Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-10
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

The Senate for the last IL years has
looked with a feeling Of slight con-
descenSion and sympathy upon the
House Of Representatives because Of the
fact that women have gained entrance
into that body. The Senate has main
tanned its "for men only" sign UP to
the present. Today many Of the Sen
atorS are astounded that woman Is
now threatening to tear down that
sign. Mrs. Ruth Hanna Mccormick
in Illinois has easily won the Re-
/ stands q very good chance Of being
! elected next Fall has made them sit up
and take notice. Probably some Of the
sitting members are wondering when
clever women will assail their right
to hold their seats In the upper house.
The Senate is chubby place, despite
the violent fracases which take place
between members on the floor over po-
littcal questions. And right now its
going to do when woman enters the
Senate as a member. The Senate has
the rule of unlimited debate. Will
1t be Just right to turn q woman, or
women, loose In the Senate with such
rule? Especially when women are
known to be 50 attached to the last
word" However, II there are women
who can talk more often and longer
than some Of the male members OF the
Senate, they should be entitled to mem
I bership in the greatest deliberative
body in the world"
The Illinois Republican primary, which
nominated Mrs Mccormick for the Sen
ate over Senator Charles S. Deneen, was
a great comeback" affair. In the frSt
place, Big Bill" Thompson, the mayor,
and his crowd Of political workers-fast
Notwithstanding to all accounts-are
in the saddle in Chicago again. Deneen,
the only outstanding Republican leader
who has opposed the City Hall gang in
recent years, has been swept away. His
organization was hopelesSly defeated in
! the city. Then there Is the victory OF
Frank L. Smith in the race for Repre-
| sentative-at-large. Col. Smith ran sec
ond in field Of % for one of the two
republican nominations for this job In
the House. In 1925 Col. Smith was
nominated and elected Senator. But the
| Senate would not seat him because of
the contributions and expenditures In
his campaign. He and William s. Ware
of Pennsylvania fell victims of the SEN
ate'S propensity for investigating, when
Jim" Reed and his slush fund COM
mittee got on their trail. Col. Smith in
1928 sought vtndication at the hands
of the people, trying for another nomi-
nation for the Senate, but he was de-
feated by Senator Glenn. On Tuesday,
however, in Statewide race, Col Smith
won a nomination to the House, al
though he ran second to Richard Yates,
sitting member and former governor, by
a wide margin. It Is likely that the
Democrats will concentrate on Smith in
the coming congressional campaign and
use the fact he was turned down by the
Senate extensively in their campaign
Smith will run on the Republican ticket,
however. along with Mrs. Mccormick.
Big BIZ Thompson, who, according
to dispatches from Chicago Is smiling
again after two years of gloom, is quoted
as having said Of the primaries:
again."
The World Court and Mrs. McCor-
mick have had something to do with
this particular vindication of Mayor
Thompson and his regime, however.
! X \ + +.
It was a foregone conclusion that the
Senate would provide another slush
fund investigating committee this year.
Senator Norris Of Nebraska offered q
resolution for such committee weeks
I ago and now the Senate committee on
privileges and elections has reported the
resolution favorably by q unanimous
vote. It will be adopted by the Senate.
! Then the Job will come of selecting the
committee. Senator Jim" Reed is no
longer a member of the Senate, and
with his departure the Senate lost its
greatest and most feared prosecuting
examiner. Senator Tom" Walsh OF
Montana, who lifted the lid of the Tea
pot Dome oil scandal and who Is
most painstaking and successful in
vestigator, must be counted out, for he
k.s~ Ia
and 1t would not do to have Senators
who have a personal stake in these
elections this year conducting such an
inquiry. The committee is to be ap-
pointed by Vice President Curtis. It is
expected that the progressive wing of
the Republican membership Of the
Senate, along with the regulars and
| the Democrats, will be accorded mem
bership in the committee Senator
Bob" La Toilette Of Wisconsin is avail
able, for he does not have to run this
year. He has had some experience, too
for he was a member of the Senate
slush' fund committee in 1926 and
| passed on the Smith and Ware cases
] Senator Wheeler Of Montana, Democrat,
who investigated the Department OF
Justice during the regime of Harry
| Dougherty, also Is available as an in
vestigator.
*kk*
Senator Norris has had In mind, It is
said, that the senatorial campaigns this
year in Illinois, Pennsylvania and his
own State, Nebraska, should be in
quired into. The latest purist, Senator
Joseph r. Grundy of Pennsylvania, is
clamoring for an inquiry into the Penn
sylvania primary, where he Is now a
candidate for the senatorial nomination
a0af0Rf SaRraforxy ~
j. Davis. It happens that the Ware ma
chine In Philadelphia Is supporting
Davis, the same outfit that fell into par
ticular disrepute with the Senate when
Ware himself ran four years ago.
Grundy at that time backed the Fisher
! Pepper ticket, though with particular
| emphasis on the Fisher end Of the
ticket, and the Fisher-Pepper people
were found to have expended several
hundred thousand more dollars than did
Ware.
The Democrats are claiming now that
Illinois and Ohio should be debatable
battle grounds in the senatorial cam
paigns this year, along with Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island. They are
hoping to put former Senator ]. Hanil-
| ton Lewis across In Illinois on the wet
issue, and In Ohio their hopes of victory
rest largely on the fact that there has
been industrial unrest. The Republicans
are expected to get back of Senator
Roscoe G. McCulloch. who was ap-
pointed by Gov. Cooper to fill the va
cancy caused by the death last year Of
| Senator Theodore E. Burton. Senator
McCulloch was formerly o member of
the House. One report has it that the
Democrats will nominate against Nc
| Culloch q former State chairman, VIII
liam w. Durhin of Kenton. However,
there are other candidates for the NOM
| nation, among them John insolvency
OF Wooster, former member of the
House and Q veteran of the World War