Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
Varied Issues and Spirit of
Unrest Threatens Control
of Congress.
PROHIBITION MAY PROVE
DISC0NCERTING FACTOR
Growing Breach Between Progress
sives and Administration Com
plicates Situation in West.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Political clouds are gathering as the
Republican organization is preparing to
fight for a continuance of control in
The fiodse and Senate in the con-
gressional elections next November.
In the East, prohibition and a meas
ure of unrest because of economic con-
ditions threaten to have their influence
in the congressional elections, influences
which now appear adverse to the
G. o. P.
In the West, the situation is compli-
Gated by growing split between the
progressive Republican leaders and the
administration, manifested especially in
the Senate.
How far these influences will affect
the elections adversely to the Repub-
llcan party is only matter of conjec-
ture, although Democratic leaders are
laying great store by them already.
Face Difficult Contests.
Admittedly the Republicans will have
a strenuous fight to retain some of he
Senate seats they now hold, particularly
in New England, although they face
difhcult contests in Kentucky, West
Virginia, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New
Jersey, too. Republicans in the West
who stand the best chances of re-elec-
ton to the Senate include Borah OF
Idaho and Norris of Nebraska. leaders
OF the group of progressives who have
been particularly effective in bringing
about the coalition with the Democrats
in opposition to the administration.
Senator Norris, who is up for re-elec-
ton. Is prepared to offer resolution in
the Senate for a committee to investi-
gate expenditures of senatorial candi-
dates, like the Reed slush fund COM
mittee which operated in 1925. The
Reed committee was called into being
after charges of excessive expenditures
in Pennsylvania and Illinois primaries
had been made. It's work resulted in
the Senate denying seats to William S.
Ware OF Pennsylvania and Frank L.
Smith Of Illinois.
Ware is planning to seek vindicatior
at the hands of the voters in the Sena-
torial contest In Pennsylvania this wear
and Smith may run for the House. OF
which he formerly was a member.
Probe Would AFFECT Campaign.
If the Senate adopts the Norris plan
and sets up a committee to travel about
the country and investigate the ex-
penditures of senatorial candidates, it
Is likely to have no little effect on cam
paign expenditures. The fact that the
Senate by decisive vote declined to
seat Ware and refused to permit Smith
to take his oath of ONCE has been
widely advertised.
Two years ago the Senate set up an
investigating committee, which went
into the campaign expenditures of can
dtdates for the presidential nominations
in the primary States, aimed par
ticularly at the candidacy of Mr..
Hoover, it was charged at the time
That committee, however, did not &c
into senatorial campaigns, and, for that
matter. did little after the presidential
nominations were made. Both the
Democrats and Republicans had big
campaign funds and spent them freely
IN the national campaign, and neither
side demanded an INQUIRY after the
general election campaign was on.
The split in the Republican ranks In
the Senate--so far it has manifested
itself in that body in particular-has
been serious development for the adj
mtnistration by hampering its policies.
A similar split occurred at times during
the Coolidge administration. 1t occurred
When the McNary- Haugen farm bill
was up for consideration and Mr..
Coolidge was twice forced to veto that
matter. 1t occurred, too, when the
Senate rejected the nomination of
Charles B. Warren of Michigan to be-
Attorney General. 1t was manifest
particularly in 1924, when the late
Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin ran
for President on an independent
Progressive ticket Despite these reyolts
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