Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-03
Sleuthing the Senate Sleuthers.


The disputation between Mrs. Ruth
Hanna Mccormick, candidate for SEN
ator in Illinois. and the Senatorial Cam
paign Expense Fund Investigating Com
mittee is considerably more than a
tempest in teapot although the state
ments emanating from both sides are
rather undignified. The committee
charges that Mrs. Mccormick has been
''sleuthing" it, particularly its chair
man, and Mrs. Mccormick in effect
charges that the committee has been
engaged in the ransacking of her per-
sonal premises in search of 'incriminat-
ing" matter. Mrs. Mccormick is frank
in her acknowledgment of having en-
gagged investigator" to look into the
record of the chairman of the Senate
Committee. The committee, on the
other hand, denies having done any
burglarious sleuthing in search of in
eliminating matter scoring against Mrs.
Mccormick. AS far as the espionage
allegations are concerned Mrs. McCor-
mick has the better of the committee
in point of avowal
The spectacle is rather unpleasant,
from any point of view The investiga-
ton into the campaign expenses of the
candidate is in itself hardly justified
by any consideration of senatorial self
defense. 1t can only be excused on
the ground that the Senate fears that
the candidate is trying to buy her way
into that great body of craftsmanship
Mrs Mccormick has made frank and
presumably complete accounting of her
REORGANIZATION campaign expenses, cit
ing the amount of her own personal
contribution to the campaign. It is a
large sum of money. But there is no
law which specifies a total, or a scale
of expenditure for the senatorial Office.
Mrs McCormick's expenditures might
be twice as great as they have been
reported and be still within the law, as
the law is written.
In carrying on the inquiry In the
manner adopted the Senate Committee
didate, has picked her out of all others
for an inquiry that is obviously inspired
by suspicion of her honesty in reporting
and her honesty of purpose in expend-
reprisal of a counter-sleuthing which
the candidate now rather gleefully
acknowledges. That her home was
entered by seekers after her personal
accounts and records appears tc be
fully substantiated. Whether her sus-
picion of the committee as principal in
this lawless enterprise is correct or not
she has some justification in enter
tanning it.
But the hiring of sleuths to shadow
the Senatorial Committees chairman,
to dig into his record at home, to try
to get something" on him, is hardly
in itself warrantable enterprise. 1t is
beside the mark of the contest It does
not matter in the least whether there
is anything in the chairman's past that
is unsavory, or whether he coul. be
embarrassed personally or politically by
revelations thus effected. This phase
of the contest between the committee
and the candidate is strongly suggestive
Of an aroused temperament.
When the committee has concluded
its inquiry--if it ever does-it will have
nothing in all probability that will affect
| the disposition of the voters in Illinois
for or against Mrs. Mccormick. 1t may
/ have something that will figure in the
+! consideration of her credentials if, as
! and when she presents herself in the
| Senate Chamber as the Senator ELECT
/ from Illinois. The Senate has gone
rather dangerously far in the matter Of
rating the eligibility of the bearers of
| proper credentials for seats in that body
| on the score of the amounts of money
| that have been expended in their be-
| half in campaigns. 1t may 60 further,
in the present political temper prevail
ing at the north end of the Federal
Capitol, and hold that a person who
as candidate, defies its inquisitors into
the campaign fund matter is unfit for
| senatorial association. Mrs. Mccormick
has yet to be elected. but If elected she
may figure as principal in one of the
most preposterous contests yet wageo
| against the holder of certificate oil
election to the Upper House of Congress