The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-10-26
AN OPENING FOR POLITICS

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Roosevelt has taken in many weeks
will turn out to be of more political
Importance than the removal of Will
liam E. Humphrey as Republican
member of the Federal Trade Commits
sion. Mr.. Humphrey, it is understood,
will contest his removal in the courts
on the ground that the Commission is
semi-independent body and that the
law creating it provides only for the
removed of a member from office be-
cause of malfeasance or incompetent
cy. That neither of these charges ap-
plies to Mr.. Humphrey can be gath
cred by the fact that when the Pres
ident first called on the Commissioner
to resign, he added to his request that
it was being made without any re-
Election upon you at all personally or
upon the service you have rendered."
and added: Il congratulate you upon
your long and active service"
But aside from the legal phase of
the question, this change in the per-
sonnet of the Federal Trade Commits
sion will have political importance in
that it will give the Republican lead
ers a chance to state that the political
honeymoon" is over and that it was
ended not by themselves but by the
| Droe;Jon+ b;,ooeo1f Tho EoJorol Trodo
Commission has always been regarded
as a non-partisan institution and dur
ing three Republican administrations
as many Democrats were carried on
the payroll as Republicans. Commits
sioner Humphrey was reappointed by
President Hoover late in his term
and the appointment was confirmed
by Democratic Senate. The Repub-
licans will now have the opportunity
to charge that the Federal Trade Com
mission is to be converted to partisan
uses. Already it is being alleged that
politics has crept into the new securi-
ties division and that of fifty appoint
ments made in that department all
have been Democrats in spite of the
traditional non-partisanship of the
commission. This is why, the Repub-
licans will say, it was necessary to get
rid of Mr.. Humphrey, an old-time Re-
publican, so that the entire commits
sion could be reorganized to function
on partisan basis.
Ever since the National Recovery
drive was put into effect it has been
emphasized in high places that it is a
non-partisan attack on the depression.
The same methods of putting it over
have been used as were employed dur
ing the World War. Rumor in Wash
ington now is to the effect that the
administration of the NRA is to be
finally lodged in the Federal Trade
Commission. Republican leaders are
doubtless getting ready to say that
the Federal Trade Commission is to
be reorganized on a Democratic basis
to get it ready for Democratic control
of the NRA and the important codes
under it.
No matter how much or how little
there is in these charges it is I'M
doubtedly fact that the administra-
ton in removing Mr.. Humphrey has
given the Republicans a good opening.
They can now go into battle with a
perfectly good excuse-that the adj
ministration donned the political ar
NOR first.
But aside from these political an
giles to the situation, there is a deeper
and more serious side. Is is we'll
summed up by the independent Wash
ington Star in the following words:
"The attack upon the independence
of the Trade Commission by the Chief
Executive in the removal of Mr.. Hum
phrey is serious matter. If the de-
cisions of the Commission in impair
tant matters relating to the conduct of
business, placed in the hands of the
commission by law, are to be dictated