Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-19
Politics at Large
By C.. Could Lincoln.

Alabama, through Senator Tom
Hefiin. has started something again
1t was the supporters of Senator
Underwood of Alabama who Stlrreu
up the Ku Klux Khan row In the
Democratic national convention III
1924 and started that convention on
it's hectic career. But Senator Herin
has taken another turn. he accused
the Knights of Columbus or seeking
to shove the United States into war
with Mexico because the present
Mexican government has turned OUT
the Catholics.
The criticism, of the knlghtS Oh
Columbus. delivered in the senate
chamber by Senator Helm, was III
terpreted as an attack on the cain =
Ole Church in this country. WINE
Senator Heflin continued to insist
that the organization of Catholics
had bv resolution urged the United
states Government to cease a policy
of watchful waiting and do some
thing in Mexico, five other Demo-
cratic Senators arose in their places
and in various degrees of eloquence
denounced him for dragging a re-
Iigious issue into the Senate chamber
Not a Republican Senator said
word. But the seats on the Re-
publican side of the chamber were
filled as they are rarely filed.
The clash in the Senate chamber
is a repetition of the old clash IN
Madison Square Garden. 1t opens
again old sores 1t augurs i'll for the
Democratic party in 1923. Ranged
against Senator Hef1in in the Sem
ate debate were Senators Jim Reed
of Missouri, Bruce of Maryland, Walsh
of Massachusetts, Ransde1 of Louisi-
ana and AshurSt of Arizona. 1t was
noticeable that not another Senator
came to the aid of Senator Hefiin
during the hail of criticism that fell
upon his head. There is not the
slightest doubt that while many may
have sympathiZed with him, all OF
the Democrats wished he had re-
Trained from his attacks on the
knights of Columbus.
Senator Hefiin comes from State
where there has just been inaugu-
rated as governor Col. Bibb Graves,
alleged to be the grand cyclops OF
the Ku Klux Khan. He is openly
antagonistic to the candidacy OF
Gov. Smith of New York. Catho-
lie and a wet, for the Democratic
presidential nomination in 1928. The
charge was made on the floor of the
Senate by Senator Ashurst of Ar1-
IONA that Senator Hef1in was seek
ing to gain favor with the Ku Klux
Khan through attacking the Knights
of Columbus; that Senator Hef1in
he hnndn6
because he had voted for American
adherence to the World Court, which
the Khan has opposed. This charge
the Senator from Alabama vehement
ly denied.
The scene in the Senate during the
debate was as dramatic as anything
that has occurred since the close OF
the war. There are speeches in the
Senate which stand out from the rest
Of the debate like a searchlight on
a cloudy night. Senator Reeds plea
for tolerance and denunciation OF
Senator Heflin for injecting a con
troversy over religion was one OF
them. The Missouri Senator spoke
to a. crowded Senate and galleries. 1t
was a great plea-an American plea
1t did not prevent sneering re-
mark by Senator Hefiin, however
that perhaps presidential aspirations
had something to do with the haste
with which. Senator Reed had come
to the support of the Catholics, that
the millions of Catholic votes in the
States had something to do with 1t.
On the other hand, Senator Bruce
of Maryland asserted that If Senator
Heflin had more Catholic people in his
State he would never charge the
Catholics with being disloyal to the
interests of the United States and
with seeking to force the United
States into n war
X * =
While the Democrats continue to
row over religion and prohibition,
things political are shaping up Tor
the denomination and reelection OF
escape from this conclusion. DR.. E.
B. Clements, Republican national
committeeman for Missouri, during a
visit here this week, declared that the
Republicans of his State favor the
reelection of the President. Mrs.
Alvin IT. Hert of Kentucky, vice chair
man of the Republican national COM
mittee, here to meet woman members
of the National committee and of the
State committees, expressed the
opinion that President Coolidge would
be renominated and reelected.
The Republicans of two of the big
Middle Western States will gather for
powwows within a month. Kansas
day January %. the tribe will meet
in Topeka. Secretary Jardine Will go
from Washington to address the
gathering of Republicans. A similar
;eh
to be held Lincolns birthday, Febru-
airy IL, when Secretary of War Davis
will be one of. the principal speakers.
The fact that the Republicans in
these States have turned to the adj
ministration and to the President
cabinet for speakers for these meet
ings is considered significant.
X x X
]. Hamilton Lewis, former Senator
from Illinois and a Democrat, who
has been in Washington as one of the
counsel for the State of Illinois and
Chicago in the case before the Su-
preme Court involving the drainage
canal and Lake Michigan, sees the
prohibition issue as the main obstacle
to the elimination of the two-thirds
rule for nominating in the next DEM
ocratic national convention. Former
Senator Lewis said:
"All this talk of the Democratic
convention repeating the two-thirds
rule to adopt the Republican method
of majority rule overlooks the prime
obstruction prohibition. Never will
the prohibition States of the South
and West consent to giving up the
two-thirds vote necessary to choice,
because the States against prohibition
are the big States and in themselves
can command IA majority of votes in
the convention. The defeat of an
anti-prohibition candidate can only
be had by two-thirds necessary to
nominate.
again. the anti-prohibition Eastern
States will not be anxious for the