Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-07
Sifted

The Senate, resolving itself into a
committee, did its own investigating
yesterday. 1t proved an effective method,
but largely because all the principals
involved happened to be members of the
Senate. Senator Allen of Kansas played
the role of chief investigator. He sue
cessfully prodded Senator Ashurst of
Arizona, who had aroused the Senate
by his charge that judgeships were
being offered Senators for votes for the
confirmation of Judge Parker until
Senator Ashurst revealed the name Of
his informant. With the announcement
of the name, the game of suspicion and
SANDER, aimed at the confirmation of
Judge Parker, failed utterly. For Sen
ator c. Q. Dill of Washington, to whom
Senator Ashurst referred as the man
who had been offered judgeship, made
light of the whole matter, denying that
any one in authority had even preached
such a subject to him. And with Sen
ator Dills statement one of the hun
dreds of loose charges made on the
floor of the Senate came home to roost.
Il is one thing to make such charges
against men outside of the Senate, who
have no opportunity to "call" their ac-
cusers, It is quite another to make
charges that involve the personnel OF
the Senate. The Senate sifted the
Ashurst charge promptly and is en-
titled to the credit for so doing.
The ridicule which the Senate must
suffer because of the incident, quickly
realized by Senator Robinson OF
Arkansas, the Democratic leader,
brought demand from him that the
matter be dropped, without ordering a
further investigation by the Senate
judiciary committee, as proposed by
senator Watson of Indiana, the Re-
publican leader. 1t was clear to Senator
Robinson that the whole story had been
revealed in the Senate itself and that
nothing was to be gained by further
investigation.
While Senator Allen held the floor
and through his questions finally drew
from Senator Ashurst the name OF his
informant, the row on the floor of the
Senate yesterday over the Ashurst
charges was started by Senator Carter
Glass. The Virginian was thoroughly
aroused and demanded that an investi-
cation be held Of charges which he said
reflected on every member Of the Sen
ate. He was backed in his demand by
Senator Simmons Of North Carolina, a
supporter of Judge Parker, who is also
o North Carolinian.
Whether the REPUTATION of the charge
brought by Senator Ashurst will ever
overtake and wipe out the charge itself,
spread broadcast through the press Of
the United States, is a matter of con-
lecture. AS Senator Allen Of Kansas
pointed out, hundreds of newspapers
yesterday carried Senator Ashurst's
charge with all its implications of traf-
ticking by the President Of the United
States with Senators. Possibly the
m rabers of the Senate will take to
heart the lesson of yesterdays session
and will be more careful to have their
facts at hand before they attack and
make charges of corrupt dealing. Many
members of the Senate are extremely
careful in this matter, realizing the
ease with which regulations for honesty
and upright dealing may be torn down
or smirched merely through the making
of charges which in the end may not
be substantiated. But unfortunately
there are some who are less careful.