Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-11-18
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln

Little more than year ago there
was widespread discussion of the
proposal to organize a new liberal
party. which would gather into it's
fold the liberal.minded of both the old
major political parties and leave the
conservatives to unite either as Re
| publicans or Democrats. Presumably
the former, since the Democratic party
In number of the States seemed fiat
on Its back. But on November 4. 1924.
the country went hell bent" for
president Coolidge, and q conservative
movement set in which completely OBJ
| scured. for the time, at least the pro
greSsiVe movement. notwithsta nding
nearly five million votes had been cast
Tor the La Follette-Wheeler progress.
| slVe ticket. For months this con.
sentative drift has been in the ascend.
iency. Here and there the progressives
have organized and are looking for.
ward to more promising times for
new party. but the plan for national
party has been held in allegiance.
Now the executive committee of the
| proposed progressive party has issued
| call for national conference of
| progressive leaders. particularly those
! VINO believe new party should he
| established. 1t If TO be held in Cleve-
! land. Ohio, December 5. Out of that
conference it is hoped plans will be
developed for a real national conven-
| ton of progresSiVes to be held next
year. Last February a convention of
| the progressives who had followed the
| La Follette-Wheeler ticket was held
| In Chicago. and at that time an eX
| ecutive committee was created, with
| William II. Johnston. president of the
| International Machinists' Union, as
l IA
! State conventions could be held dur
! ing the Spring and Summer. and that
| this FAN national convention would
/ materialiZe. But the times have not
| been propitious. In some Of the
! States-Illinois. New York. and others
| the orga MIA ton work has gone for
/ ward. indeed, but there has been
! apathy, generally speaking. 1t re.
mains to he seen whether The cleve-
| land meeting can breathe life into the
| movement for n national party again.
The Democrats would like very
much to capitalize any change from
! the conservative atmosphere which
may come in the future, however.
| That party refuses 10 die. even
! though the proponents OF the new
| party would like to push il aside.
But so far there has been little in
dication that the country generally
safe and sane" the political leader
! ship Of President Coolidge.
! x
! When the Senate meets. December
| !. ii will he faced with the problem
Of seating or not seating Gerald T.
Nye. Non-Partisan Lacquer appointed
by Coy. Sorlie of North Dakota to
fiji the vacancy caused b. the death
of Senator Ladd until 4 special cleo
ton is held next June. Senator
Frazier and others insist that the
governor has = right to appoint TO
ill a vacancy and ba Sc their conten-
tion on State law which gives the
governor power to fill vacancies in
state and district Offices Much will
depend upon whether the Office of
Senator is construed To be state
office or not. In this connection it
may be suggested that the Federal
Government paws the salaries of Sena-
tors and not the State governments
The oath of office which a Senator
takes has to do with the Constitution
of the United States and not with
the constitution of his own particular
State. 1t is a point. however which
threatens 10 lead 10 no little discus
sion.
The senate has also 10 pass upon
the right of three others TO seats in
the Senate, because of contests which
| have been brought against them by
their opponents in the election last
! November. The right of TWO Eepub-
! licanS and one Democrat to hold
/ these seats has been challenged. The
Republicans are Brookhart of Iowa.
whom the regular Republicans claim
is no Republican. although he insists
that he is, and Schall of Minnesota.
the blind Senator. who defeated Mag
nus Johnson. Farmer Laborte. at the
polls. The Democrat is Sam G.. Brat
ton. whose right to a Senate seat has
been challenged by former Senator
| Bursum. Republican. In the Brook
hart case. brought by Steck. the
Democratic candidate. the counting
of the ballots has been completed.
Senator Ernst of Kentucky. chairman
of the subcommittee of the Senate
privileges and elections committee
charged with handling the case. is
endeavoring to hold a meeting of the
subcommittee the first week in De
Cemher before Congress opens. at
which arguments of counsel on both
sides will be heard. His subcommit.
tee will report to the fun committee
early in the session and the latter
will then report to the Senate for
action.
The Schall-Johnson contest is be
fore a subcommittee headed by Sena-
tor Deneen of Illinois. and little has
vet been done with it. The same is
true of the contest from New Next
co. which is before a subcommittee
whose chairman is Senator Goff of
West Virginia These subcommittee
however, are expected TO get to work
within short time and report on
these contests. .
| II X x
The result Of the Iowa contest is
expected TO have it's bearing on the
election for Senator in that State next
wear. Senator Cummins comes up for
re -election. If Brookhart should not
be seated. he would be a candidate, it
is said. against Senator Cummins in
the primaries next year. and in
progressive quarters it is insisted he
would be a formidable competitor, al
though in regular" Republican cir
cles 1t is said that the Brookhart flair
has subsidized considerably in Iowa.
Howard j. Clark, an attorney of Des
Moines, formerly supporter of Sena-
tor Cummins, has announced his can.
didacy for the Republican nomination
against Senator Cummins. He con.
tends that Senator Cummins has not
continued the progressive he was
when Iowa first sent him to the Sen
ate. State Senator Bowman of Black