Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-02
Suspect Attempt to Delay
Action to Prevent His 0p-
posing Cummins.
SUBCOMMITTEE WILL
FAVOR STECK, is BELIEF
Democrats Want to See Fight for
Nomination in Iowa-Scent
Political Tangle.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


by Daniel +. Steck, Democrat. for
the seat in the Senate now occupied
by Senator Brookhart OF Iowa, in
surgent Republican. Is being made
by supporters of Senator Brookhart.
The reason for this demand. aside
from the fact that the contest now
has been pending before the Senate
for a year, lies in the Iowa law
which compels candidates for NOM
ination for the Senate to file their
papers in the State by April 27.
Should Senator Brookhart be un-
seated it is his firm determination
to run for the Republican nomination
for the Senate against Senator Cum
Minis, veteran Republican, who comes
up for reelection this Fall, and is a
candidate to succeed himself. The
Iowa primaries take place in June,
and in order to take port in the pri-
maries, Senator Brookhart must have
his name formally presented by the
last of April.
Suspect Opponents.
The suspicion has developed among
some of the supporters of Senator
Brookhart that an effort is being made
by some OF his opponents on the Re
publican side to delay action in the
Senate until it is too late for Brook
mart to get into the race for the Re
publican nomination against Senator
Cummins.
Senator Ernst of Kentucky, Repub-
ncan, chairman of the committee on
privileges and elections and also
chairman of the subcommittee which
is investigating the Brookhart -Steck
case, secuted such an dea today.
He said that he was desirous of
bringing the Brookhart case to a con-
clusion as early as possible
II hope that we will be able to have
meeting of the subcommittee Thurs
day or Friday Of this week" said
Senator Ernst, 80 that the subcom-
mittee may proceed with it's report,
which will be submitted to the full
committee as soon as it is completed"
The subcommittee, consisting of Sen
ator Ernst, chairman, and Senators
watson of Indiana, Caraway of Ar
kansas and George of Georgia, il is
understood, will file a report adverse
to Senator BroOkhart although this
report still is to be drafted.
Ultimate Action Doubtful.
What the full committee and the
Senate itself will do is still a matter
of conjecture. A brisk fight in the
Senate is expected, no matter which
way the committee reports.
On February II Senator Brookhart
wrote to Chairman Ernst asking that
he call the committee together and
make report without delay to the
Senate, so that action might be taken.
Some Of the members of the sub
committee have been away or are en-
gagged in work of other committees.
which Is the reason given for the de-
lay. Counsel for the opponents of
Senator Brookhart have just filed a
supplementary brief, it was learned
today, although the hearings and time
for filing briefs closed January 2S
From the political point of view, it
is not difficult to understand that reg
ular Republicans would not be sorry
to see the inSurgent Senator, who at
tackled the Republican national ticket
in 1924 and advocated the election
of the late Senator La Toilette as
President, eliminated from the Sen
ate. The situation, however, is con-
siderably complicated by Senator
Brookhart's threat to get into the
race against Senator Cummins should
he be ousted from the Senate. Iowa
has been the hotbed of recent discon-
whom have regarded Brookhart par
ticularly as their friend.
View of Democrats.
SO far as the Democrats are con-
cerned, it is easy to understand that
If Brookhart is to be unseated, they
would not be sorry to see 1t happen
for him to make the race against
Senator Cummins In the Iowa pri-
maries. If Senator Brookhart should
win the Republican nomination, and
the regular Republicans be angry
enough to change their vote in large
numbers for a Democratic nominee
as they did for Steck, they might
elect a second Democrat. The para
dox would then be presented of a
strongly Republican State represent
ed by two Democrats in the United
States Senate. Or. on the other
hand. if Brookhart were elected, then
Iowa would be represented by one
Democrat and by an insurgent Re-
publican. who would continue to be
a thorn in the side of Republicans.
The recount of the vote by the
Senate subcommittee has shown the
contest to be exceedingly close. Both
sides claiming victory by a narrow
margin. and basing their claims either
upon the intent of the voters or upon
the strict observance of the Iowa law
relating to the marking of ballots
So close is the count, 1t is said, that
the case may be decided either way,
depending upon the Judgment of the
Senate as to the law and the facts.