Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-07
A Salutary Lesson,

William S. Ware has been denied a
seat in the Senate by a vote of that
body. Stripped of all constitutional
questions that may be involved, relat-
Ing to the rights of the States and Of
the Senate, the Upper House struck Wig
orously at excessive expenditures in
campaigns for senatorial nominations
and elections, and at political corrup-
ton, in its action yesterday in the case
Of Mr.. Ware. The decision of the Sem
ate is final. Under the Constitution
the Senate is the sole Judge Of the quail
incations and elections of its members
There is no appeal.
For three years the struggle over Ware
has continued. The country is familiar
with the charges of excessive expendi-
lures and corruption made against the
veteran Republican boss of Philadelphia
The Senate committee which investi-
gated the Pennsylvania primary in 1928,
under the leadership of former Senator
James A. Reed of Missouri, found that
there had been expended for the Ware
Beidleman ticket more than $3.50, 900
and for the Pepper Fisher ticket an
even larger sum of money. There have
been reports to the effect that still
larger sums were actually expended.
But the report of the committee showed
q condition which should not be per-
uaitted to exist.
The Senate has served notice on the
country and on men who may under
take to win nominations and elections
to that body that it will not tolerate
the excessive expenditure of money in
elections, primary or general. 1t is
salutary thing. The argument has been
made in the Senate by those who would
have seated Ware that if the Senate
should turn back the Senator-elect
from Pennsylvania because Of large ex-
penditures of money the time might
come when it would deny men the right
to be seated because q majority of the
Senate did not care for the cut Of a
mans hair or the color Of his eyes. The
argument, carried to its last analysis,
may be correct, but at the same time
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Senate will ever exclude a man because
Of the color of his eyes. But the action
now taken by the Senate indicates
clearly that If an election or q nomina-
ton to the Senate is secured In q way
that is not In the best interests, either
Of the State in which the election is
held or of the country at large, the
Senate will not permit the beneficiary
70 take seat in that body.
The votes that were cast for Mr.. Ware
n the Senate yesterday were cast be-
cause those Senators insisted that the
Senate should not undertake to refuse to
seat man who comes to it duly accred-
tied by the chief executive of his State.
What one of those Senators who voted
for Ware, however, would 60 on record
as approving the course followed by
Ware and his opponents in the Pennsyl-
Vania primary of 1926? It is an irony
Of fate that the exclusion of Mr.. Ware
places in the hands of his opponents in
that primary the appointment Of q
Senator to fill the vacancy caused by
the action Of the Senate in the Ware
case. His opponents, it has been DEM
onstrated, expended more money than
did Ware and his friends. The Cover
nor of Pennsylvania has already been
put on notice that some Senators will
scrutinize keenly an appointment which
he makes and that his appointee must
be far removed from the primary of
1925. The huge vote against Ware, more
than two to one, is clear indication of
the spirit Of the Senate as 1t is now
composed.