Evening star., 1926-04-13
SEATING OF STECK
OPENS IOWA FIGHT
Brookhart to Leave for Home
at 0nce-Vote Splits
Party Ties.

With the unseating of Senator
Smith w. Brookhart Of Iowa by the
Senate late yesterday the stage has
apparently been set for another des-
perate battle between the progressive
group of Republicans and the "regu-
lars" in that State.
The Democrats for the first time in
many, many years, have Senator
from Iowa as a result of the Senate
vote, Senator Daniel F. Steck.
The vote in the Senate was extreme
" close, the motion to seat Senator
Steck and to oust Senator Brookhart
being carried by As to Al. A change
of three votes would have brought
different result. Party lines were
badly smashed on the roll call. For
example, Senator William NJ. Butler
of Massachusetts,, chairman of the Re-
publican national committee, was
found voting for Steck, while Senator
Curtis of Kansas. Republican leader
Of the Senate. and Senator Reed OF
Pennsylvania, stalwart Republicans.
were recorded for Senator Brookhart
Brookhart to Leave Tonight.
Senator Brookhart leaves here to-
night to return to Iowa. He Will
make no statement. according to pres
ent plans. until he has returned to his
native State.
It has been confidently predicted
here, however. that Senator Brook
hart will enter the Republican Sena-
torial primaries against Senator Cum
minis, who comes up for reelection
no Cn
be a great struggle between the Pro
gressives and the regular Republicans.
Already Clark Howell. a Des Moines
lawyer, and State Senator Bowman
have entered the primary for Sen
ator Cummins' seat. Howell is pro-
gressive, and Bowman is even more
radical in his views. 1t has been said
that Bowman will retire from the
contest If Senator Brookhart should
be a candidate.
Cummins Has Good Chance.
In a three -cornered race between
Senator Cummins. Brookhart and
Howell, the regulars insist that Sen
ator Cummins would have a good
chance for victory, with the oppoSi-
ton split between the other two con-
testants. On the other hand Senator
Brookhart has a large following in
the State, and the failure so far of
Congress to meet the demands of the
farmers for relief legislation may
prove an aid to Brookhart.
The new Senator from Iowa was
sworn in almost Immediately after
the Senate had voted yesterday after
noon to seat him. He was escorted to
the Vice Presidents desk to take the
oath of Office by Senator Cummins.
Neither Senator Cummins nor Sen
ator Brookhart voted on the roll call
which seated Steck, Senator Cummins
having announced some time ago that
he would withhold his vote.
Senator Steck is Al years old and
has been a practicing attorney in
Iowa for the last 20 years. During
the World War he entered the Army
and served in the 109th Signal
Corps. He was overseas for about
eight months. He is a close friend
of Assistant Secretary of War Ham
ford MacNider, and while he was
talking with party of friends and
men after he had been
voted into the Senate, Col. and Mrs.
MacNider came to congratulate him.
was so happy before" Mrs. Mac
Nider threw herself in the arms of
the new Senator and kissed him.
Holds Iowa Conservative.
In answer to newspaper men, Sen
ator Steck made the following state
ment regarding his seating and con-
ditions in Iowa;
"I believe the Senate has con-
firmed the will of the Iowa voters.
At the last election in Iowa the only
real issue was whether old Iowa
should be represented by a radical
as a Republican or by
a conservative Democrat. Iowa is
not a radical State, and it is my be-
lief that she will never again be rep
resented in high office by a man who
stands for radical sentiment. We
have cleaned house and we intend to
keep our house clean.
'It has been charged that 1 am
not a Democrat. l was elected as a
Democrat, 1 ran as a Democrat, and
1 am a Democrat. On party ques.
tions l shall vote with my party, and
on others 1 will endeavor to repre-
sent the State. of Iowa"
Senator Steck was asked concern
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