United States Elections.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 1102, 9 November 1926, Page 4

United States Elections.

The whole of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will be elected m the United States on> November 2nd, today. The Republican (or Conservative) Party aas Had a long run m power m the United States, and it is expected that the Democratic Party may make considerable gaius. Whilst the fight for Prohibition was going on the Democratic Party was regarded as the party more favourable to the " wets " and the Republican Party as favourable to the " drys." It is important to remember, however, that a Democratic gain will most likely be made on other issues and does not necessarily mean a gain for the " wets." Many Democrats are pronounced " drys." PROHIBITION ISSUES. There are only two ways m which the Prohibition situation can be definitely altered : (I) By^, repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment ; (2) By modification o£ the Volstead Law by means of which the Eighteenth Ameadmenfe is> enforced. So far as | (1) is concerned the only way m j which the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment can be accomplished is by the same process as it was enacted, namely a two-thirds majority m both Houses (Congress and Senate) must approve a resolution that will then be submitted to each of the State Parliaments for their ratification or rejection. If three-fourths or thirty-six of the States ratify the repeal proposal then the Eighteenth Amendment would be repealed. But as thirty-four of the forty-eieht States were, by their own actions, already under State-wide Prohibition before National Pro; hibition began, it is unlikely that the Eighteenth Amendment will ever be repealed. (2) Modification of the Volstead Act can . be secured if the people elect sufficient " wet " members to the House of Representatives and Senate to ensure the carrying by a simple majority of the House a motion m favour of repealing the Volstead Law or increasing the permissible alcoholic content of beverages. Those opposed to Prohibition are making great efforts to accomplish this, but it seems unlikely that they will succeed for the following reasons : (1) In the primary elections m twenty-five States where the winning of the primary means practically certain election 75 per cent of the Congressmen and more than 80 per cent of the Senators nominated are candidates who stand for the maintenance and enforcement of Prohibition. This represents very fairly the general position. Where the Republicans have nominated a " wet " there is almost invariably a " dry " m opposition, nominated by the other Party, and vice versa. A typical example is Ohio, wnere the Republicans nominated Frank Willis, a " dry " leader m the Senate. There were altogether eight Republican candidates nominated. Three of the seven opposed to Willis were known as " wets," and their combined vote totalled only 37,287, as against 224, 166 polled by Willis. The present constitution of Congress is 75 per cent " dry," and while the elections may result m a " wet " gain here and there, political writers m independent newspapers and AntiSaloon League agree m their forecast that the constitution of the next Congress will be practically the same as this so tar as the issue of Prohibition is concerned.