Badness

The campaign funds investigating fever is seizing the Senate. With the new session just begun, it seems almost as if each half is trying to unseat the other half. However, there are at least three Senators whose right to seats is being seriously questioned.

Gould. No sooner had Senator Arthur R. Gould of Maine taken his oath of office, a fortnight ago, than did Senator Walsh of Montana demand an investigation of corruption charges against him. Last week, by a vote of 70 to 7, the Senate adopted Mr. Walsh's resolution. Three Republican Senators and two Democrats were appointed to look into the story of a $100,000 "bribe" which Mr. Gould is said to have paid to the Premier of New Brunswick in 1918 in connection with a railroad deal. Senator Gould is the only Republican in the 69th Congress whose seat is in immediate danger, but the charges against him are more remote than those against Messrs. Smith and Vare.

Smith. If Governor Small of Illinois should appoint Senator-elect Smith to fill out the late Senator McKinley's term in the 69th Congress, the fight to oust him would create such a broil that important legislation would be sidetracked and President Coolidge would probably be forced to call a special session of the 70th Congress. Hence, regular Republicans are urging Colonel Smith not to accept the appointment and Governor Small not to offer it to him.

Vare. Grimiest of the three is the case of Senator-elect William S. Vare of Pennsylvania. The James A. Reed investigations showed that he used a slush fund of some $700,000 to win the primaries last spring. Recent researches purport to reveal frauds in the November elections. In many wards in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Mr. Vare's Democratic opponent, William Bauchop Wilson, did not poll a single vote; in 119 city districts in Pittsburgh, Mr. Wilson received less than ten votes in each. Mr. Vare received the votes of one dead man, of one 5-year-old girl, of 25 people who swore they had not been near a polling place. With such facts in his briefcase, Mr. Wilson is in Washington, demanding to have the election nullified. Democrats and progressive Republicans have singled out Mr. Vare as the darkest angel.

Others. Then there remains the charge that Senator Lawrence D. Tyson of Tennessee, Democrat, used $1,800,000 in his primary campaign in 1924. Such a sum would be equivalent to $20 for every man and woman who voted for him. Other slush and corruption investigations which have dwindled, were those against Senators Watson and Robinson of Indiana, Senator Hawes of Missouri.