Evening star., 1927-03-05
REED COMMITTEE
TO CONTINUE WORK
SIush Probers Keep Ballot
Boxes From Pennsylvania;
Authority in Doubt.

Out of the muddle into which the
fifouster in the Senate has thrown
the senatorial investigation OF the
elections Of 1926 the following facts
emerged today.
/. The so-called Reed slush fund
committee will continue to operate
despite the failure of the Reed resoiu.
ton formally extending the HE ana
powers of the committee.
2. Senators-elect William :. ware
Of PENNSYLVANIA and Frank l.. Smith
Of Illinois automatically so on the
Senate pay roll but the question OF
their final seating will not be deter
mined until the new Senate meets.
3. The contest filed by William b.
Wilson, Democratic candidate for the
Senate against Ware last year. has
been received by the Senate and re-
ferred to the committee on privileges
and elections.
Still Has Ballot Boxes.
4. The Reed slush fund committee
still has possession of the ballot boxes
from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and
has issued orders for seizing the bal
lot boxes in other counties of Penn
sylvania.
5. The citations for contempt of
calcitrant witnesses who declined 10
answer questions of the Reed commit
tee GO over until the session of the
Senate in December.
There is an apparent conflict Of au-
thority between the Reed committee
and the privileges and elections com
Y1ittee in the matter of the inyestiga-
ton of the contested Pennsylvania
election. There is likelihood. too. that
the slush fund committee may meet
with more refusals to answer ques-
tions on the theory that the powers of
the committee died with the end OF
the Congress in which II was created.
Witnesses who take that position,
however, may find themselves emoar-
assed in view of the decision of the
Supreme Court In the Nal Daugherty
case that the Senate is continuing
body and in view of the fact that the
Reed committee was not appointed for
any special term, but may be consid-
cred a continuing committee.
More Records Impounded.
The Reed committee met yesterday
afternoon. and by unanimous vote
ordered the impounding of ballots cast
In four additional counties in Pennsyl-
vania.
Senator Reed. Democrat, Missouri.
chairman of the committee, contends
Il has full authority to act in the
Pennsylvania election contest under
resolution adopted last January. and
tentative plans have been agreed upon
to hold another meeting here March
Is. when the question os opening the
ballot boxes already brought here
from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh may
be decided.
The committees order to seize the
bcxes in Delaware. Lacka wanna.
Luzerne and Schuylkiil Counties was
entered late Thursday after the Sen
are had been formally apprised that
William 3. Wilson. Democrat. had
contested the election Of William S.
Ware, Republican. Senator Reed said
this was the only action taken by the
While the question of whether boxes
already seized win be opened was left
tor later determination, Ware has writ.
ten the committee calling attention
that It had been directed by resolution
10 secure ballot boxes merely for their
preservation. while Senator Reed. Re
publican, Pennsylvania. who led the
6hbuster against the resolution TO con-
tinue the committee. holds it clearly
does not have the power" to open the
boxes.
Credentials in Due Form.
Both Ware and Senator-elect Frank
l. Smith Of Illinois. whose primary
campaign expenditures also have been
inquired into by the Reed committee,
nave been placed on the Senate payroll
with the report by the elections COM
rnittee that their credentials were in
due form.
While counsel for Smith advised
him that this action gave him a seat,
Senator Caraway of Arkansas, a
Democrat, on the elections committee
told the Senate that this question had
not been considered during examina-
ton of the credentials, and that he
presumed every one would hold that
the seating Of both Smith and Ware
was a question for the next Congress
70 decide. There was no dissent from
this view.
Since there is no contest pending
against Smith and in view Of the
fact that his case as Senator elect was
referred to the elections committee
after an uncompleted Investigation. 1t
is not believed the Reed committee
VIII attempt to pry into II, at least
during the recess.
In his formal notice Of contest, filed
with the Senate yesterday by Senator
Robinson of Arkansas, Wilson charged
q failure to count many Of the ballots
cast for him and asserted a fair count
would show he had been elected.