Evening star., 1926-11-22
Sift the Charges!


Maine set for one week from today.
the Democrats have launched attacks
on Arthur r Gould, Republican NOM
inee. charging him with excessive eX-
penditures In the primary campaign
and finally with having bribed former
Premier Flemming of the Province
OF New Brunswick. Both are serious
charges, calculated to have their ef-
feet on the balloting for Senator next
week. Mr.. Gould and his supporters
are left scant time to reply to them.
Under the law In Maine there is no
time for the Republicans to substi
tuts another candidate for the Senate
even II they desired to do so. There
IL 30 far nothing to show that they
wish to sidetrack Mr.. Gould.
The election in Maine to fill a
vacancy In the Senate caused by the
death last Summer Of Senator Bert
NJ. Fernald, Republican. is of unusual
Importance. Indeed, the political or
ganiZation of the Senate in the Sew
result Today, the Republicans have
forty seven members of the Senate in
the next Congress. the Democrats
have forty.seven, and there is one
Farmer-labor member and one va
cancy, that in Maine. Should the
Democrats win the election in the
Pine Tree State, they would have
forty-eight Senators, one more than
could organize the Senate under such
conditions only by the support of the
Farmer labor Senator. Shipstead of
Minnesota. His vote with the Repub-
l!cans would cause a tie in the Sen
ate, provided all the progressive Re-
publicans voted solidly with the reg
ulars. and Vice President Dawes
would be in a position to cast the de-
Gliding vote in favor of the Repub-
llcan organization.
Charges of corruption and exces-
sive expenditures against candidates
OF the Republican party have re-
Cured this year with a frequency
that has been annoying. to say the
least, to Republican leaders. Demo.
Gratis have used these charges during
the recent campaign and expect to
use them again in the national elec
tion in 1928. These latest charges
against a Republican candidate in
Maine doubtless will be added to the
list of campaign ammunition in the
future. even If they do not prevent
the election of Mr. Gould next Mon
day.
There are circumstances. apparent
ly, connected with the charges made
against Mr.. Gould which the voters
will weigh before casting their ballots.
Mr.. Gould is accused Of having ex
ceeded the limit set by law for the ex-
penditure of money in the primary
campaign. This he denies. The charge
was brought by Rev. Arthur F. Leigh
OF Randolph. whom press reports
mention as a leader in the Ku kuX
Klan. The Khan supported Il candi-
date for the Republican nomination
who was defeated by Mr.. Gould. The
charge that Mr.. Gould bribed the for.
mer premier OF tha Province of New
Brunswick is also denied by Mr.
Gould, who insists it is an old story,
dug up at this late date merely to
muddy the waters. The Democrats
have produced a report from Chief
Justice McKeown OF the Province Of
New Brunswick In which the chief
Justice Characterizes the payment of
$4,000 or more to former Premier
Flemming as an act of bribery, and
asserts the money was paid by Mr.
Gould in connection with certain
railroad construction with which Mr..
Gould was closely associated Mr.
Gould asserts that this was a contri
button eXacted in Canada number of
years ago, with which his associates
had to do
A thorough investigation of the
charges should be had That the time
intervening between the accusations
against Mr.. Gould and the election
is so short is TO be regretted. But il
makes no less imperative the duty of
those in charge Of seeing that the
elections TO the Senate and the Sena-
tors elected are above reproach.
Attempts on his life cause Mussolini
no fear. A genuine dictator is never
GsSaT