Evening star., 1935-01-07
BROAD REFORMS
H|NTED IN ATTACK
Democrats, Too, Would Be
Affected by Cleanup They
Are Urging.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


stones, which might be particularized
somewhat today to read that the New
Deal ought to make sure it is not re-
peating some of the iniquitieS of the
old deal
For, presumably, these are days OF
virtue and Righteousness in govern
ment, and yet there were, in the last
few days, two items in the Nations
press, widely published, which, taken
together, raise questions that will re-
quire considerable explaining. The
first was a sentence in President
Eoosevelts message to Congress which
read as follows: I'VE have, however,
a clear mandate from the people that
Americans must forsWear that con-
ception of the acquisition of wealth
which, through excessive profits, ere
ates undue private power over private
affairs and. to our misfortune, over
public affairs as we'll"
The second item told that the
Democratic National Committee had
collected during the year $367 ,000 and
a list Of contributors is given in the
formal report to the clerk Of the House
OF Representatives.
Questions Aroused.
Why did these people contribute
money to the Democratic National
Committee and who were they? Were
they just average citizens earning just
decent livelihood or were they per-
sons with excessive profits" able to
give away or 10 thousand dollar
checks? And, what was their motive
in giving?
Mr.. Roosevelt says that unfortu-
nately excessive profits create un-
due private power over public affairs.
How else is that power eXerted except
through campaign contributions from
individuals who use some Of their
profits for the purpose?
Look over the list and you will see
that not few of them have business
with the Government, directly or in
directly, or are interested in keeping
the Government off their backs. Sew
eral probably would say they did not
want to contribute. but when Jim Far
ley, Postmaster General and right
hand man of President Roosevelt,
comes to your office and asks for con-
tribution or telephones you to make an
engagement for some one else who is
collecting funds or introduces you quite
casually to the man who is to solicit
your contribution, would you turn a
cold shoulder, especially If you were in
a business which needs all the good
will it can possibly have at the Ma
tional Capital?
And If some day one of the alto
numerous bureaus in the Government
issues regulation which goes hard
on your business and seems to give
your competitor break, would 1t be
wrong for you to get on the telephone
and ask Jim Farley or one Of his lieu
tenants, How Gomez"
All Is Simple Routine.
All of this is just every day routine
in the game of politics. And everybody
in Washington has known it for gene
rations, for the wicked Republicans
started it and kept themselves in power
for a long while by these tactics.
incidentally, the same days news
furnished the fact that the Republic
ans took in $416,OOO In 1884 Why
does anybody contribute to party out
of power? For the sake Of old times?
Or is it perhaps faint hope that
maybe the worm will turn some day
and there'I be Republican Postmas-
ter General sitting at the right hand
of a Republican President and inter-
ceding when some bureaucrat who
owes his Job to the Self-same PoStmaS-
ter General doesn't know the differ
ence between a regulation which ad-
verSely affects a campaign contrib
utor and one that helps non-con-
tributor2
Are the Republican contributors of
1884 grateful for favors received and
are the Democratic contributors CRATE
full for favors yet to be received?
Look over the list of officeholders,
especially in high executive positions
and in the embassies and legations of
the United States, and compare it
with the campaign contributors to
the Democratic party in the last
two years You will see then how
political debts are paid.
These are things that you have
to investigate for yourself. For Con-
gress thinks about taking the profits
out of foreign war, but never seems
to inquire into the profits of our po-
litical wars.
Baruch Among Exceptions.
There are certain contributors, of
course, like Bernard M. Baruch, for
instance, who never made nickel
out of his close friendship with the
Government and who never asked for
an official position and would not
take any if offered, though he has
served on temporary boards as a
matter of patriotic service and always
without salary. This type is all too
rare and yet only men of wealth seem
to be able to donate funds for political
campaigns, especially between elec-
tions, when a national headquarters
has to be maintained.
The problem has given much con-
Germ to reform-min people, like
Senator Norris of Nebraska, who says
his own case has proved a candidate
doesn't need large contributions.
What is the way out? Doubtless
the passage of law prohibiting all
campaign contributions whatsoever in
presidential and congressional elec-
tions to the parties which usually
elect candidates for Congress or for
the presidency. Then the Federal
Government should appropriate a
specific sum, possibly $50O000 an
nually, for the use of each of the
parties and require them to give an
accounting of how they spent it. AS
for the minority parties or new
parties, they should be permitted to
continue to solicit funds from private
sources, but, when they have sue
ceeded in electing any of their candi-
dates, they, too, should be awarded
by Congress specific sum for party
use so that 1t could not be said the
system permits no new party to
enter the field and merely insures
the political status quo.
Sum Might Be Scorned.
Cynical-minded persons might op-
pose such appropriations as $500,000
as being too trivial, relatively speak
inp apd thew might arplle that the