Evening star., 1928-03-21
Politics at Large
BY G.. Could L4;ncOIn.

w CALuoC btiC IldIuHlk dtlt1I
for the oil scandals, are showing them
selves unwilling that the Democrat
should claim to be sinJn pune In tn
matter of campaign contributi 0ns ant
that all the onus of contributl Ons 70
selfish purposes be placed up,n tn
Republican party. 1t remained, TO
example, for Senator BrookhA~t o
Iowa to remind the Senate, durina tn
oil scandal debate two days ago, ,tha
e. l.. Doheny Of black bag fame I1at
In the past been a heavy contribtA o
To the Democratic party and to ask ii
any OF the Democrats were now plarA
ming to pay back those contributions tC
Mr.. Doheny on trial with former Secre-
tary OF the Interior Fall for defrauding
the Government. 1t remained also foI
Senator Gerald p Nye of North Dakota
chairman Of the public lands COM
mittee, to call attention to the fact that
Thomas Fortune Ryan of New York. q
contributor of large sums to the Demo-
cratic party. had been classed as be-
longing 20 the privilege hunting and
privilege seeking class" in a resolution
offered by William Jennings Bryan and
adopted by the Democratic national
convention in Baltimore in 1912.
X X
These retorts by Republican progress
sives to the Democratic critics of the
Republican party are not without
political significance. Four years ago
the Republican progressives and the
Democrats marched along hand in
glove. Even in the presidential cam
paign, with the late Senator La Toilette
of Wisconsin heading the independent
progressive ticket and Senator Wheeler
of Montana as the vice presidential
candidate on that ticket. there we're
efforts to unite forces against the Re-
publican party, though Intellectual.
The progressive Republicans of the
Northwest it now appears. are not in
clined to go along with the Democrats
in the coming campaign. And unless
those In Washington now are mistaken,
they will be less willing TO go along
with the Democrats If the Houston
convention should nominate Gov. Alfred
E. Smith OF New. York
Senator Brookhart's question re-
garulng the Doheny contribution to the
Democratic party came in the midst
of an address in the Senate by Senator
Pat Harrison of Mississippi, who was
jabbing and hooking the Republican
party at will because of the Sinclair
and the use of Liberty
bonds obtained from Sinclair by viii
H. Hays. former chairman of the Re-
publican national committee.
The Democrats are touchy about the
Doheny contribution and the suggestion
that Mr.. Ryans contributions might
be considered unwelcon,e in the light
of the resolution adopted in 1912. Tney
point out that the oil scandals occurred
m the Harding administration, with
IN power. and not while
Democrats were at the helm. But the
progreSSlves are not salts
fed. They assert, Ill the person of
Senator Nye, that had the Democrats
been In power, the same kind OF thing
might have hap,eucd with Doheny a
heavy contributor to the Democratic
party. This is Indignantly denied by
the Democrats. But the result of the
between the Republican
and the Democrats may be
to cement the Republican factions in
the coming campaign against the
Senator Nye called attention to the
Bryan resolution adopted in 1912, which
read in part: ''AS proof Of our fidelity
10 the people We hereby declare our
selves opposed to the nomination OF any
candidate for President who is the rep
resentative OF or under any obligation
TO j. Pierpont Morgan. Thomas F.
Ryan. August Belmont or any other
member OF the privilege hunting and
favor seeking class" He asked Sena-
Tor Harrison. too. how the Democrats,
N face Of this resolution. could coun-
tenance the $4,000 contribution which
Mr.. Ryan made recently to help pay the
Democratic deficit of 1924.
n y 4
On April 3. the Wisconsin primaries
Tor the choice OF delegates to the ma
tional conventions of the Republican
and Democratic parties take place, At
present the "stalwarts" are engaged In
> desperate ellort to prevent the elec-
lion OF the La Toilette slate. which in
cludes as delegates at large Senator
Robert La Toilette, jr.. and Senator
Blaine. The stalwarts have put for
ward slate of their own. proposing
Except IN the case OF two district dele
gate candidates. to go to the Republican
lational convention ''uninstructed,
me two exceptions have announced
themselves for the nomination of Frank
.. Lowden. former Governor of Illinois
VINO is unacceptable to the La Toilette
The latter have announc-
q Tor the nomination of Senator George
Norris of Nebraska.
Senator Blaine has Just returned from
campaign tour OF the State. and Sem
'tor La Toilette Is leaving Washington
o go INTO the State and wind up the
.ampaign Tor the Norris delegates. Sem
ator La Toilette has not a little at stake
n the primary. for he Is I'D for renon,-
nation and reelection 10 the Senate
his year. The senatorial primary does
lot come until late in the Summer. But
4 ne fails OF election as delegate at
arge 10 the national convention. his
aliuFe Will be widely heralded as q loss
u popularity by the Stalwarts. and their
,norts Will be redoubled 10 defeat him
or nomination to the Senate later On
ne other hand, II La Toilette wins I'm
he coming primary. his chances will be
In the senatorial contest.
For years the staiwartS, the so-called
eguiar Republican group In Wisconsin
nave struggled To win back control AZ
he state from the La Toilette progress
aVeS, Particularly has this been trt,e
lnCe the death of the late Senator Ia
Toilette. But In the last two senatorial
elections the La Toilette progreSsives
nave won. although they lost In the
race TO Gov Zimmerman
zimmerman ran, II is true. as a La
Toilette progressive. but opposed the
candidate OF Senator La Toilette. tr
md Senator Blaine. Charges already
ire being circulated that the stalwarts
IRE spending considerable money In
heir campaign for the election Of dele
sates to the Republican national COM
nittee.
There seems little doubt that a sena-
orial committee will be intruSted this
ear with the Job Of scanning contrihu-
ions To campaign funds. Senator Nye
II North Dakota, chairman OF the Sem
lte Teapot Dame committee, Is ready,
le says. To offer resolution providing
'or an investigation committee IL no
me else does. Such committees are be