Evening star., 1926-04-13
STECK GETS TO u. S. SENATE
UNHAMPERED BY PAST RECORD
Made Race as Opponent
of Radical Element i'm
State Politics.
Veterans Representation
Remains Unchanged.
Joins Bruce Group.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Capt. Daniel F. Steck. the first
Democrat to represent Iowa In the
United States Senate since the Civil
War, takes his seat in Congress un-
hampered by any previous experience
In public life. He is very little known
in Washington, about his only close
friends here being the Hanford Mac
Niders, Mr.. MacNider being Assistant
Secretary OF War.
Capt Steck does not add to the
World War veterans IN the Senate,
because Senator Brookhart, whom he
ousted, was a colonel during the late
unpleasantness. The new Senator be.
ing only q captain, the veterans, as
matter Of fact, lose q little In
grade.
Capt. Steck is an Iowan, born and
bred and knows more about corn
the tail corn that Iowa grows-than
almost any other man in the upper
branch OF Congress. The corn belt.
however. IS wide and stretches far
and this statement unquestionably
will be contradicted. But Senator
Steck Is of the Iowa Stecks through
and through. He was born in OF.
tumwa. A years ago and has lived
there ever since.
For 20 years or more he has prac-
ticed law. In the bright lexicon Of
his outlook on life there was no such
word as politics until two years ago,
when some of the Iowa conservatives.
who We're not at all pleased with the
radical views of Mr.. Brookhart con-
ceived the idea of opposing him in
serious manner at the polls. Brook
hart had run away with the Repub-
lican primaries because some of the
G. o. 2. Of the State appeared to be
in a rebellious mood.
Steck Was Only Chance.
The only chance of defeating Brook
hart lay at the general polls and 1t
was realized It would not do to run
an independent Republican against
him. Casting about for a Democrat,
Capt. Steck was seized, conscripted,
and otherwise drafted into the
cause" The captain had been ac-
customed to taking orders on the
Western front in France; he had serv-
ed with the Signal Corps of the A. E.
F.. and go at last he somewhat re-
luctantly consented to 60 over the top
and after Col. Brookhart. Only q hand
full of his friends thought he had q
chance to win, but. anyway, Capt.
Steck knew enough TO make a gallant
fight. The result was close, but there
were many who contended from the
start that Steck had won and would
eventually get the seat. even If the
board Of elections did issue q certifl-
cate to his opponent.
Senator Brookhart virtually de-
feated himself in Iowa by his support
II the 1924 campaign and his attacks
pFootARn% HnalS1A pS 1,t
ming mate, Gen. Dawes. Senator
Brookhart called upon the latter to
resign his place on the national ticket.
The Senator evidently misjudged the
sentiment Of Iowa by very wide mar
gtn, or else there was q sweeping
change in this sentiment between the
date Of the primaries and the day Of
the election. Coolidge and Dawes swept
the State by polling 53o,719 votes to
372,243 for La Toilette and 1872, 500 for
John w. Davis.
From this vote It will be seen what
a small chance q Democrat would
have OF being elected to any office
under ordinary circumstances. But
there was q decided revolt against
Brookhart, and Capt. Steck received
the benefit Of It.
Joins Bruce Group.
AS q conservative Democrat" vot.
ing with his party on party questions,
Capt. Steck will have plenty of COM
pany in the Senate. He may be de-
scribed as a Democrat Of the type Of
Senator William Cabell Bruce of Mary
land. Senator Bruce Is an old-line
conservative, who votes with his party
when he thinks It Is right, but does
not hesitate to vote against It when
he regards It as being In the wrong
position. Senator Bruce believes the
Democratic party to be the great con-
servattve influence in the country and
will be glad to welcome the young
son Of IoHa under his wing.