Evening star., 1934-05-13
BY GRACE HENDRICK EUSTIS.

dates fOl the senate. Inc feSOlu-
ton, authorizing the appointment OF
a special committee Of flve Senators
by the Vice President, was intro
duced on May by Senator Borah,
Republican, Of Idaho. 1t was referred
to the Committee on Privileges and
Elections, where it still is.
1t is specified in this resolution
that no Senator shall be appointed
to this committee from a State in
which a Senator is to be elected in
the general election of 1884 and that
the expenses of this investigation
shall not exceed $4,000. Senator
Borah said he did not consider $25,-
900 too meager an appropriation for
the work Of this committee. which
would carry out what has become
more or less q fixed policy OF the
Senate.
1t was In 1911, when Senator Cul-
berson, Democrat, Of Texas intro
duced the resolution to investigate
presidential and senatorial campaign
expenditures that the Senate first
took upon itself this .prerogative. The
ratification of the seventeenth
amendment in 1918 for the direct
election Of Senators, along with the
adoption of Senator Culberson's res
olution in 1912, gave force to the
idea that there should be limit to
campaign expenditures.
The subject was not new to the
Senate. As far back as 1873 the Re-
publican Senator from Kansas, Alex
ahder Caldwell, was charged with
fraudulent electioneering and re-
signed while q resolution for inves-
tigation was pending in the chamber.
Henry B. Payne, Democrat from Ohio,
was unseated in 1886. year after
he came into office. In 1904, Sena-
tor Tillman, Democrat of South Car
olina, discussed on the floor of the
Senate the Roosevelt campaign funds
and the activities Of the Republican
National Committee, with plenty Of
acidity and blasts Of fine Southern
oratory. He accused the National
Banks and Insurance Companies of
contributing the funds of their
stockholders for political purposes.
Quoted Jail" Chorus.
st did not come to butter the par
snips," he told the Senate and pro-
ceeded to quote a squib from con-
temporary newspaper, which suggested
that all Senators should join in sing
ing the following chorus, Are We All
Here and None OF Us in Jail?"
The first Presidential and Senatorial
Campaign Expenditure Investigating
Committee had as its chairman Sena-
tor Clapp, Republican, of Minnesota.
1t ran into shoals as soon as it was
launched in April, 1912. There were
two Republican Senators whose rec
ords appeared not to be clean. One
was Senator Lorimer Of Illinois and
the other was Senator Stephenson Of
Wisconsin. As q result Of the work
Of this committee Senator Lorimer
was expelled on account Of excessive
expenditures. Senator Stephenson was
accused of bribery and corruption.
The committee investigated the mat
ter, but when it came to q vote on
the floor. he was acquitted.
For the following eight years, ap-
parently, there was no new tnvesti-
eating committee Not until May 6,
1920, did the resolution introduced by
Senator Borah and adopted by the
Senate the same day, revive interest
in this meaty subject. Senator Ken
yon, Republican Of Iowa, was chair
man Of the committee. It was during
his administration that the Senate
performed its famous back flip in the
case Of the Republican Senator New
berry Of Michigan.
Condemned Expenditures.
On January 81, 1919, a resolution
to unseat Senator Newberry failed.
Then, on January u, 1920, a resolu-
ton with the Willis amendment.
which rubbed salt into the wound,
was adopted. The Senate voted to
agree to this amendment which set
forth that the expenditure Of such
excessive sums in behalf of q candi-
date either with or without his knowl-
edge and consent. being contrary to
sound policy, harmful to the honor
and dignity of the Senate and dan
gerous to the perpetuity Of free
Government, such excessive expendi-
lures are hereby coademnd and dis
approved" Having thus relieved them
selves Of these sentiments they voted
not to unseat him. Ten months later,
however, Senator Newberry rendered
his resignation.
Four years later. in 1924. Senator
La Toilette, the elder, Progressive Re-
publican Of Wisconsin, introduced a
resolution which was quickly adopted
and there was new senatorial In
vestigating Committee, this time with
Senator Borah as chairman. The
hearings of this committee were not
made public, but reports were printed
containing a complete list Of contribu-
tions over 81 900 to any and all polit-
ical parties.
Two things Of essential note to this
phase Of legislation took place during
the following five years. One was
the passage of the corrupt practices
act and the other was the creation
Of q special" senatorial Campaign
Investigating Committee by former
Senator Jim Reed, Democrat Of Mis-
souri,, which unseated the Republican
Senator Ware Of Pennsylvania and
prevented the seating Of the Repub-
lican Senator designate Smith OF IL
nnois.
Corrupt Practices Act.
The corrupt practices act. an out
come Of the previous senatorial in
vestigations into campaign expendi-
lures, cleared up the tangle by pre-
scribing certain rules under which
campaigns should be run.
The respective equanimities OF
Senators Ware and Smith were shot
full Of holes when. between the years
OF 1925 and 1929, Jim Reed went
after their campaign expenditures. In
order to burn the rubbish with big
fire, the silver-haired son Of the
Ozarks introduced q resolution to the
effect that "A special committee OF
five, consisting Of three members from
the ma ajority political party, Of whom
one shall be q Progressive Republican
and two members from the minority
political party, shall be forthwith ap-
pointed by the Vice President Of the
Senate ." The resolution adopted,
the special committee went to work
in earnest and after three years
battle, Senator Ware was unseated
because his expenditures in the