Evening star., 1936-09-09
Voter Coercion.

Charges that relief workers in Penn
sylvania are being compelled to join the
Democratic party are not new. They
have been made for months. The Re-
publican National Committee, however,
has Just printed list of specific charges
Of political coercion, giving names and
places, and insisting that these charges
are supported by atidavits. What the
New Dealers are doing in Pennsylvania
they are doing in other States. In
Pennsylvania, however, the attempted
corruption Of the voters through relief
money is said to be on large scale.
These charges should be sifted.
Before the Senate adjourned it adopted
q resolution providing for the appoint
ment of special committee to investi-
gate campaign expenditures. Included
in the resolution was authority to inves-
tigate the expenditure of Federal funds,
If there was reason to believe that they
were being used for political purposes.
The committee, headed by Senator Lon
ergan of Connecticut, has a corps of
investigators, led by Louis r. CLAWS.
It has already started an investigation
in Pennsylvania. That investigation,
however, has nothing to do with the
charges of w. P. A. political corruption.
Its immediate purpose is to determine
whether couple of steel companies are
attempting to coerce their employees; pre-
sumably compel them to vote the Repub-
ucan ticket.
The Senate Campaign Investigating
Committee has clear duty to perform
Unless it has cotton stuffed in it's ears
and blinders hung before it's eyes, it
must be cognizant of these charges of
corrupt use of relief money for political
purposes. Doubtless it can have the
af1davits held by the Republican Ma
tional Committee by simply asking for
them. The committee is dominated by
the Democratic members and one Pro-
greSsive who is expected to support
President Roosevelt for reelection. The
Republicans have a single member on
the investigating committee. 1t would
be surprising, however, If before the
election the committee did not get
around to an investigation of the charges
Of voter coercion by the Democratic
political bosses through the w. P. A.
and kindred relief organizations. 1t
would indeed be something more than
surprising.
The charges now made by the G. o. P.
committee cover wide range of activi-
ties. w. p. A. local officials in Pottsville,
for example, are demanding 5 per cent
of the wages paid to the relief workers
from now until election day. w. P. A.
workers have been used to rebuild the
Summer homes of political insiders
wrecked by the flood outside of Pitts
burgh. inexperienced Democratic fav-
orites have been given fat jobs in charge
Of w. P. A. projects with resultant great
loss Of money. w. P. A. workers have
been taken to registration Offices and
compelled to change their political
registration from Republican to Demo-
cratic. Applicants for w. p. A. jobs
have been compelled to register as
Democrats.
If these charges are true, an attempt
Is being made to "buy'' the coming presi-
dental election on a large scale with
funds collected from national taxes-or
borrowed by the National Government,
since there is huge deficit. Why not
let in the light? Despite reiterated de-
mands for investigations of the political
use of relief money. the lid has been
kept pressed down.