The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-14

More than passing attention has been aroused by the sharp retort that John J. RaskoD. national chairman of the democratic party, has made to a recent editorial of Frank R.. Kent of the Baltimore Sun in which the latter charged Raskob with owning the party, dictating its poli- cies. and also with being a former republican who became democrat to support Alfred E. Smith for the presidency.
 The Waterbury Democrat has ae- cured copies of both the editorial and the lerter it provoked MT Rask ob to write in reply. They follow below
 Mir Rents Editorial.
 Washington, January 5.
 Converts to q cause are always more jealous than those born in the faith. Perhaps that is one reason for the extraordinary enthusiasm that now characterizes the demo- cracy of MT John J. Raskob, chair man of the national committee. Tn the past two years there have been various demonstrations of MT Ras- kob's devotion to his present party as eyinced by his financial support. The extent to which he has become the actual owner of the party ma- chinery, which for all practical pur- poses is the party, was never as com pletely revealed, however, on last Friday when MT Gerard, treasurer of the committee, filed his annual report with the house of repre- scntatives.
 Calls Raskob the Party
 "It was then made plain that there just isn't anything. else to the party organization except MT Ras- Iy yNh Io I.aa Arvr tks, liabilities, assumed all it's debts and is paying out of his own pocket all its running expenses, far heavier now than ever before. He not only has reduced the party deficit, which was nearly $1,000,000, to $628,0OO, but has assumed responsibility for the $62S.000. The party now owes MT Raskob personally nearly $225,- 900. The receipts of the committee for the year were $619,000, it's ex- penditures $612,000. Of the money received, all save $15,O00 in small contributions came through MT Ras- kob.
 Tt was MT Raskob who expanded the Washington headquarters. put MT Shouse in charge and is paying all operating expenses. including $27,000 year to MT Shouse's brother-in-law, Walter B. Hunt, who is in charge of 'organization,' and 1000 a year to Charles Michel son. whose two-year. publicity cam paign has marked a new develop mcnt in politics.
 Cites Pay to Mrs Ross
 Also, he pays Mrs Nellie Ross $8,500. presumably for work among seems. sent personal contributions to various democratic senatorial and congressional candidates in the last campaign. Add up all these items. and the Raskob ownership of the party seems pretty well established. Never in the 135 years of its history has it been so heavily obligated to a single individual. Never has any party been so deeply in debt to one man. The thing is unprecedented. It is real news. It is amazing that not more has been made of it. In the past. when the democratic party had a note in the bank. it was in dorsed by sometimes as many as thirty or more names. Now there is but one man on the back.
 Defines the Reactions <
 There are several views of the Raskob ownership One is that MT Raskob Is a grand little guy who be- came chairman to, help his friend. MT Smith, but once in, instead Of quitting. as he might have done. is gallantly playing the game out in a grand manner; that he has no per- sonal ends to serve. and party peo- pie generally should rejoice over an angel of such enormous wealth and unprecedented liberahty. It is a great piece of luck. He has made the party a vibrant instrument, pulled 1t out of the financial swamp, made 1t an effective fighting force. He is entitled to gratitude and ap- preciation.
 Another view is that there is nothing in MT Raskob's record to show that he Is either d sucker who throws money recklessly around or a democrat through principle. pref erence or conviction. On the con trary, in money matters Mir Raskob is typically hard -boiled multi millionaire. As far as his democ- democrat solely because of the consistently contributed to. and voted for the republican candidates, in- cluding Coolidge. Harding and Hughes. To think that his present extraordinary financial support of the democratic party is wholly dis interested and unselfish is not req sonable.
 "Men like MT Raskob do not op- crate that way. The fact is the completeness with which he finances the party means that he controls or can when he wants--its publicity and fixes it's direction. It means personally and out of tune with his idaaaf can ha uorrfuafoA in 1Q4l Tt