Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-02
Politics at Large

The Senate promises to end the pres
| ent session of Congress in a fine po-
litical row. The proposed continued
activities of the Reed slush fund COM
mittee are at the bottom of the trou-
ble Republicans have become FESTIVE
over the activities of this committee
and it's energetic chairman, Senator
Jim" Reed of Missouri. Furthermore,
Senator Reed of Pennsylvania, cou-
sin of the Missouri Senator, has the
definite job ahead of him of having
ISenator-elect William S. Ware of Penn
sylvania seated in the Senate when he
appears with his credentials next SEES
sion. TO the Reed slush fund COM
mittee has been handed the task of
considering the contest filed against
MIR. Ware by William B. Wilson, Demo
cratic candidate for the Senate, who
election. This does not please Mr..
| Reed of Pennsylvania. Mr.. Reed OF
Missouri has already given Mr.. Ware
an overdose of distasteful publicity
through the investigation of the Penn
sylvania primary. Mr.. Reed of Penn
sylvania is insisting that the consider
ing of the Wilson contest go to the
privileges and elections committee.
X \ y
When the conference report on
the last of the annual supply bills,
the District of Columbia bill, was
agreed to in the Senate and it be-
came apparent that no threat of
forcing a special session of Congress
could be held over the heads of Mr..
Reed of Pennsylvania and others who
are opposed to such a session, there
: vas 6 group which said, ITO hell with
/ = Ii n1xSt4
| yv~E.u not have fallen in with the
Ans of Mr. Reed of Pennsylvania
% have a special session of the next
sCongress, forcing the immediate con.
federation of the Ware case. The lapse
of another eight months might be
helpful to Mr.. Vare's case. Further
more, 1t would force the consideration
of the case of Col. Frank l.. Smith,
senator-elect from Illinois, who already
has had an unfortunate experience
with the Senate.
boom has expanded considerably in
recent weeks. What, his opponents in
both parties say, could be more help
full to this boom than to give him a
| rowing commission as head of the
| slush fund committee for another
| year? There have been intimations
that the senatorial elections In Maine
and Colorado might, come under the
| eye of the committee during the re-
cess Of Congress in a way which
would not be agreeable.
| X n v n
Republican Senators, among them
Moses Of New Hampshire and Reed
| of Pennsylvania, say that what is
sauce for the goose Is also sauce for
the gander. If the Reed committee
Is to look into more Republican cam
paigns, then 1t also should be called
upon to inquire into some of the
Democratic campaigns. An amend
ment proposed to the Reed resolu-
ton continuing the slush fund COM
mittee by Reed of Pennsylvania di.
| reefs the committee to inquire
| whether In any primary or general
election the right to vote has been
abridged because of race. or color-a
| clear dig at the Democrats In soma Of
| the Southern States. Another amend
ment directs the committee to in
vestigate any primary or general cleo,
| ton when petitioned to do SO by Ave
Senator'S. If these amendments come
to a vote In the Senate, there will be
some scratching of heads before the
roll call Is completed.
*kA k
How has President Coolidge Jared
| with the Sixty-ninth Congress, now
closing? There Is a disposition in
some quarters to point out some of
| the proposals made to the Congress
| by the President which have not
been carried out, and the insistenoe
| of Congress on some proposals which
| the President antagonized. But
| President C0olidge's success or nom
success with Congress 10 not a very
good political yardstick by which to
idge. Ever since Mr.. Coolidge be-
came the party's candidate for the
| presidency In 1924, which happened
unoffleially not long after he entered
the White House in August, 1928, he
has been stronger politically than the
Congress or the party.
y y y X
The opposition of the Congress to
the President has strengthened him,
rather than weakened him In the
past The President vetoed the SOL
diers' bonus bill In 1924 and dire
predictions were made of what would
happen to him. But the predictions
did not come true. He vetoed the
MeNary- Haugen farm bill the other
day and dire predictions of his
political fate have been made In many
| quarters. 1t is true that the Con-
gress passed the bonus bill over his
| veto and thereby took some of the
sting of his aotion away. The Nc
Nary bill cannot pass over his veto
and 1t begins to look as though the
session would end without any vote
| In the Senate to pass it over his
veto, There are reasons why both the
proponents and the supporters Of
the President I'm this matter might
be glad to allow it to slide along
without action at the present ses-
sion. If the veto message ia brought
before the Senate for action, it
doubtless would lead to many bit.
Republicans who supported the meas
| ure and some Democrats. attacking
| not only the President, but also the
| Republican party. On the other
| hand, If the Senate votes on the
vetoed bill the action Of the Senate
will sustain the stand Of the Presi-
dent.
There is no possibility Of a two
thirds vote to override the veto. The
final word going out to the country,
| therefore, would be that the Presi-
dents opposition to the farm bill has
been sustained by the Senate. That
would not sound so well to those who
wish to carry the McNary-Efaugen bill
into the 1928 campaign as an issue.
X n "
Rumors Of the coming retirement
Of Secretary Kellogg an head of the
State Department continue, though
without any confirmation. One of the
latest is that Mr.. Kellogg, whose
health has not recently been good, will
step out Of the cabinet. alleging
desire to rest and reeuperate, and that
Dwight Morrow Of New York, a close
friend and adviser of the President,
L g.