Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-20
The Political Mill
BY C. Could Lincoln.

filed for the Republican senatorial
primary last Summer against Senator
George w. Norris of McCook, has been
cleared up-temporarily, at least. When
State Treasurer Stebbins, Senator Nor
ris' opponent in the primary ana
regular" Republican, announced Sat
urday In Lincoln that he and he alone
had contributed the money to be paid
To Grocer Norris he rather took the
wind out of the sails Of Senator Norris.
The latter has been charging that the
power interestS-the power truSt-b1g
business generally-were trying to get
his political scalp because OF his ire
ouent assaults in the Senate upon them.
II the Nye Slush Fund Committee could
bring proof that this was the case, nat
uraliy it would make votes for Norris,
posing as the object Of conspiracy
on the part of the big interests to Smash
a friend of the people.
X X \
But it appears from Mr.. StebbinS'
statement that, after all, the plot" was
his. when Grocer Norris sought to file
his name and thereby force Senator
Norris to run as independent candidate
for the Senate instead Of running as the
candidate of the c.. o. p. However
reprehensible the voters Of Nebraska
may consider the tactics OF the state
treasurer, the whole affair Is mimi
mized in their eyes when the mystery
and the charges Of plot by the big
interests are eliminated from the pic
ture. Senator Norris has been making
the most, in his speeches, of the awful
attempt of sinister interests to prevent
the people of Nebraska from nominal
ing him on the Republican ticket. On
one occasion, at least, he is said to have
been moved almost to tears when he
addressed an audience OF women on this
subject.
1t is not likely, however, that Sen
ator Norris and the Nye committee,
which seems to have been playing the
political game for Senator Norris In
Nebraska, will be satisfied with the
statement made by Mr.. Stebbins. Doubt
less they will insist on reopening the
whole matter and calling Stebbins be-
fore the committee. They will ask Mr..
Stebbins If this was his idea and II 1t
was really his money that was put up
for Grocer Norris entry into the sena-
torial primary. Mr.. Stebbins undoubt-
edly had considered this possibility Wnen
he made his statement. He must nave
known that in all probability he would
be grilled by the Senate committee.
which has spent weeks trying 10 und
out who financed the grocer, although
by the courts on the ground tnat his
petition had been filed too late. With
this. knowledge, he must be prepared 10
show that he put up the money and
how he did it. The fact that he was
ready to assume all responsibility would
lead to the belief that he would be able
to show that he and he alone was the
perpetrator of the trick, which 1t was.
X = X
Such tricks-the entry Of rank out
side candidate who bears a similar name
to a prominent candidate for public
officeLhave been played many times
and some time successfully in Nebraska,
where the primary law is 50 written as
to make it possible. If Mr.. Stebbins'
story stands up, the great Norris mys-
terry will be considerably debated.
Investigation by the Senate into the
primary campaign expenditures OF can
didates for the Senate, when there Is
evidence of excessive use of money or
fraud, is entirely justified. But when a
Senate Committee undertakes to ad-
vance the cause of any candidate for
the Senate by making an inquiry In
the midst of q campaign that might
have the effect of giving that candidate
a real advantage, it seems that the
committee has overstepped the bounds.
The only reason for an inquiry by
Senate Committee is to provide the
Senate with information OF fraud or
excessive expenditures, which may De
used to deny a Senator-elect q seat In
the Senate. The Senate cannot possibly
didate for the Senate until the candi-
date has been elected. Under such cir
cumstanceS it would appear that the
senatorial inquiries could well be made
after an election Is held. The same
facts could be turned up, and probably
more readily, than in the heat OF q
campaign. But if a Senate Committee,
for partisan political reasons, under
takes to injure the chances of can
didate for the Senate, no matter to
which party the candidate may belong,
it is going long way beyond its proper
sphere Of action.
The Pittsburgh Press has made the
committee-the Liberal Party Com
mittee-of distinguished citizens now
seeking to raise half a million dollars to
defeat former Gov. Pinchot for Gov
ernor in the November election look
rather sick Pinchot Is a dry, a bone
dry. The Liberal party of Pennsylvania
has Endorsed Hemphill, the Democratic
nominee for Governor, who Is running
as wet on a wet Democratic platform.
In fact, the wetness of Hemphill and
the dryness of Pinchot are given by the
Liberal party as the sole reasons for
the Endorsement of Hemphill by this
group of otherwise regular Republicans.
The Press has published a list of the
names of % distinguished members of
the Liberal Party Committee, with their
business connections and also their
political records In the present cam
paign. 1t appears that out of the %
a round dozen failed to register and
therefore cannot vote. It appears also
that many of these public-spirited, big
hearted citizens who are now seeking
to place weight on the back of Gov.
Pinchot in his race for Governor, failed
to vote In the primary election this
year, although the Liberal party had a
candidate, Phillips. in the field for the
gubernatorial nomination and the
despised Pinchot was also a candidate
in that primary.
The Press spreads the charge that
these distinguished gentlemen of the
Liberal Party Committee are not actu-
ated in their present efforts to defeat
Pinchot so much by their devotion to
the wet cause as they are by Pinchots
determination to go after the public
utilities If he is elected Governor. Pin
chot has charged that the public Is
being robbed by excessive rates allowed
the public utilities by the present State
Utilities Commission. His promise is
to get rid of this commission and have
another set up, an elective commits
sion The business Affiliations OF the
Liberal Party Committee are mentioned
in the report to show their personal m
terest in the defeat of Mr.. Pinchot be-
You'd the mere question Of wet and
dry.
The attack by the utility interests,
the railroads and the water power in !
terests on Pinchot in this campaign |
seems quite obvious, whatever reason