Evening star., 1936-06-18
Laws and Campaigns.

Do laws end when campaigns begin?
The Democratic National Committee,
represented by Chairman James A. Far
ley and Secretary w. Forbes Morgan, is
charged with seeking to line up the
$4,000 fourth-class postmasters Of the
country in a drive for contributions for
the reelection of President Roosevelt.
From Boston comes q report that $4,000
Roosevelt "nominator tickets" to be sold
at a dollar apiece, had been dumped
into the Federal building there, along
with letter purporting to come from
National Chairman Farley and Demo-
cratic State Chairman McGrath.
A governmental bureaucracy invari-
ably becomes a political machine. The
Roosevelt administration has built
bureaucracy of proportions never before
dreamed of in this country. Apparently
it is going to make use of it in the
coming presidential campaign. The uses
to which bureaucracy are put to retain
control of q government infringe upon
the freedom of the people. The Roosevelt
administration. through its relief work,
has been charged with using the funds
of the people for political purposes. With
billions Of dollars at its command, the
administration is about to have another
billion and half dollars for relief pur-
poses dumped into its lap by Congress.
T, tota fo hoar charJad
that relief money has been the price OF
political support. And now, II the re-
ports today be correct. the civil service
itself is to be put to work in the interest
of the reelection of President Roosevelt.
The civil service laws specifically pro-
vide that the Federal employees shall
not be solicited for campaign contribu-
tions, and that Government officials,
appointed by the President, shall not
use their official authority or influence
to coerce the political action OF any
person or body of persons, or to compel
them to make contributions for political
purposes. 1t happens that Chairman
Farley of the Democratic National Com
mittee is also Postmaster General Farley,
a member of the Presidents cabinet.
Mr.. Farley plays practical politics. 1t
seems incredible, however, that he could
have been either SO unwise or so brazen
as to countenance the letter which was
sent to at least one fourth-class post
master, as charged by Representative
Hallock of Indiana, Republican. Mr..
Farley has promptly denied that he
authorized or ever saw such letter
before it was sent out. The let
ter said that Mr.. Farley had arranged
to finance the entire Roosevelt cam
paign through the sale of 81 nominator
tickets. Twenty-Five of these tickets
were transmitted to the postmaster and
he was urged to sell them all as rapidly
as possible and to send q check to the
National Committee. The inference
seemed plain that il he did not sell
them he could send check for S25
anyway-"as one who has a special in
terest in the success of President Roose-
velts campaign for reelection" the
letter read.
Mr.. Farleys dual role as chairman Of
the Democratic National Committee and
head of great executive department
of the Government has been the subject
of criticism many times before. How
ever, a demand from him for contribu-
tions from the employees of the postal
service-if made-would be decidedly
malodorous. Aside from any such de-
mand, however, it is clear that he is in
q position to crack the political lash
over a great number of civil service en-
ployes. How long is this to continue?
AS Senator Norris views the parade,