Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-17
Politics at Large
By G.. Could Lincoln.

which is breaking through party lines.
/ 1t is the campaign to re-elect nall a
dozen Progressive Senators, some DEM
ocrats and some Republicans. So you
/ find members of the Progressive group
in the Senate campaigning in all these
| States for the Progressive candidates
irrespective of their own party atiilia-
tions.
| La Toilette of Wisconsin, himself a
candidate for reelection, has travelled
into Montana to speak for Wheeler, who
| is running this year as Democrat, and
for Smith, although four years ago he
was the vice presidential candidate on
the La Toilette independent Progressive
ticket. Senator La Toilette has been in
North Dakota campaigning for Frazier,
Republican and supporting Hoover.
He is now in Minnesota making adj
dresses for Senator Shipstead, Farmer
Labor, who has committed himself
neither to Smith nor to Hoover.
What Senator La Toilette Is doing is
but sample of what other Progressive
Senators are doing, among them Sena-
| tor Norris of Nebraska and Senator Nye
of North Dakota. They are out to
maintain, If they can, their Progressive
group in the Senate, which in recent
years has held the balance of power.
More of these ProgreSsives are to be
found on the Republican side of the
| chamber, but there are some on the
Democratic side, too. Wheeler in Mon
tana and Dill in Washington are the
two Democrats who are fighting for
their return to the Senate this Fall
| Senator La Toilette had his big fight
| in the primary campaign. He made
| a runaway race of it for the Repub-
lican senatorial nomination to succeed
himself, and won by tremendous ma
jority. His reelection is as sure as
anything can be in politics, and, indeed,
even Surer.
| X n
The way the Progressive Senators
have rallied to the support of each
! other in this campaign and to the sup
port of their colleagues in the Pro-
/ greSSive group gives a pretty good in
dication of what is in the back of their
heads. No matter who is elected Presi-
dent. Hoover or Smith, these Pro-
greSsives intend to be in a position of
| sufficient strength in the Senate to
make their own ideas and principles in
government felt The two Democratic
Senators seeking reelection in this
group have come out for the Demo-
cratic national ticket. La Toilette has
come out neither for Hoover nor for
Smith. Frazier of North Dakota is out
|
latter is not this year candidate for
his term has four years to run. Howell,
in Nebraska, is out for Hoover.
Senator Norris, Howells colleague,
has not committed himself, either to
Smith or to Hoover. The rumor per-
sists, however, that when he has
finished campaigning for these Pro-
gressive Senators he is going back to
Omaha and there in his own State
make an address which will declare his
position on the presidential election.
The rumor also has it that he is going
to make a speech for Smith. There
has been at least one copy of a speech,
alleged to be copy of that which Mr..
Norris will make, passed around in
Democratic hands in st. Paul and Min
neapolis. 1t does not appear probable
either that Senator Norris would pre-
pare such a speech so long in advance
of its delivery, or that, having pre-
pared it, he would permit it to get out
of his hands at this juncture. That's
the rumor, however, for what it may
be worth.
Senator Shipstead does not feel the
urge to come out for either candidate
of the two major parties. He runs as
Farmer-Labor candidate. He is expect
l
standing on his own record in the Sem
ate during the last six years. He takes
the position that he Is no mans rubber
stamp and wears no mans collar.
Therefore why should he feel impelled
| to come out either for Smith or for
Hoover He will pass on the merits of
appointments made by whoever is elect
ed President when those appointments
come to him, but not as a Republican
or as a Democrat. The same will be
| his position with regard to their legiS-
lative recommendations. In his mind,
as in the minds of La Toilette, Norris
and the others, the paramount issue is
to have as many ProgresSives in Con-
gress as possible.
| Democrats and Republicans alike in
the Northwest are wondering what Gov.
Smith will do next and where he will
alight on some of the So-called issues.
His speech in Louisville, KY, in which
he declared for the protective tariff and
presented plan for removing the tariff
| from politics, and in which he also
strongly resented any imputation that
| he had spoken with commentator of
the last Democratic tariff law, the I'm
derwood-Simmons law, caused no little
surprise. There are Is or 16 Demo-
cratic members of the Senate today, all
of whom voted for the Underwood-S Sim
mons tariff act and all of whom have
been in the habit of praising that
measure. In those days a tariff for
revenue only, with incidental protec-
ton, was good Democratic doctrine.
That was in 1914. And the bill was
signed by President Woodrow Wilson,
who had called a special session of
Congress to deal with the tariff and
other matters almost Immediately after
his inauguration. Gov. Smith. in his
Louisville address, declared against any
general bill for the revision of the tariff.
This has made the old-timers gasp.
| Among the Democrats in the Senate
who helped to frame and pass the
Underwood tariff act are Senator Rob-
| 1nSon Of Arkansas, Smiths running
mate; Senators Overman of North Car
DINA, Fletcher of Florida, Smith of
South Carolina, Reed of Missouri, Rams
dell of Louisiana, Walsh of Montana,
| not to mention Senator Simmons him.
self, who was chairman OF the Senate
finance committee, which handled the
bill. Senator Simmons opposition to
the election of Gov Smith, which he
| has so vigorously expressed, is not like
! ly to be lessened by the reputation |
of his tariff bill by the Democratic
nominee. There are several Democratic |
Senators who voted for the Underwood |
| Simmons bill, who were members of the |
House in 1918, among them Senators |
Harrison of Mississippi Glass of Vir- |
ginia and Heflin of Alabama.
Campaigners who have been in North |
Dakota and Montana believe that the |
swing in both those States Is now |
toward Hoover and away from Smith. |
In North Dakota resentment is felt |
against Mr.. Hoover and the Republican |
administration because of their oppo- |
sition to the McNary- Haugen farm bill |
1t runs back to the war days. when !
Hoover was food administrator. too. |
Both the Republican Senators, Nye and |