Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-04-02


-, than billion and a
A"u""sT half in new money
OUer Relief to spend on relief
as he sees fit has
caused political thunder to rumble
again. 1t has brought out in the
open much Of the undercurrent of
gossip that has been going on about
political racketeering with federal
funds and it has brought into sharp
relief, just ahead of the spring cam
paigning, the fact that the federal
government has used something like
$8,0OO.OOO,O00 under the guise of re-
lief since President Roosevelt took Of
fee.
Naturally, the situation is immersed
In politics. All Of the charges that
were flung at Mr.. Roosevelt during
previous sessions of congress when he
had requested that he be given, as he
was given, blank checks on the treas
ury, have been revived. In addition.
new accusations and disclosures of
petty graft and political Vaccinations
have been dug up and Haunted in the
face Of the New Deal leaders. More
and more Of these are coming to the
surface and there is no longer any
question that throughout the relief Or
ganization there is politics. This is
true Notwithstanding the strongly
worded statement by Mr.. Roosevelt
that politics was not to figure in the
administration Of relief in any way.
All of this leads up to the conclu-
sion that whenever the federal govern
ment horns in on administrative af-
fairs of states, counties or municipal
tiles, the organization becomes so ex-
tensive that It is impossible for those
at the top in Washington to know
what goes on. 1t is but another way
of saying that the federal government
ought to confine itself to federal af-
fairs, matters Of national scope in
stead Of attempting to supersede the
local governments in any function.
Since we are heading into a CAM
paign in which Mr.. Roosevelt is seek
ing reelection, his
Cn0Tge opposition is making
Waste much of two phases
Of the spending and
relief situations. They are stressing
the waste that they charge has per-
meated every phase of the relief eff
fort in the last three years as well as
the waste that has taken place in the
countless alphabetical agencies that
Mr.. Roosevelt has built up in the fed
eral government
The relief machinery, Roosevelt op-
ponents claim, has been converted into
a gigantic political machine, the chief
object of which Is to re-elect Mr..
Roosevelt. They claim as well that
there has been created bureaucracy
that makes us, as individuals, RESPONSE
BILE to a thousand little dictators who
act as prosecution, judge and jury
over our every coming and going.
All of these are harsh accusations
but there is enough evidence available
now to make it appear that there is,
at least, some truth upon which such
charges can be based.
OF course, politicians will magnify
all phases Of every subject which they
discuss. The opposition will make the
crimes look heinous and the admins
tration spokesman will make every
thing look pure. Neither one is justi-
fed in going quite to the extent of the
indicated trend. 1t seems to me that
voters ought not be fully convinced
by either side but that they ought to
examine the picture from the local
viewpoint where the evidence is first
hand and where the people who did a
good job or who were guilty of fraud
or corruption are known to the voters.
Then. If in November the election re-
suits for the whole country show a
preponderance one way or another, the
voters will have established their will
as being either in favor of or definite
ly opposed to management OF such
things from Washington.
There are 3,071 counties in the Unit
ed States. In nearly every one of
More Republican and a
PoJifics Democratic county
chairman. In many
of the counties the Democratic coun-
ty chairmen are trying to use the WPA
and its relief setup for political advan-
tage. In an equal number Of coun-
ties Republican county chairmen are
watching for and reporting irregular
tiles. There can be no doubt, there
fore. that the charges about relief be-
ing used politically will increase In
number as the campaign progresses II
there is ground for the charges. So, 1t
is made to appear that the local voters
will have complete picture of condi-
lions upon which to base their Judg-
ment.
Two recent instances where impor-
tant individuals have called attention
to alleged corruption and political
maneuvering under guidance OF reiief
leaders serve to support the conten-
ton I have just advanced that the
local communities will have complete
facts before them. l refer to the
charges by Senator Holt, Democrat. OF
West Virginia, that the whole reiiet
orcanization in his state Is money