New-York tribune., 1922-10-09
.McL4ean's > Fight
ForRe-election
Stirs Interest
Republicans Regard Com
necticut Senator's Return
as Necessary in Interest of
Federal Reserve System
Supports Sound Banking
Always Stood Firmly Against
Wildcat and Demagogic
Financial = 6 h c m g 8
BY Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Oct. s.-Overshad-
owed by the spectacular Smith-Hcarst
fight in New York and the attempt to
bury Henry Cabot Lodge in Massachu-
setta, the Connecticut Senatorial bat
tie, nevertheless, is one OF enormous
interest to national leaders of both
parties.
The chief concern Of the Republi-
cans Is to sec Senator George p Nc
Lean reelected. This is particularly
true Of those Republican leaders who
believe the permanent prosperity Of
the country depends upon the contnu-
ance of sound banking control and the
protection Of the Federal Reserve sys-
tenn for wildcat and demagogic
schemes, the alleged purpose Of which
is to help the farmers.
AS chairman Of the Senate Banking
and Currency Committee, Senator Nc
Lean has stood like rock in the path
Of wild initiation schemes. He has
made, with few associates, the same
fight against putting the tobaggan
under the value OF the American dollar
that the Republican party of McKin-
ley's day did in resisting the sixteen-to-
one get-rich-quick nostrum.
Stood by Governor Harding
Senator Mclean, typical Of this at
titude, has stood firmly for the reap
pointment of Governor W. P. G. Hard
ing, of the Federal Reserve Board at
time when the whole farm bloc, re-
gardless Of politics, has been demand
ing that his scalp be removed and set
up for observation somewhere in the
Middle West.
This fight is characteristic of the
work done by George P. Mclean DUR
ing his twelve years of service in the
Senate. None of it has lent itself to
fireworks. His colleagues appreciate
and realize his value, but not much of
what he does is described the next
day on the front pages of the metro
politan newspapers.
Of the old New England type, Sena-,
tor Mclean is not given to delightng
in the sound of his own voice, which
at once Of course makes him more or
Iess of marked man in the upper
House. But in the Committee on FL
nance, Of which he is one of the high
to forget for moment the fact that
there are lots of industries in Con-
necticut besides the manufacture of
wooden nutmegs which require pro-
lection from foreign competition. The
tariff bill just passed is fair sample.
1t is doubtful If any state discovered
it's industries so carefully protected as
| Connecticut
Practically the only important fight
1t ~;f ,,,A; rE
| was that to impose an embargo on dye
stuffs, with a view to building up
strong chemical industry in this coun-
try looking not only to dyes and drugs,
but to national defense. The influence
of the German importers proved too
strong on this particular fight.
Mclean is wet, but no wet and dry
issue was involved in the fight, as his
opponent, Thomas ]. Spellacy, former
Assistant Attorney General under A.
Mitchell Palmer, is also wet Indeed,
record, legislatively speaking. No
| Connecticut Senator or member of the
House has ever voted in favor of any
| dry measure, and neither house of her
Legislature ever approved Of the
Eighteenth Amendment
| The chief interest in Spellacy's fight
| here naturally lies in his national con-
nections, rather than his fight to make
himself the recognized head Of the
Democratic party in Connecticut. This
last he has practically done in de-
feating Lorlfegan for the Senatorial
nomination.
The election of spellacy, as many
Democratic and Republican leaders
view the things from here, would be
smashing blow at the aspirations of
Governor James M. Cox for another
chance at the Presidency, and would
be lot of water on the wheel of
Homer S. Cummings, former national
| chairman.
Shrewd Republican national leaders
have been growing more and more
hopeful that Governor Cox would be,
the nominee of the Democrats next
time, SO that they are given another
motive for hoping that Spellacy will be
defeated in addition to their desire to
retain Senator Mclean in the upper
! House.