The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-04-04
Several New
Problems
By James T. Williams, Jr

latest obligation imposed upon him
by the Senate may well give him
pause and cause for melancholy
reflection.
The Senate has Just adopted a
resolution providing for $780,.
900 investigation of campaign ex.
penditures in 1885 by presidential,
vice presidential and senatorial
candidates, including the use of
patronage or any public funds for
political purposes.
The appointment Of this com.
lmittee of five Senators one Of
whom shall represent a State from
which a Senator is to be elected
this years. the duty assigned bI
the Senate to the President of the
Senate-Vice President Garner.
Were Mr.. Garner only what the
American people elected him to
be-Vice President Of the United
States and ex-officio president Of
the Senate and its presiding judge
at the trial of all impeachments
below the office Of the Presidency
the appointment Of such a com.
Imittee would disconcert him not
one whit. It would be in line Of
duty, Of that constitutional duty
embraced by the solemn terms of
his oath of office.
Unfortunately, however, Mr.
Garner has taken on a political
office which the trainers of the
Constitution never contemplated
the second officer Of the Republic
would ever stoop to accept. Mr..
Garner is today the vice chair
man of Personal Governments
national campaign committee
the campaign committee of which
Postmaster General Farley, the
Jobmaster General of Personal
Government, is the chairman.
This new investigation, which
the Senate has just launched, is
instigated, of course, by the high
command of Personal Govern
ment. The only reason it is going
to include the use Of patronage or
public funds for political purposes
is because the opposition to Per.
Sonal Government, led by Senator
McNary of Oregon, and Senator
Hastings Of Delaware, forced this
amendment upon the Senatorial
agents of Personal Government.
Had they not accepted it, the reso-
luton would have been indefin-
itely held up.
AS vice chairman Of Personal
Governments reelection campaign
committee, Mr.. Garner will be ex-
pected by the JobmaSter General
to select five Senators at least
three Of whom will be the docile
creatures of Roosevelt Garner
Farley and Company"-the firm
name under which Personal Gov
eminent is operating today.
OF course, if the resolution per-
mitted, JobmaSter General Farley
would doubtless insist upon the
appointment by his vice campaign
manager of the following Sen
atorial agents of Personal Govern
ment as the majority members Of
this new investigating committee:
Mr.. Black of Alabama, chair
man, Mr.. Mcclellan of Tennessee,
and Mr.. Byrnes of South Carolina.
AS chairman of the committee
which investigated the air mail
Mr.. Black won the admiration of
Mr.. Farley by providing the Sen
atorial camouflage under cover of
which Mr.. Farley cancelled all
domestic air mail contracts with
out due process of law.
AS chairman Of the so-called
lobby" committee, Mr.. Black has
rendered Mr.. Farley even greater
service by selling and reading
thousands of private kilograms the
contents of which, as well as the
names of their SenderS, should be
Of tremendous service to the job
master General not only in raising
money for the reelection of Per
sonal Government but in the con-
duct of the campaign which Mr..
Farley has already threatened will
be the "dirtieSt" in American his
tory.
The reason why Mr.. Farley
would naturally prefer Mr.. Nc,
Kellar as one aide to Mr.. Black
in this new "Smear-the-enemy" in
veStigation is because Mr.. Nc
Kellar is Chairman of the Com
mittee on Post Offices and Post
Roads and has worked in as close
harmony with Mr.. Farley as has
Mr.. Black himself for the last
three years.
The usefulness of Mr.. Byrnes
as Mr.. Blacks other aide would
arise from the fact that he glories
in the title of "the White House
spokesman" on the floor of the
Senate and is the chairman Of the
Standing Committee of the Senate
which has the Say-So as to how
much money should be turned over
to the Senatorial agents Of Per
Sonal Government to wage its cam
paign for reelection with the weap-
onS of patronage, pork barrel funds
and intimidation.
But these political favoriteS Of
the JobmaSter General for his new
political investigation are barred
by the terms Of the resolution from
serving in this capacity because
a Senatorial election will be held
this year in their respective States.
Consequently, Mr.. Farley will
doubtless direct Mr.. Garner to ap-
point the majority members who
conduct this new investigation
from the following list of second
| string Farley favnritaS.