UNITED STATES ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 65, 10 December 1926, Page 6

UNITED STATES ELECTIONS

A PROHIBITION REVIEW. In connection with the recent United States elections, Ur. Ernest If. Chcrringtou, general secretary of the World League Against A leoholisi.il, issued a statement dated November a, which has been received by the New. Zealand Alliance. In the course of his statement Ur. Olicrriugton says: "The result of the so-acUed referendum vote in New York, Illinois; Wisconsin and Nevada gives no new light on (he attitude of the public mind even in (hose wet states. It might easily have been forecast mouths ago. The referenda in those stales are meaningless from a legal point of view and the so-called vote in those states indicates nothing more or less than gymnastic exercises by the wets. The organised drys, for the most part, did not participate. "The real purpose of these referenda, namely, diversion of the attention of the voters' from wot candidates, was emphatically defeated Urys in New York centred their efforts on the defeat of Sen dor Wadsworth, a recognised wet leader in the United States Senate, and an extremely ardent advocate of Volsicad law modification. In Illinois they concentrated their tight on George Brcniiomocratie wet boss of Chicago, who had declared that his election must be interpreted as endorsement by the people of Illinois of the proposal to ■"oil the Volstead law. ‘‘ln Wisconsin the wets made no apiblo election gam in their retire’■l "lion in Congress and the State Legislature. In Nevada the wet candi•He for Congress and wet candidate for United States Senator were defeated. in the four states where the referendum straw vote took place its purpose failed; the drys were not diverted from the main issue, and the candidates opposed by the drys lost nt the polls. 'n four other States. Missouri. Colorado. Montana ami California, referenenduin measures were suzm'tted to repeal oxisling state prohibition laws. The "I's'ilts. therefore, are legal and binding. California defeated the proposal to retiro the Wright law bv what now promises to be n majority of something like 75.0P0. i< mn'orifv twice n° Large as that roeoidod for the measure four years ago. Missouri and Colorado defeated repeal of their state prohibition codes by substantial majorities while the result in Montana is in doubt. Active nnd aggressive participation of the drys in referenda in California, Missouri, Colorado and Montana is ample proof that they

understand what policy to pursue in all legal and constitutional referenda, while non-participation in the referenda m New York, Illinois and Wisconsin and Nevada demonstrated that they cannot be deceived bv wet schemes Io becloud real issues, whether those schemes be labelled ’referenda’ or whether they be otherwise designated. ’’Ohio's voting is most conclusive. Both candidates for Governor were dry. Senator Willis, bone dry lender, was returned Io United States Senate bv approximately 96.666 majority oyer Pomeiono. who was 'the great wet hope. On tho State ticket James O Mills, hc-imblfi-nn candidate for Lieutenant Governor who was opposed by the dry’ was defeated bv Fill D. Bloom, a dry Demo. crat Wet pfffris: Id intrrnrpf the ‘esuits of the election as. indicatin'; any sort of a reaction against nroluLilion „fp n c.,lr. n d>'d illustration of ■gra eeya rd whistling’.”