Evening star., 1926-04-14
Politics at Large.
BY G. Gould Lincoln

LlOIo LIl0 IGSulAk INCPuOAAN<AA CA 6"~A~
Zation has two objects in view. FIRST,
to retain control Of the Senate and
House against the Democrats. Sec
ond, to beat down and submerge to
the lowest possible depth the In
surgent Republican progressives who
have proved a thorn In the side or
the administration in the Sixty
eighth and, to a less extent, In the
Sixty-ninth Congress.
The ousting of Senator Brookhart,
the insurgent from Iowa, removes
from the Senate one OF those who
have made up the group which
caused the regulars the greatest
amount of trouble. Whether the vote
which eliminated Senator Brookhart
from the upper house was a wise
political move remains to be seen. II
Senator Brookhart enters the pri-
maries in Iowa for the Senate seat
now held by Senator Cummins, as 1t
Is expected he will do, and he Is de-
feated for the nomination by the vet
eran, Senator Cummins, the regulars
will feel that they have achieved a
real victory over the insurgents. On
the other hand. II Brookhart should
win the nomination it will be a sad
blow to the national organization and
an evidence that the insurgent spirit
has by no means died out in the
Middle West.
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The Democrats, Of course, stood to
lose nothing. but rather to gain in
the seating of Senator Steck in the
place held ever since the elections In
1924 by Senator Brookhart. They
not only have increased their strength
in the Senate by one additional Sem
ator, but they have sent back to
Iowa. a. man who may cause a. great
deal of trouble to their opponents.
Senator Steck insisted that he is
"true Democrat" but admits that
he is a conservative. 1t is expected
that he will be found aligned with
Senator Underwood Of Alabama. Sem
ator Bruce of Maryland and other
conservative Democrats in many Of
the votes that are to come during the
present Congress. The new Senator,
having won his contest, by the way.
is due to receive a neat little sum for
back pay. something more than $10.-
600, for the year that he was kept
out Of his seat in the Senate.
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The next contest between the op.
posing wings Of the Republican
party Is set for the special election
on June 80, when Senator Gerald P.
Nye of North Dakota, Non-Partisan
League. is to lock horns with former
Gov. Hanna. nephew of the
late Mark Hanna, the candidate of
the conservative Republicans of his
State. The regulars feel that they
have chance TO win in this election.
The ousting of Senator Brookhart
by the Senate, however, is likely to
redouble the efforts of the progress
sives in North Dakota to elect their
candidate.
One Of the bitterest fights sched-
uled for the campaign this year will
be found in Wisconsin, where Senator
Lenroot, the candidate of the "Stal-
warts" is to face Gov. Blaine, a La
Follettite. For number Of years
the progressives in Wisconsin have
striven to eliminate Senator Lenroot.
But in the past he has succeeded in
defeating them. During the campaign
for the nomination and election Of
Senator Robert NJ. La Toilette, jr.,
Senator Lenroot took the offensive
against the progressives, but without
avail. Senator La Toilette was elect
ed by a huge majority. Senator Len
root has made formal announcement
Of his candidacy, and it is expected
that the Stalwarts will put forth
their utmost efforts to elect him, and
first of all to win the Republican
nomination for him. The campaign
is to be one Of the fiercest on record.
Gov. Blaine is not without his enc
mics among the progressives, some of
whom he has offended during his in
cumbency as governor. Furthermore,
a wet" candidate has announced he
will make bid for the Republican
senatorial nomination, a young man
not particularly known in the State
But the wet" and dry" issue is
coming more and more to the front
as the year progresses. This candi-
dacy may cut into the strength of
one or both Of the other two candi-
dates. Senator Lenroot has been a
dry" and Gov. Blaine. on the other
hand, has been reckoned as a "wet." :"
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More and more bitter is growing
the campaign for the senatorial
nomination in Pennsylvania, where
Senator Pepper. Gov. Pinchot and
Representative Ware are the candi-
dates. The hope Of the friends of
Senator Pepper IS that the opponents
of Mr.. Ware, who is running on n
wringing wet platform, will concen-
trate in the Pepper camp. Gov. Pin
chot is bone dry" He has denounced
again and again Secretary Mellon
and the Mellon organization in Penn
sylvania. which is supporting Sena-
tor Pepper. With the MELONS back
Of him and many of the supporters
Of prohibition, Senator Pepper is
likely to present very strong front.
Should the Anti-Saloon League be-
to throw it's weight to Senator Pep
per in order to prevent the nomina-
ton of Mr.. Ware. there is little
doubt that Gov. Pinchot would suffer
considerably theeeby, and Senator
Pepper would stand very good
chance of winning. That is the set
up for which the friends of Senator
Pepper are hoping.
Two Senators who voted against
the World Court in the Senate last
January go before the voters of In
diana May seeking denomination.
Senator Watson and Senator Robin
son, both Republicans. Inc Senti-
ment in the Middle West against the
World Court as evidenced by the
vote against Senator William B. Nc
Kinley yesterday is likely to be re-
flected in Indiana in favor of Sena-
tors Watson and Robinson. At the
time Of the vote in the Senate on
the World Court 1t was reported
from Indiana that the people were
overwhelmingly against American
adherence to the World Court. The
Ku Klux Klan, which has consid-
erable strength in the State, was
fighting it.
There have been recent ructions In
Indiana, where Gov. jackson, who
appointed Senator Robinson to flll
the vacancy caused by the death Of
Senator Ralston, has been critical of
the vote Of Senator Robinson against
the President on the World Court