Evening star., 1926-05-26
Politics at Large
By 6. Could Lincoln

oCCh1hS bVt pNCfs
very encoura ging up to the present
time. Out of an even half dozen who
have gone TO the polls in the pri.
maries in five States three have been
renominated and three have failed.
Senator Norbeck OF South Dakota and
Senator Jim" Watson and Senator
Robinson of India ma were successful
The three who have failed were Sena
tors Mckinley Of Illinois. Senator Pep.
per Of Pennsylvania and Senator
Stanheld Of Oregon. All six of these
Senators were Republicans acd all
six have supported most, II not all, OF
tbs adminisiration measures which
90 me before the Senate for cOnsidera
ton at the present session.
In some Quarters-DemOcra atic--the
effort has been made to show that
the defeat Of the three Senators men
toned was O blow at the administra
ton. 1t must be said, however, tha I
the men who have won the nomins
tions over the sitting Senators are all
reckoned supporters Of the Coolidge
administration. They have said 80
themselves In their campaigns. Col
Frank l.. Smith, although his cam
paisn was made In large part on the
World Court. which he announced
himself against, is a regular Repub
lican. He has been State chairma n
Of the Republican party for years a nd
worked like q beaver for the election
of President Coolidge in 1924. Repre-
sentative William 8. Ware of Pennsyl
vania 10 as regular q Republican as
they come. And Frederick Steiwer OF
Oregon. who defeated Senate Stan
field Friday, is reported to be ever
more regular than Senator Sta anf1elo
himself. II these nominees are sue
cessfui at the elections in the Fai
there will have been no lose to the
Republican control of the Senate.
Local issues controlled largely IL
each OF the primary lights where the
sitting Senators were defeated. II
Pennsylvania Ware was elected be
cause he stood for moditica ton of th'
prohibition laws and his two Repub
lican opponents split the dry vote o
the State. In Oregon the issues wer'
entirely local.
IL the showing de at the pri
ms ries in Oregon were sn exact cri
terion Steiwer should win in a wall
from his Democratic opponent Ber
E., Haney, next November. The vot'
cast in the Republican senatorial pri
mary in that State was just abou
four times as great rs the vote polle'
in the Democratic primary. Oregon
is q Republican State. speaking gen
orally, and the voters for the mos
part register a. Republicans and TAX
part in the primaries of that party
But the party yoke sits more lightl!
on the voters IN the West than IN
the East. For that easOn the elec
ton next Fall may be tar closer thar
the primary votes would indicate
The Republica ns believe. however
that with Steiwer ss'their candidate
for the Senate they will win handiiy
The Democrats have been hopeful
that they NAV pick zap an additiona
seat in Oregon In the coming cleo
tions. Some of them at least hoped
that Senator Sta nfield would be re
nominated. believing that dissensioni
in the Republican ranks over Stan
field would aid their nominee. With
Sta nfield out Of the race, however
they have to revise their estimated
Of strength. Steiwer is n State Sena
tor. He has been a district attorney
and is well thought of in the State
He IL likely TO make strong candi
date.
The decision Of the Republica ns In
New York Stale to hold their conven
ton in New York City instead Of in
one Of the upstate cities has aroused
no little comment. The prOba biiity OF
the adoption Of a moist plank in the
Republican State platform looms
Democrats, who saw their own pal
60 on the rocks In New York City al
their national convention In 1924. are
prepared to sit back and grin IL the
Republicans get into desperate wran
giles at their convention next Septem
Der in that city. In New York the
nominations for governor snd foI
United States Senator are made 81
the party convention and not al, popu
lar primaries. The renOminstion o
Senstor Wadsworth IL q f6regone con
clusiOn, 1t IL said. notwithsta nding ths
efforts Of many of the dry Republi
ca M Of New York to prevent it.
The drys are reported to be ben
Oh the defeat Of senator Wadswortf
Democrat. They realize that a Demo
crat likely would be just as wet q.
Senator WadswOrth. il not more 50
1t looks like case OF cutting OF
ones nose to spite ones face. at best
for the dry Republicans to force thu
defeat Of Senator Wadsworth. Blu
dry orga MIA tiOns are hunting fever
ishly, It is reported. for a ca ndidat'
who will run independently agains
Senator WadswOrth and the Demo
cratic nominee. whoever he may be
ut the election in November. IL suck
a candidate IL put forward 1t vii
mean a hard three.cornered race fol
Senator Wadsworth. The Senator
however, u extremely strong in thu
Empire state. Notwithstanding hi
opposition to the prohibition and thu
woman suffrage amendments to thu
Constitution. lie is resourceful an(
his friends insist that he will he re
elected.
There is at present a drive on i,
favor Of abrogating the two-third
rule which has governed 80 long II
the nominations Of the Democratic
may be mentioned that most OF the
activity in the interest Of the abroga
ton Of this rule is located in New
York. where the friends Of Gov. A
Smith are hopeful that he will b,
seIected as the Democratic sta ndart
bearer In 1928. How much easier Il
briug about the nomination of thu
governor for President ut the mex
Democratic national convention II q
ma jority instead OF a twO.thirds vOt,
ID all that is required. The candi
dacy OF Gov. Smith doubtless will pla
it's part in the determinatio fnall,
az to the fate OF the two.thirds rule
Two years ago 1t was the follower,
Of william Gibbs McAdoo, controlling
O. large number Of delegates at th'
Madison Square Garden convention
who looked with favor on an abrosa
tion Of the two.thirds rule. His Op
ponents, who used Gov. Smith as Z
club to beat down McAdoo, were op
posed. The factor which may disrupl
the pia M for doing away now with
the two.thirds rule is the group oi
Southern States which invaria bi,
cast their electoral votes for the