Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10

goes whether Senator George w. Norris
Of that State shall continue in the
Senate.
: while Nebraska is the most interest
ing, the most important is the one in
Arkansas. in which Democratic leader
of the Senate, Joseph T. Robinson, is a
candidate for renomination-a nomlna-
ton which in the case of Democratic
Arkansas is the equivalent of ar cleo
ton.
To practically everybody in Washing
ton, regardless of party, failure of Sen
ator Robinson to get his denomination
would be an unthinkable thing. If news
should come out of Arkansas next
Wednesday morning that Joseph T.
Robinson had been retired by his State
from public life, the effect upon Wash
ington would be sensational.
Robinson has the largest gift of lead
ership in either party in the Senate. He
Is the ablest leader the Democrats have
had for time out Of mind. Rejection Of
him by his State locally W. aid be a
fatality to national politics. 1t would
deprive the Democrats of their best ma
tional leader. 1t would hurt the Demo-
Gratis in the Nation, because 1t would
create among the public disturbing
feeling that the Democrats may not
adequately appreciate men of Senator
Robinson's quality.
H1OWGNGI, WdSI1lIlEtO1l, III bklC dbpCbSC
;. of detailed information, takes 1t COM
pletely for granted that Arkansas will
renominate Robinson. And much OF
Washington takes it for granted that if
the Democratic nominee for the presi-
dency two years from now is a dry,
Senator Robinson, assuming he is not
now rejected by his State, has by far
the best chance.
Nebraska Primary Picturesque.
II the Arkansas primary involving the
fate of Democratic Leader Robinson, is
the most important, the Nebraska pri-
mary, involving the continuance in the
Senate of George w. Norris, is the more
picturesque
Norris is the only Republican of any
great prominence, the only Republican
holding an Office as high as Senator
who in the 1928 presidential campaign
opposed the candidate OF his own party,
Mr.. Hoover, and openly advocated the
election of Gov. Smith. Hence one of
the interesting questions to be decided
by the Republicans of Nebraska on
Tuesday is whether they will renew the
nomination of Senator who opposed
the presidential candidate Of his own
party and publicly Endorsed the candi-
date Of the opposition party.
The case of Norris Is not only unique
as respects the 1928 campaign. Cases
of Republicans holding high Office who
indorSe Democratic candidates for the
presidency are extremely rare in recent
national history. The writer of this
article cannot recall a similar case since
1896, when a very small number of Re-
publican Senators went over to Bryan
on the free silver issue.
There have been comparatively re-
cent cases of Republican Senators fol-
lowing third party candidates for the
presidency. Several followed the late
Senator La Follettes third party enter
prise in 1924. Several more followed
Theodore Roosevelt's third party ad-
venture with the Progressives In 1912.
But following a third party candidate
Is different matter from supporting
the candidate of the opposition in one
Of the two great parties.
Norris of Nebraska Is about the only
case In more than generation Of
Republican Senator who has publicly
Endorsed Democratic nominee for the
presidency.
In the Democratic party there were,
Ia 1923, several corresponding examples
Of the same thing. In all such cases the
Democratic party in the State con-
cerned has rejected the man who in
1928 opposed the party candidate for
the presidency, ex-Gov. Smith In Ala
bama, Heflin failed to support Smith,
without going so far as publicly to in
dorse Mr.. HooVer-and as discipline
the Democratic State organization in
Alabama denied Helm the right to run
in the party primaries. Helm is obliged
this year TO run on an independent
ticket
In North Carolin, in 1928, Senator
Simmons opposed the Democratic can
didate for the MISUNDERSTANDING
however, from going SO far as publicly
to indorSe the Republican candidate,
Mr.. Hoover And in North Carolina the
voters at the recent June primary de-
MED a senatorial denomination to Sem
ator Simmons.
The cases Of party detection in the
Democratic party were less extreme
than Senator Norris detection from
the Republican party Neither Simmons
nor Hefiin publicly advocated the cleo
ton of the presidential candidate of
the opposing party. Norris, in speech
at Omaha on October ~, 1928, little
more than a week before the presiden-
tial election, publicly and forcibly re-
jected Mr.. Hoover, publicly and forcibly
and at great length Endorsed Gov.
Smith.
Heresy Of Norris Conspicuous.
In yet another respect the heresy of
Norris from his party is more con-
spicuous than the heresies of Simmons
and Helm from theirs. For Simmons
and Heflin, their unWillingneSs to go
along with their party in support OF
Gov. Smith was in each case their
single act of insurgency. Apart from
that one step, Simmons and Helm,
especially Simmons, have always been
thoroughgoing Democrats, loyalty regu-
lar party men. Simmons in the Senate
NJ the nr f0lIT niltStan6-
ing Democratic leaders. It would be
accurate to say, indeed, that Simmons
stands next to Robinson in the official
ranks of Democratic leadership. Never
theless, in spite of this record of party
regularity and high devotion TO his
party in the Senate. Simmons, for his
one act of heresy, was punished by his
party in his State.
: The heresy of Norris, on the other
hand, is by no means confined to his
Endorsement of the opposition candi-
date for the presidency. Norris in the
Senate is the persistent and consistent
opponent of the party to which he
nominally belongs. 1t might almost be
said that Norris in the Senate is the
/, most steady and powerful enemy the
Republican party has. Norris is a far
more effective adversary OF the Repub-
lican party than any Democrat IN the
r Senate is; no Democrat in the Senate
begins TO do the damage TO the Repub-
: licans that Norris does. No Democrat
in the Senate so frequently upsets the
Republican program, none so frequently
prevents fruition Of Republican policies
as Norris.
Norris. in short, is as thoroughgoing
\ an example of political hereto as can
be- For this reason, much interest and
some importance lie in seeing whether
the Renuhlicans in Nebraska give TO