Evening star., 1927-12-06
NORRIS LAUNCHES
VARE-SM|TH FIGHT
Nebraskan Senator AssaiIs
Campaign Costs-Inter-
rupted by Reed.

The opening gun in the verbal bat
tie over the seating of Senat ators-elect
Smith of Illinois and Ware of Penn
sylvania was fired in the Senate this
afternoon. with Senator Norris, Re-
publican, of Nebraska attacking ex-
penditures made in the Pennsylvania
and Illinois primaries last year and
calling on the Senate to bar both
Smith and Ware.
Senators on both sides of the is
sue have been preparing the lines of
battle during the lull that has existed
since the Senate convened at noon
yesterday, and the contest began inn.
| mediately after the clerk had finished
| reading the annual message of the
President this afternoon.
Although the case of Smith was
taken up first, from a parliamentary
standpoint, Senator Norris in his
| opening speech dwelt upon the issues
| involved in the Ware case also.
Ready for Battle.
That supporters of the two Sena-
| tors-elect are ready TO defend their
| sides of the question was made ap-
parent at the outset when Senator
| David Reed. Republican, of Pennsyl-
| vania, interrupted Senator Norris at
the end of his opening paragraph to
take issue with statement contained
| in it.
There Is practically no dispute
about what happened in the Illinois
! and Pennsylvania primaries in the
| Spring of 1926" Senator Norris be-
| gan.
| At this point Senator Reed said
he wanted to state that the assertions
contained in the preamble of the
resolution offered yesterday by Sena-
tor Norris seeking to bar Ware from
the Senate were untrue. Senator
Norris replied by reiterating his be-
lief in the truth of the statements in
his resolution, and then went on
with his address.
1T stands undisputed," Senator
Norris said that there was spent
in the Illinois and Pennsylvania pri-
maries several millions of dollars in
an effort simply to obtain the nom.
ination of candidates. In Pennsyl-
vania more than $3,00O,000 was
spent by the various contestants. OF
this amount, practically 100000 was
spent for the nomination of Mr..
Ware. the successful nominee; and in
| Illinois, for Mr.. Smiths nomination,
in round numbers, more than $3.50. 900
was spent. simply for the nomination
of the Republican Eicket.
AssaiIs Expenditures.
"These stupendous amounts stag
ger the magination of the ordinary
citizen IT was q race where the en-
trance fee debarred every man of
modest means unless he was willing to
mortgage his birthright to special in.
terests that were interested in favor
able legislation in our National Gov.
ernment."
After going into detail of both cases,
Senator Norris turned to the legal
points involved and argued that the
Senate is the sole judge of the mean.
ing of the word "qualification" in that
part of the Constitution relating to
the admission of Senator's He con.
tended there Is no limitation on the
power invested in the Senate by that
section of the Constitution, which de
clares that leach house shall be the
Judge of the election, returns and
qualifications of it's own members
Turning to the question of whether
Smith and Ware are entitled to be
seated. pending decision on the CUES
ton of whether they are to remain
permanently in the Senate, Senator
Norris said:
1T is true that in ordinary cases
a Senator is sworn in upon the pres
entation of his certificate of election
| and if his right to seat here is ther
, contested, he remains in the Senate
as member until that question
finally is determined by the Senate.
= That procedure is followed because
in the ordinary case, the only ofIicia
; evidence that the Senate has of th
, election or qualifications of one claim
ing the right to be a member of tn,
Senate is the certificate Of election
4 No other evidence of an official kin,
4 ~ ordinarily in the possession of tn
Senate. and, hence. when the Senat
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