Evening star., 1927-12-07
SMITH IS REFUSED
SENATE OATH BY
VOTE OF 90 TO g
Action Follows Vain Plea by
Borah to Seat Him Pend
ing Inquiry.

BY a vote of SO to 32, the Senate
| this afternoon rejected a motion to
permit Senator elect Frank L. Smith
of Illinois to take the oath Of office
pending further investigation OF
charges that he spent large sums OF
money in the primary campaign.
The vote came suddenly after ar
hour of debate, in which Senator
Borah. Republican, of Idaho, and Sen
ator Reed, Democrat, of Missouri, took
part. Senator Borah, although not
contending that Smith should remain
a member Of the Senate, argued that
he was entitled to be sworn In on the
face Of his credentials, pending in
vestigation.
Reed Answers Borah.
Answering Senator Borah, Senator
Reed, who headed the special com
mittee that inquired into the cam
paign expenditures latst year, offered
a resolution. which was adopted, per
mitting Mr.. Smith to be heard from
the floor of the Senate in his own de.
fense, without actually administering
to him the oath of Senator.
Following the vote by which the
Senate refused decisively to admin
lister the oath in advance of an in
quiry. the body proceeded Immediate
ly to consider other pending motions
relating to whether further inquiry
into Mr.. Smiths case should be made
by the regular committee on privi
leges and election or by q special cam
paign expenditures committee.
On the vote by which the oath was
denied, several Southern Democratic
Senators voted in favor of administer.
ing the oath, pending investigation.
The vote came when Senator Deneen,
Republican. of Illinois, offered a sub
stitute for the pending resolution of
Senator Norris.
The Deneen substitute sought to
have the Senate decide to administer
the oath without expressing any
opinion on the question whether he
should finally remain in the Senate.
Thus, an affirmative vote was to adj
minister the oath and negative vote
to deny it.
Motion to Refer Fails.
After it had voted DOWN. the mo.
ton to administer the oath immedi-
ately to Mr.. Smith, the Senate also
rejected another motion by Senator
Deneen which would have referred
the Smith case to. the regular Senate
committee on privileges and elections.
The final vote then came on the
resolution of Senator Norris of Ne
braska, which was adopted, So to %.
and which provides that the claim of
Smith to seat in the Senate Is re-
ferred to the special campaign ex-
penditure committee, headed by Sen.
ator Reed, Democrat, of Missouri,
which committee made the investiga.
ton on which the resolution to pre-.
vent Smith from taking the oath was
based
The Norris resolution as amended
directs the special committee to take
further evidence and also carries the
suggestion of Senator Reed OF
Missouri that Mr.. Smith may have
the privilege of the floor of the Senate
for the purpose of defending his claim
to be sworn in as a Senator.
After thus disposing of the case OF
Smith of Illinois, the Senate recessed
for 45 minutes, after which it is ex,
pected the case of Senator-elect Ware
of Pennsylvania will be taken up. II
Is not regarded as likely however,
that the Ware case will reach vote
today.
How They Voted.
The roll call follows:
For the oath:
Republicans Bingham, Borah,
Brookhart, Curtis, Dineen. Edge, Fess,
Gillett, Golf, Gould, Greene, Hale,
Keyes. Mclean, Metcalf. Moses,
Phipps, Pine, Reed of Pennsylvania,
Sackett, Schall, Shortridge. Smoot,
Steiwer, Warren, Waterman and Wat
son-27.
Democrats--Blease. Broussard. Over
man, Ransdell, Smith Of South caro-
| lina-5.
Total. 80.
| Against the oath:
Repubiicans-Blaine, Capper. Couz
ems, Dale, Frazier. Howell, Johnson
! Jones of Washington. La Toilette
| McNas aster, McNary, Nye and Willis
IS.
| Democrats--Ashurst, Barkley, Bay
ard. Black, Bratton, Bruce. Caraway
Din. Edwards. Ferris, Fletcher
George, Glass. Harris. Harrison
TIawes. Hayden. Helm. Kendrick
McKellar. Mayfield. Nicely, Pittman
Reed of Missouri. Robinson of Arkan
sas. Sheppard. Simmons, stephens
Swanson. Thomas. Trammell, Tyd
ings. Tyson. Wagner. Walsh Oi
Massachusetts, and Wheeler-36.
| Observation-Disclosures.
Total SO. i-----l---.-.-----