1t was through action Of the State Leg
islatures. The question Of repeal Is sub
mitted to the people Of the various
States, however. In . popular refer
endum, or Is near q popular referendum
as the Constitution permits. In many
of the States, before national prohibi-
ton was adopted, the people voted d.
rectly for State prohibition--not ma
tional prohibition, which Is q very dif-
ferent matter.
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The results Of these State elections
ventions will be closely followed, and
nowhere more closely followed than on
Capitol Hill. The Democrats. taking
the wetter side Of the national prohi-
bition issue, won q sweeping victory
over the G. o. p. last November. But
1t may be said with absolute truthful
ness thatN had there been no question
OF prohibition in the election at all the
Democrats would have won Just the
same kind Of q victory, because of the
hard times that aflicted the country
But now the only question at issue In
these State elections Is national prohi-
oition II State after State shows a biz
lead for the vets, the members of Con-
gress who have voted for the submission
OF repeal Of the eighteenth amendment
and for beer will heave big signs of re-
lief. But II the vote is very close OF
the drys score victories, the members
from those States will have to do some
swlit calculating regarding their future
action on prohibition questions.
Notwithstanding the wet wave which
mas apparently swept the country. many
OF the members of Congress are still
gun shy when they think of the drys.
Pernaps 1t Is because they have been
AFRAID Ior so many years of what the
orys might do to them II they dared to
vote wet. Look at what happened i'm
the Senate the other day when the
District OF Columbia beer bill was be-
fore that body. Although 1t has been
proclaimed far and near, in debate and
IN legislation, that 80 per cent beer
Is not intoxicating, the Senate stuck
It's tail between its legs and voted, A
to 28. to prohibit the sale of the beer
In any building owned by the Federal
Government. 1t may be that the old
habit OF voting dry is still strong upon
them, or more probably 1t Is a lingering
dread OF the d1ys and their votes at
home. How the Senate can have the
face to vote for the sale of 80 per
cent beer on private property and then
prohibit its sale on Government prop
erty, provided the beer Is constitutional
as it Is claimed 1t is, passes the under
standing.
1t won't be long now-long until the
beer begins to how Then the people
will make the practical test as to
whether 1t Is intoxicating or not. That's
a matter the members of Congress
might have tried out before they put
through the beer law. Senator Dill of
Washington during the last session OF
Congress very sensibly suggested that q
real test Of the proposed beer be made.
But for one reason or another his pro-
posal was turned down. It is expected
that the drys will test the constitution
ality Of the beer in court, on the
ground that 1t Is intoxicating, and a
violation Of the eighteenth amendment,
which still stands in the Constitution
If they can find cases of intoxication
where the only beverage imbibed is 80
per cent beer, they will have case to
present.
There Is no secret about the fact,
however. that the drys believe the
legalization Of beer will work in the
end against the repeal Of the eighteenth
amendment. They look for an orgy of
beer drinking, with accompany ills of
intoxication, automobile accidents, etc.
Almost they would regret an imme-
diate turning OF of the beer faucet.
For, If the beer should be banned by
the courts Immediately, there would be
no object lesson to the people, and the
vets would be all the more determined
to put through the repeal Of the eight
eenth amendment. And 1t Is also no
secret that some Of the most ardent
supporters of prohibition repeal are
fearful that the legalization of beer
may hinder the passage. Of the repeal
amendment.
This week the Congress Is expected
to put the finishing touches on the
proposed farm bill. The measure is
pending in the Senate. The revolt
against the Presidents farm bill, which
the House took at one sitting and with
out catching its breath, which was
started in the Senate Committee on
Agriculture, has faded out. The bill,
it Is expected, will be passed by the
Senate in pretty much the same form
as 1t came from the House, with the
Republican vote split and many of
the regulars opposing the measure. Be-
fore the bill comes to . final vote. If
present plans are carried through. the
farm mortgage BILL which is soon to
come from the White House, will be
tackled on as all amendment. This
amendment win make the farm bill
palatable to many Of the members who
do not like the varied and various fea-
lures Of the farm bill. 1t Is of record,
however, that President Roosevelt still
dominates the situation, notwithstand-
ing the predictions that he would meet
defeat at the hands of the Congress
on the farm bill and other measures.
kt
The President has used the Ak, and
used it effectively. in his executive
order making effective the terms Of the
economy law as 1t applies to the vet
Grams Of wars. He promised to cut
S400, ,000, 900 from the billion dollar an
nual expenditure of the Government
for the veterans. He has done 1t.
What will be the political effect Of
this wholesale execution Of compensa-
ton and pensions time WIN tell. Ger
tainly the President has the country
with him right now. A year ago the
Congress would have turned a dozen
handsprings before 1t would have put
through the economy bill. Even now
many Of the members feel they may
escape the anger of the veterans since
they did not write into the law just
what should be done about cutting vet
erans' compensation and pensions, but