Evening star., 1927-04-08
Senate Group Hit by Fess
Appointment and Opinion
Backing Committee.
APPROVAL OF DECISION
SEEN IN NEXT SESSION
Vice President Bases Action on
Ruling of Supreme Court in Case
of Nal S. Daugherty.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Vice President Dawes has breathed
new life into the Reed slush fund COM
mittee. At the same time ne has
kicked up a rumpus in Republican
circles.
In announcing in Chicago yesterday
the appointment of Senator Fess of
Ohio, Republican, to fill the vacancy
in the committee caused by the resig-
nation of Senator Con of West Virgil
MIA the Vice President declared that
the Reed committee continues to live
and to function during the recess of
Congress. lie based his decision in
this matter on the opinion of the SUI
preme Court of the United States in
the Nal Daugherty case.
The Vice Presidents decision that
the Reed committee continues to live
| is at variance with some of the mem.
bers of his party in the Senate, among
them Senators Reed of Pennsylvania
and Moses of New Hampshire, leaders
of the filibuster against resolution
to extend the life and powers of the
committee in the closing days of the
last session, and Senator Keyes of New
hampshire. The last, as chairman of
the committee on audit and control of
the contingent fund Of the Senate, has
refused up to date to say that he
would approve voucher for further
expenditures by the Reed committee.
Once Held Committee Dead.
The Senator picked by Vice Presi-
dent Dawes to I'LL the Republican
vacancy in the committee, Mr.. Fess,
in an interview given here a few
weeks ago declared that the Reed
committee was dead. 1t remains to be
seen whether he viii accept the ap.
pointment to the committee now made
by the Vice President. Possibly the
opinion rendered by the Vice Presi.
dent, based on the Supreme Court de-
cision. may have it's effect on both
Senator Fess and Senator Keyes in
this matter. Senator Fess today is in
Ohio. He spoke last night In Indiana,
Ohio, and tonight he viii speak in
| Cleveland.
There seems little doubt that the
Vice President will be sustained by
the Senate itself, in his decision that
the Reed committee lives, when that
body reconvenes. The committee,
composed of two regular Republicans,
one progressive Republican and two
Democrats, unanimously expressed
| the opinion that 1t was a continuing
committee, although the Congress dur
ing which it had been appointed ex-
pired March 4. The committee had.
| too. the advice of other Senators, in
cluding Senator Norris of Nebraska,
chairman of the judiciary committee.
and Senators Walsh of Montana and
Borah Of Idaho before it decided to 20
ahead with its work of investigating
the senatorial election of 1926 in Penn
sylvania.
Keyes Has Nothing to Say.
Senator Keyes at his Office today
left word that he had nothing to say"
with reference to the appointment of
Senator Fess and the decision Of the
Vice President that the Reed commit.
tee could go on functioning. He indi-
| Gated that he would examine the state
ment of the Vice President carefully
before the would decide whether he
would revise his original position in
the matter.
The committees authority to func-
ton is already before the Federal
court in Pennsylvania, where 1t has
sought to impound the ballots cast
in four more counties in the last sena.
torial election, in which William s.
Ware, Republican, was elected over
William B. Wilson, Democrat. 1t is
possible that Senator Keyes will await
the determination of the courts in
Pennsylvania.
Vice President Dawes outspoken
declaration in support of the Reed
committee was read here with the
keenest interest. AS President and
presiding officer of the Senate his de.
cision in the matter is of much sig.
| niicance. From the point of view of
politics it also is not without signifi.
canoe.
The attempt Of some Of the Repub-
licans of the Senate has been to put
an end to the activities of the slush
fund committee. The cases of Sena.
tors-elect Smith of Illinois and Ware
of Pennsylvania, upon both of which
the Reed committee has submitted
reports to the Senate, are to come up
when the Senate reconvenes.
The fact that the Reed committee
is held to be alive by the President of
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