Evening star., 1926-03-25
BR0OKHART CUSTER
VOTED BY SENATE:
ELECTION pROBERS
Seating of Steck, Democrat.
Will Be Recommended by
Committee.
MINORITY TO SUPPORT
INSURGENTS CLAIMS
Strenuous Fight to Be Made by
Iowan's Friends, But Defeat
Is Forecast.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Senate privileges and elections
committee at meeting today formal
~ voted TO recommend the seating of
Daniel f. Steck. Democrat. as Senator
from Iowa. in place cf Senator Smith
Wildman Brookhart. insurgent Re
publican.
4 minority report supporting Sena
tor Brookhart's right to his seat will
he fled by Senator Stephens OF Mis-
sissippi. Democrat.
Chairman Ernst of the committee
was instructed to poll three absent
members of the committee before an
nouncing finally the vote in the com.
mittee on the Rrookhart-Steck case.
II was learned. however. that the re-
port favorinc Steck will he signed by
large majority of the committee.
Reports Due Tomorrow.
The majority and minority reports
will be filed in the Senate tomorrow,
1t is expected. Prediction was made
that the case would be taken up Mon.
day or Tuesday in the Senate The
matter is one of highest privilege In
The Senate. and il is expected there
Will he little further delay in bring
ing the fight out on the floor.
Senator Brookhart and his friends
Will. 1t is said. make strenuous fight
to prevent his unseating. On the
other hand. the indications are that
the Democrats will line up pretty
solidly back of the majority report
which would give Iowa its first Demo
cratic senator since the Civil War.
a subcommittee consisting of two
Republicans and two Democrats un-
animously reported 10 the full COM
mittee that Steck was entitled to the
seat now occupied by Senator Brook
hart. Senator BrOokhart will have
the support of many members of the
Progressive group on the Republican
side.
Unless the debate changes the situa-
ton materially, it is expected that
Steck will be seated.
Brookhart Is Silent.
Senator. Brookhart would make no
comment today the reported action
of the committee. Senator Stephens of
Mississippi, Ii is expected. will have
charge of his fight on the floor.
In the event Senator Brookhart is
unseated, it is believed he will enter
the Republican primaries in Iowa for
the senatorial nomination against SEN.
ator Cummfns. who must come up for
reelection this year. Reports from
Iowa declare that Senator Brookhart
in such contest will stand a good
chance of winning. Should he do So
the Democrats would seek again. as
they did in 1924, to send a representa-.
tive to the United States Senate, hop.
Ing for the aid of the regular Eepub.
licans of Iowa.
Will Stress Iowa Law.
The minority report to be tiled by
Senator stephens will declare that
Senator Brookhart was elected by
several hundred votes" Ii will Law
stress on the necessity of following the
Iowa State law. in passing upon the
contest. The majority report. on the
other hand, will take into considera-
ton the intent of the voters. which
has recently governed the Senate in
arriving at decisions in contests for
seats.
The subcommitte report held that
Steck had been elected by about l,4UU
votes. One member of the subcom.
mittee, Senator George, however,
while he concurred in the findin of
the committee. differed in regar,. to
q block of some 1900 voters, and held
that Steck had been elected by abou:
rs votes
The Brookhart- -Steck contest has
been pending for more than year.
The ballots cast in the election in No
vember. 1924. were brouSh, here by
order of the Senate, and they were
counted during the Summer. Both
sides were given an opportunity to
submit arguments and briefs TO the
subcommittee and later the full COM
mittee heard arguments.
The charge was made In some
quarters not long ago that a decision
in the matter was being delayed in
order to carry the case beyond April
2?, when the time for filing for the
senatorial primaries in Iowa expires
This was denied, however. by Sena.
tor Ernst and other members of the
committe.