Evening star., 1935-03-10
Turning Down Mr.. Long.

turning U0Wn MT. Long,
The Senate Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads has declined
to investigate the Postmaster General,
James A. Farley, despite the fact that
the investigation was demanded by
Senator Huey P. Long Of Louisiana.
It Is not often that a Senate COM
mittee turns down a proposal for an
investigation. The Senate has become
the great inquisitorial agency of the
Government. The committee ex-
amined at considerable length the
charges made against Mr. Farley by
Senator Long, which range from
making money out of Government
contracts to corrupting Government
officials, and decided that Long had
not produced facts or evidence con-
stituting a proper case for investige-
tion by the Senate. In OTHER words,
it takes the position that the Long
charges are loose. that they are based
on nothing stronger than gossip. The
committee conducting this preliminary
inquiry heard from Mr. Farley. from
the Attorney General and from Sec
retary Ickes of the Interior Depart
ment.
While three of the Republican
members of the Senate committee
concurred in the finding that Long
had not produced facts of evidence
which would substantiate his charges,
five of the six Republicans on the
committee filed minority reports de-
claring that in their opinion the in
vestigation should go forward. They
say that it is only fair to Mr.. Farley
that the inquiry be held, SO that he
may be virdicated. Thus the adverse
report on the Long resolution for the
investigation was supported by Demo-
Gratis alone.
This unfortunately brings up the
question of politics The Democrats
may say that the Republicans in the
committee are seeking the investiga-
ton merely for partisan political pur-
poses. The Republicans, on the other
hand, will counter that the Democrats
are just as partisan in seeking to pre-
vent the inquiry directed against a
member of the Presidents cabinet
and chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee.
The declination of the committee to
go forward with the investigation,
since it is convinced that the charges
brought by Long are without real
weight, may be correct enough. If it
is intended to put Senators. including
the Senator from Louisiana, on notice
that they must produce some tangible
and real evidence of wrongdoing be-
fore the Senate will investigate, it is
a healthy sign. The idea that the
Senate Of the United States should
bemean itself by prying into each
nook and Granny at every breath Of
gossip and slander is not pleasant or
edifying.
Probably the committee would have
found it easier to recommend the
investigation than not to order it.
There has been growing, however, a
feeling of resentment against the
tactics of the Louisiana Senator, both
in the Senate and out The commit
tee, being human, may, therefore,
have in some measure considered the
source of the demand for the inquiry.
The Senate itself now has before
it the Long resolution. with a COM
mittee recommendation that it do not
pass. 1t is up to the entire mem
bership of the Senate to take the
next step in the matter or to let the
resolution die on the calendar. The
very fact that the charges have been
made against the Presidents right
hand political adviser and member Of
his cabinet may bring a later con-
clusion that it is wise to 60 ahead
with the investigation, if only to prove
the charges groundless and to avoid
the criticism that something discredit-
able is being hushed up.