Evening star., 1938-07-02

final judges of the qualifications of
their respective members
Money spent improperly to influence
State Legislature or to influence an
election has been the basis time and
again of charges relating to the right
Of an elected candidate to hold the
seat he has won. The votes of indi-
vidual members on the moral issue
involved in honest elections have risen
to plague them in their own subse-
quent election contests.
Some Of the Senators who voted to
seat the late Senator Lorimer of ui-
nois, after disclosures were made of
the improper use of money in obtain
ing his election found punishment
awaiting them at the polls Members
OF Congress are peculiarly sensitive to
how they themselves vote when an
issue of honesty or dishonesty in
an election is presented.
Rules May Provoke Challenge.
If the Senate Campaign Expendi-
lures Committee should now lay down
rules as to what constitutes proper
and improper influence in elections,
the various candidates for the Senate
will find themselves confronted by
challenge as to their eligibility if they
should In any way allow their election
campaigns to become interviewer in
Works Progress Administration ac-
tivity or in electioneering by Federal
officials and employees.
Fundamentally, there is little differ
ence between the use of Federal money
and private money to influence con-
gressional elections The fact that
officials of an administration realize
that prosecutions can come only from
members of their own political group,
1t would seem, might cause them to
lean over backwards in observing the
proprieties. Fortunately, there are in
dependent Democrats in the Senate
who will not hesitate moment to
investigate charges of improper use
OF Federal money among their fellow
Democrats. Mr.. Walsh Of Massachu-
sets was quite tactful in assuming
that any use of Federal machinery
would be 'traitrous" to President
Roosevelt and the Democratic party.
This, at least, is the formal and Off
cial position taken by the administra-
ton. From now on it will be q ques-
ton Of whether these are regarded as
mere words or whether they convey a
real warning.
Said Senator Walsh:
ANY agency or officer of the pres
ent administration who now or in
the coming campaign will use Fed
eral funds to influence votes is not
only acting in an un-Christian and
un-American manner, but, in my
opinion. is traitor to President
Roosevelt and the Democratic party.
Sees Wrath Arising.
If any there be who suppose that
the public conscience is temporarily
stunted by the worry. distress and
anxiety that present economic condi-
tions have caused, let them not be
unmindful of the wrath that an
aroused public conscience can exercise
when relief of human misery is de-
graded to gutter politics"
Senator Walsh has aimed his warn
ing at Federal employees, but it applies
equally to the beneflciaries of such
action as Federal agencies may take,
namely the candidates themselves. It
is here particularly that the Congress
itself takes jurisdiction. For in the
case OF private funds there have been
in the past many incidents in which
contributors were not punished, but
the recipients of the campaign bene-
fits were refused seats
Whether the money be private con-
tributions or public funds, the princi-
pie of immortality and dishonesty is
just the same. The Senate Campaign
Expenditures Committee has done a
constructive public service in calling
the attention of the American people
to the Importance of honest elections
this autumn. This means that every
citizen can be ON his guard and OBJ
tain testimony as to the improper use
Of public funds and present it any time
from now till next January to the Sen
ate Committee on Campaign Expendi-
lures, for If there have been scandals,
and If improper influence has been
used by any one to win primary
contest or an election, the Congress
can refuse to permit an elected can
didate to take his seat when it becomes
convinced improper influence has been
used upon the electorate
(Copyright, 1889