Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-02
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

| eCA0 eAC W IGllGu upon, ETeSl-
dent has strengthened himself con-
siderably with the people back home"
by his attitude toward the issues of re-
lief, the soldiers bonus loan bill and
other important matters that have
come up during the session of Congress
now ending. In the face of the at
tacks upon him and his administration
the President has stood firm for the
principles which he laid down to guide
him In the consideration of these ques-
tons. He has not shifted or evaded,
and in the main he has won in his fight
with hostile Senate.
| X
The bonus loan bill was put through
by Congress Notwithstanding the Presi-
dents disapproval. Its sole reason for
being advanced at this time was to aid
veterans who happened to be in dis
tress. The Congress made no effort
whatever to confine the benefits of the
| bill, such as they are, to the veterans
in distress. 1t gave the same benefits
to all, whether they had jobs or not.
1t remains to be seen now how the law
operates. There are no strings tied to
the loans. A veteran may buy an auto
| mobile if he wishes or food if he is
really in need. Perhaps the automobile
| manufacturers in Detroit and other
motor car centers will benefit under the
leIIiiS u Tile Ullls E6IuhpS LIE ClTCuld-
| ton of approximately a billion dollars
will help revival of business. Some of
the members of Congress, among them
the Michigan Senators, have insisted
| that it would. But whether the use of
this money will be healthy thing for
business in the long run is still ques-
ton. After it has all been spent, what
then? y X
The Nye committee has made a de-
tailed report to the Senate of the Con
spiracy" to defeat Senator George w.
Norris Of Nebraska. 1t makes no charge
Of excessive expenditures. 1t takes
rap at the so-callsd regular Republi-
cans because they opposed Senator
Norris, were in conspiracy to defeat
the progressive Senator Norris. Con-
sidering the record of Senator Norris
himself, it does not appear there is any
particular reason why a regular" Re
publican should support him for re-
nomination and reelection. On the
contrary, there Is every reason why q
regular Republican, from the point of
view Of party, should look upon Sena-
tor Norris as Democrat.
X X
The great mistake of many Of the
regular Republicans, among them
Robert H. Lucas, executive director of
the Republican National Committee,
was in attempting to conceal the fact
that they were opposing Senator Nor
ris, as shown by the Nye report. If
they had any reason to be against Nor
ris, and they had plenty, why not come
out in the open and fight It out? When
Senator Norris bolted the Republican
national ticket in 1928 and spoke and
voted for AL Smith, the Democratic
national candidate, he did it in the
full light of day. This did not make
him any the less deserter of the Re-
publican party in that campaign. But
it gave him a clean bill so far as open
fighting is concerned. After his 1928
performance, the Republican national
organization. and the Republican Or
ganization of Nebraska were under no
obligations to support him for re-elec-
tfon.. If Senator Norris had been in
Alabama or North Carolina and had
been a Democrat who went over TO
President Hoover, he would probably
have received the same treatment last
year that was melted out to Senators
Hedtn and Simmons by the Democrats
in Nebraska did not have the courage
of the Democrats in Alabama and North
Carolina, and the Democrats in
Nebraska, feeling friendly to Norris,
gave him plenty of support both in
the primary and in the election.
y y
If there was need Of any further evil
dence that the Nye Committee served
as an adjunct to the Norris campaign
last Summer and Fall, the report now
filed with the Senate gives it. The COM
mittee did its best to elect Senator
Norris. He had been nominated early
by the Republicans and the fight lay
between him and his Democratic OPP
ponent, former Senator Hitchcock. The
Senate Committee made it its business
so far as it was able to bring about
the reelection of Senator Norris and
the defeat of Mr.. Hitchcock. The re-
port goes into a great deal of detail
to show what was done against Sena-
tor Norris by Republicans IN the State.
1t does not say anything about what
was done in support of Senator Norris
and against Mr.. Hitchcock by Demo-
Gratis in the State. It was no secret,
however, that the Democratic national
organization, while giving lip service,
and little of that, to the cause Of Mr..
Hitchcock, was lukewarm to the Demo
reelection of Norris. Yet the election
Of Hitchcock would have given the
Democrats another Senate seat and al
most a majority in the Upper House
It is well understood that thousands of
Democrats voted for Senator Norris
and against Hitchcock. The Nye Com
mittee, however, makes no effort to
go into any conspiracy to defeat Mr..
Hitchcock. If the Republicans in Ne
braska and Mr.. Lucas had only had
the courage to do in the open all the
way through what they sought to do
secretly, the Nye Committees case
against them would fall fiat. AS it is,
the case Is now labeled "the anti
Norris conspiracy" ConSpiracies do
not exist in the open.
The Senate Lobby Committee has de-
ternined not to hold any further hear
ings in the charges made in connection
with Senator James j. Davis that he
received a large sum of. money from
company interested In sugar tariff, dur
ing the consideration of the Smoot-
Hawley tariff bill, until after the adj |
Journment of Congress March 4. The |
Pennsylvania Senator, however, will be |
given full opportunity to clear himself |
OF these charges, Chairman Caraway as
sertS, after adjournment. The commit !
tee has been authorized by the Senate |
to continue in existence. Senator Davis |
has been unfortunate. He has not only
had the Nye Campaign Investigating |
Committee on his trail, which is eX- |
pected to make a report to the Senate |
today, but he has now to run the CANT |
let OF examination by the Lobby Com |
mlGtee. Next year ne has to campaign |
again for reelection to the Senate in |
Pennsylvania If he desires to hold on to |
his present seat, to which "Bill" Ware |
was elected in 1926. If there is an ef- |
fort made to hold up action by the Sem |
ate on the finding of the Nye Commit |
tee and Lobby Committee until next |
Winter, Mr.. Davis will have to fight |
for his place in the Senate, in the Sen
ate itself, right on the eve of an cleo |
ton campaign. Some of his political |
enemies will not object to that situation |
in the least.
X X y X