Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-06

support It. Every one engaged in
funny business with relief funds or
workers had better watch their step,
for they are going to be on hot
spot when Congress gets back to
Washington.
What is more, if anything is Ger
tain in politics. it is that a move
men will be launched in the next
Congress to nail Relief Admins
traitor Harry Hopkins and put an
end to his arbitrary powers over
hundreds of millions of dollars of
relief funds.
Mr.. Hopkins has been the fair
haired boy of the Roosevelt admin
istration. He is perhaps closer to
Mr.. Roosevelt than any other person
in the New Deal. He is the biggest
employer in the country, having on
his pay rolls not only more than
$4,000 administrative officers and
employees, but also more than
100000 relief workers.
Hopkins Is "Mr. Big"
For instance, Mr.. Hopkins has an
administrative and supervisory staff
twice the size of the Commerce De-
partment and larger by some 1000
persons than the number of persons
employed in the Departments of
State, Labor and Justice, combined.
Whereas a majority of the employees
in those four old-line departments
have had to run the gauntlet of the
civil service to get their jobs Mr..
Hopkins has been free to hand out
administrative and supervisory jobs
to any one he pleases-and to fire
them when he pleases, without any
ifs, ands or butts about it. He is
the MI Big" of the New Deal.
Even though Mr. Hopkins has had
some hard sleding in the last year
or so on Capitol Hill, he was safe
from congressional wrath until he
commenced stepping on Democratic
toes. Harsh as it may sound, it is
nevertheless true that House and
Senate Democrats did not be-
come outraged about Mr.. Hopkins
and his meddling into politics as
long as he confined his efforts
against Republicans. He made his
mistake when he became one of
the foremost figures in the recent,
mournful Democratic purge effort.
Now Mr.. Hopkins has against him
not only all the Republicans-an
as a result of what has happened
in the last month they are fighting
mad about him and his political
activities-but he also has against
him all those Democratic Senators
who survived the purge-Tydings,
George, Adams, Smith and all the
others. But he also has against
him most of the Democratic Sena-
tors who will be up for reelection
in 1910. Having seen what he tried
to do to their colleagues this year,
they propose to take no chances
whatever with Mr.. Hopkins. They
intend to get him before he gets
them.
There are other factors which
point to the descent of the bright
political star OF Harry Hopkins. New
Deal politics in relief administra-
ton already is commencing to have
a bad odor, as evidenced by the in
dictments returned by the Federal
grand juries in New Mexico and New
Jersey. For instance, the New
Mexico grand jury included in its
indictment son-in-law, sister. a
cousin and nephew of Senator
Dennis Chavez. of that State. Sena-
tor Chavez last spring made the
most ardent and moving plea for
the rejection of the Hatch amend
ment to take politics out of relief
Should he again open his mouth on
the subject he would be laughed
to scorn, to say the least.
Then there is the case of Senator
Morris Sheppard. Last spring he
apparently did not believe there
was any politics in relief administra-
ton for he voted against both the
Hatch and Austin amendments But
now Senator Sheppard knows what
has been going on from his expert
ences as chairman of the Committee
on Campaign Expenditures-and he
has had the courage and honesty to
shun craftsmanship and say SO.
Let it be recalled that the Hatch
Amendment in the Senate was
defeated by the close vote of 80 to
81, while the more severe Austin
Amendment was defeated 35 to SO.
Even then a number of Democrats,
as we'll as all the Republicans, were
fed up with the political Mr.. Hop
kins. Now they are more determined
than ever that they will not be I'M
done by any praetorian guard led
by Mr.. Hopkins.
Hopkins Suspected Of Ambition.
There is still another factor which
points to Mr. Hopkins early down.
fall. 1t Is the suspicion that he
very definitely cherishes ambitions,
believe it or not. to be the Demo-
cratic Presidential nominee in 1910.
1t has been whispered around that
one reason why Federal relief roles
are not decreased in response to
improved business conditions-even
in years in which there are no
ClCSIlOilo- llIdV Wi 11OphlIlo WlSilCo
to maintain and build up this re-
lief army as political machine to
further his presidential aspirations.
For that reason alone there are
a number of Democrats who will
join hands with the Republicans in
the Senate to clip Mr.. Hopkins
power. First will come an investi-
gation-the first real, genuine in
vestigation conducted into Mr.. Hop
kins' activities. 1t will not be aimed
at relief-for that will be maintained
as long as necessary; 1t will be aimed
at Mr.. Hopkins, his satellites and the
Democratic machine bosses who
have undertaken to use relief for
their political advantage.
1t will be a merry party-and
when 1t is over, perhaps, it will not
be necessary to do anything about
Mr.. Hopkins. Despite his rhinoceros
hide, perhaps a sensitive spot will
be found-and perhaps Mr.. Hopkins
will get sick and resign to go into
business, After all, Won cannot