Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
BY WARREN w. WHEATON.

~HE man or woman who fouts the
corrupt practices act in the COM
ing senatorial campaigns will be
a person of more gambling spirit
than brains.
For the Senate itself has hung up the
warning of danger, and has provided IN
advance of the campaigns themselves
the machinery for investigating them:
Already. one of the most colorful ng-
ures in recent American politics is GER
tain to undergo senatorial scrutiny
She is Ruth Hanna Mccormick, who IN
winning the Republican primary In
Illinois took a long step toward seat
In that body of which both her father
and her husband were members.
Mrs. Mccormick must have suspected
that when she defeated Senator Deneen
thus interrupting career whose bright
| ness may be estimated from the iact
that the man had attained the cover
! norship at 80, she would be under nre
And when a few days ago 1t was re-
ported that she had admitted spend
ing too much money" though only
what was necessary" this politically
minded daughter of that super-poli-
tician. Mark Hanna, must have known
that investigation was certainty
She Won't Be Alone.
But when her turn comes to face
the spotlight she will not be alone.
"Old Joe" Grundy will be there, TOO,
together with many another, victor and
yanouished, against whom an eager
onposition will have uttered charges In
plenteous variety.
It will be a mere youth OF 81 VINO
will conduct the inquiry He is Gerald
p. Nye, the North Dakota insurgent ana
one time newspaper men, man VINO
possesses that keen, analytical mind
which, it is piously said, characterlzes
a good newspaper reporter.
At his seat at the inquisitor's table
Senator Nye will in reality be writing
another scene in a century-old drama
of American life - the old thriller:
'What Price Politics?" which has been
revived again and again in the last TWO
decades with telling effect on those
who still believe that public office be-
longs to the highest bidder.
Examples of Folly.
Those gamblers who believe they can
buy their way into Office and get away
with it will have as examples OF such
folly Lorimer. Newberry, Frank L.
Smith and William S. Ware, among
others. a procession of men who TOOK
the chance and lost. They will race
too, a growing demand that present
restrictions placed ABOUT ehCeSSNe uSe
of money for political preferment De
/ frightened.
The Senate Is really determined 10
lessen corrupt Office seeking. ALREADY.
through the four outstanding cases just
mentioned, 1t has taken huge strides In
the proper direction. But there Is more
to be done, and a Senate that realizes
| it has lost a bit of its once unchal-
lenged dignity and integrity is now AVID
to do cleanup" job. =,
This is what the new "slush 1uno
committee headed by Nye, and com
prising men of the digging" type, Wag-
ner of New York, Dill of washington
Patterson of Missouri and Dale OF
| Vermont, hopes to do. They VIII
not deal in humor, in the political
scandal mongering that no campaign is
free of. They will want facts with the
hope that from them can be derived
remedial legislation to drive dollars as
far out of politics as is possible.
Makeup in Sharp Contrast.
| The committee is entirely Of the
younger men of the Senate, men young
er in years as well as In service, a fact
which is in sharp contrast to the make
| up of similar committees in the last
! decade. Perhaps Nye and his confreres
will make up In energy what they lack
in experience when compared to the