Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-27
Mr.. Seymour Steps Ont.

The first. essay Of George w. Norris,
thirty -onezyear.old grocer of Broken
Bow, Nebf., into the field of national
politics, has created all the stir that he
could have hoped for. Indeed, there are
evidences that the ramifications Of the
case have become embarrassing to Mr..
Norris and the persons connected with
his short-iived candidacy for the Re-
publican nomination against Senator
George w. Norris.
Victor Seymour. who has recently
been assistant to Vice Chairman Steiwer
Of the Republican Senatorial Campaign
Committee in the Denver headquarters,
yesterday announced his resignation. Mr..
Seymour. whom no one about Repub-
lican national headquarters appears to
know, according to the testimony gwen
before the Nye slush fund committee
in its inquiry into the Republican sem
atorial primary in Nebraska, was re-
sponsible for Grocer Norris filing for
the senatorial race.
The Republican high command quite
naturally does not care to have itself
pictured as sponsoring such an obvious
trick to embarrass the party's sena-
toria1 candidate in Nebraska this year.
There are plenty of Republican leaders
in high places who have no use for
Senator Norris, who abandoned the
party ticket In. 1928 and gave his sup
v,ar& - A1frnd = Cv.tkt, ard x,I.o ~ i.
consistently fought the Hoover admin
istration In the Senate during the last
two years. They may believe that
Senator Norris should not have sought,
under the circumstances, the Repub-
lican nomination. to succeed himself.
But they have no desire to see the
party organization become a laughing
stock because Of the Grocer Norris
affair, or to see it accused of attempt
ing by .. trick to. accomplish what it
could not otherwise accomplish - the
elimination of Senator Norris as q
Republican. candidate to succeed him
self.
So far the, senatorial committee in
quiry has placed the responsibility for
inducing Grocer Norris to get into the
race against his widely known namesake
upon Victor Seymour. Who, II any
one, was back of Mr.. Seymour, has not
yet been developed. It Is clear from
the testimony given before the Nye
committee. however, that Mr.. Seymour
had considerable financial backing In
this undertaking. The matter should
be cleared up. If the witnesses appear
Ing before the senate Committee are to
be believed, the Utmost care was taken
to cover up" the tracks of those who
were putting forward Grocer Norris as
an opponent Of the Senator.
Mr.. Seymour, when he appeared be-
fore the Senate Committee some time
ago, cenied that he had anything to dc
with Grocer Norris candidacy for the
senatorial nomination. More recently
however. other witnesses, including
Paul johnson, attorney for the grocer
and a reported former secretary of sey.
mour, have testified that Mr.. Seymour
had q great deal to do with the affail
and had supplied Norris with funds Il
carry out the program.
The whole business has taken on q
farcical, IL rather sordid. aspect. Much
is forgiven in political battles. But
trickery In politics leaves bad i'm.
preston. The only reason that Grocer
Norris was persuaded to file for thu
senatorial nomination was In order tc
make it impossible to count the ballots
for either one Of the Norrises and Il
force Senator Norris to run as an In.
dependent. Apparently those who were
backing the plot were anxious TO have
no publicity in the matter. They were
willing 10 do IN an underhanc manner
what they were not willing to do openly
+ Mr.. Seymour has now resigned his
connection with the Republican Sena-
torial Campaign Committee for tfe
good Of the party" as he says. Mr.. Sey-
mour insists that he has done nothing
wrong" Doubtless, however, the SEN
atorfal committee will feel somewhat
relieved at the course Mr.. Seymour has
taken.
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