Evening star., 1938-06-04


ecutive branch of -
the Government,
the days of constitutional democracy
as we know it are numbered. The
original theory was that the executive,
legislative and judicial branches were
each to be independent of the others.
In Iowa the issue comes to head
on Monday. Senator Gillette, Demo-
crat, is one of those who believes that
the judicial branch of the Govern
ment-particularly the Supreme Court
should be free from control by the
President He likewise believes that
the Works Progress administration,
headed by Harry Hopkins, and other
agencies of the Federal Government
charged with a humanitarian task,
should not become involved in politics
of any kind.
Iowa to Point Way.
Senator Gillette's cause Is before the
people of Iowa next Monday. A vote
for him is vote to approve independ-
ence in the legislative branch of Gov
est government. A vote against Mr..
Gillette may not be SO intended, but
1t can be construed as an affirmation
of the policy of using relief agencies
to mix into politics and help the ad-
ministration to elect rubber stamp"
members of Congress.
u. -, 4l,<T TN1,,n To- ,n,.txy
In Iowa decide they want relief money
used this way, it is, of course, their
prerogative and the issue then becomes
one for all the people of Iowa to decide
next autumn when they face man
who will have won his nomination by
Federal funds and Federal influence
and a candidate of the opposite party.
Naturally, official Washington is in
tensely interested in the primary con-
test next week. From the fact that
Senator Herring and Gov. Kraschel of
Iowa have come out for the candidacy
of Senator Gillette, there is a feeling
here that he may win, but as is usual
In various State situations, the political
leaders here are not sufficiently in
touch with conditions except in their
own State to be willing to hazard
guess as to the outcome.
No Anti-New Dealer.
Senator Gillette is by no means an
anti-New Dealer, in fact he voted with
the President on the bill to reorganize
the executive departments. On most
questions he has been on the side of
the New Deal. Punishment has been
ordered by the cleft wing" crowd in
the administration solely because Mr..
Gillette did not go along with the
plan to pack" the Supreme Court with
six extra judges SO as to influence
the court decisions. This question
alone is being made the acid test of
New Dealism and it is strange indeed
to see so much emphasis placed on
this point when the matter itself has
not been formally revived by the
President. The inference to be derived
from the strategy Of the "left wingers"
Is that if they can win few victories |
at the polls and put out the Senators
who fought the measure, maybe the
bill to control the Supreme Court will |
be brought up again at the January |
session of Congress. Mr. Roosevelt is,
every now and then, represented by |
his supporters as not having really |
abandoned his idea of making the |
Supreme Court subservient to the will |
of the Chief Executive.
The discussion of relief money in
politics this week in the Senate has |
been most revealing. Many Senators |
were willing to place restriction on |
the use of relief funds to prevent |
political activity. The amendment |
was by no means in drastic form and |
provided no criminal penalty at ALL |
1t merely would have served as notice |
to Federal employees compensated by |
Federal relief funds that they must |
not engage actively in politics. Amaz-
ingly enough, Senator Barkley of Ken
lucky, the administration leader, took |
the position that to cut out political |
activity on the part of Federal en-
ployes left it open for State employees |
to continue political activity and just |
now he is running for denomination |
against the Governor of Kentucky.
J0b VS.. Principles.
In other words, politics has so eaten |
into the morals of American public |
life that two wrongs make a right |
and men apparently care more about |
keeping their jobs in Government |
than they do about principle. Time
was when the mere mention of dis
honesty or improper influence in elec-
tions was enough to make real pro-
gressive boil over with rage and in
dignation. The scions of the wealth
who used to try to influence primary
contests were held up to scorn and |
the condemnation by the progressives
was sweeping, indeed. Today, to be a
true progressive in the New Deal sense.
you must believe that the end justifies
the means and that the political activ- |
ity OF executives of Federal agencies |
engaged in relief work Is not only
proper, but must be upheld on the
floor of the Senate.
Some day the American people will
become aroused over this decline in
morality in Government and express
their resentment at the polls--a re-
sentiment which unless expressed effec-
lively may lead in subsequent years |
to loss of faith in the institution of
Government and a return to the |
medieval ideas which have swept Fas-
cist Europe, namely, that political |
pickering and manipulation can be
forcefully eradicated only by dictator