Evening star., 1935-03-21
DEMOCRAT DEBT
UNDER SCRUTINY
Party Seeking 100000 to
Pay OFF S511,000 Deficit
and Aid in '36.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

money to pay on ls campaign
deficits?
This question now may be asked
about the national administration,
inasmuch as it has been raised in
Ohio as a consequence of the Hop
kins -Davey controversy.
The Democratic national admins
tration has deficit of about SSH 900
and wants to raise total of $700, 900
so as to carry the work of the ma
tional organization well into the 1886
campaign.
The Democratic State Committee
of Ohio had a deficit of about $4,000
prior to the Inauguration Of Gov.
Davey and the reports from Columbus
are that this sum was collected in
small amounts from various indi-
viduals who might have been looking
forward to the acquisition of con-
tracts for the sale of goods to the
State Relief Administration.
National Custom.
Gov. Davey has told the Ohio
legislators that he had no knowledge
of the solicitations complained of.
money to pay off deficits and to 60
to businesses of various kinds was in
conformity with what has been done
nationally from time to time.
Inquiry here discloSes the fact that
very little of the Democratic National
Committees deficit has been paid of
and that one of the principal reasons
why is that a certain individual in
the White House, namely. the PreSi-
dent himself, has laid down some
pretty stringent rules which make
it difficult for the money-raisers to
get the necessary funds.
Mr.. Roosevelt, for instance, Is rep
resented as believing that a contri-
button of 81 900 would be about right
if it could be got from about TOO men.
There have, of course. been larger
contributions and no doubt will be-.
but the Democratic chieftains have
been advised that the raising of $780,
900 by 700 individual contributions
would be least Objectionable.
Adjournment Awaited.
The word has come, too, from the
White House that money-raising had
better be deferred until after Con-
greSs has adjourned because there is
always the possibility that some Of
the contributors might think their
contributions would have some influ-
ence, however slight, on the kind Of
legislation. being passed that affects
p their businesses or interests.
But the $1,000 apiece in these days
.f tn ic - IL
button even for men in the business
world. especially as redistribution of
wealth and income looms in the offing.
And where could TOO men be found in
all the United States who did not
have some interest in pending legis-
lation. ranging all the way from N.
r. A. to income tax rates?
In the old days of Republicanism
and old-fashioned Democracy, money
was accepted from all sides without
asking too many questions. The rub
tried to find out what happened to
his investment. Usually the receivers
of the contributions were somewhere
between the Government and the
contributors. and it was difficult to
pin the collector down to anything
when it came to getting a favor from
Government or the party in power.
Free With Appointments.
This Democratic administration,
of course, has not hesitated to give
diplomatic Observation-Disclosures
dorships and ministerships-to per-
sons who have contributed literally
to the campaign fund, but it is in
sisted that there is no possible rela-
tionship between campaign con-
it would, no doubt be found upon
careful scrutiny that some of the
concerns which have Government
contracts and make large sales hap
pen to have in them Elen who have
upon occasion contributed to the
Democratic party's campaign funds or
to help retire deficits incurred in the
last two campaigns.
But at the moment nobody is pro-
posing to look into these things from
a national viewpoint. and it Is a
matter of considerable puzzlement
here as to why Gov. Davey was select
Gu lOT dLI0(h Okl o k1ACAC SosOOO
doubtless he knew as little about as
the high officials here do about the
ways and means devised by the solici-
tors for the Democratic National
Committee. 1t is rumored, incl
dentally, that national politics may
have had more to do with it all than
appears on the surface. Gov. Davey
has been criticizing the national ad-
ministration's handling of relief. Next
year there's a presidential election
and Ohio is always an important
pivotal State. 1t might have been
deemed wise by the chieftains here
to eliminate Mr.. Davey from the
picture so that he would not have
much to say about the conduct of
the Democratic campaign in the
Buckeye State.
Inquiry Suggested.
Anyway, the Hopkins -Davey episode
will not have been futile If it leads to
a thorough inquiry as to how the
national Democratic deficit Is met and
If it arouses a continuing curiosity as
to the identity of the past and future
contributors and their business con-
nections and what their relations to
governmental action OF legislation
happen to be-
All this is discouraging to the COL
1ectors. For, If the truth be known,
national policies of the kind the New
Deal processes are incompatible with
the outpouring of funds from the
over privileged people in business and
finance who always have furnished
and probably always will furnish the
main ingredients of every campaign
chest.
So 1t does look as II the collection
of the Democratic national deficit has
not been made any easier by Mr..
Hopkins expose. But then, with the
national administration going in the
red between $4,000, 100000 and S.
900, 900, 900 q year, 1t is a bit dif1cult
to understand why little matter Of
SSH, 900 of party deficit should worry
anybody in Washington.
copyright. 1881
IIlNcHE0N 81 ATE0