Evening star., 1938-08-28
Scandal Charges in Primaries
Nav Broaden Federal Control
Jobholders and Relief Benefcaries Raise New
Questions of Political Morality in Contests
Within Party.

effect an amendment to the Constitution,
with action required first by Congress and
ratification by three-Quarters Of the States
to follow. Obviously, such corrective proce-
dure could not be completed in time to be
of value in the 1910 elections
La Toilette Suggested Extension.
A practical extension of the present act
was suggested by Senator La Toilette in
1926 in the form of amended rules of the
Senate which would bar from seat any
candidate who might have violated pro-
visions of the act in the primaries. This
effort was blocked. as were subsequent ones
of Senators Neely of West Virginia. Nc
Kellar of Tennessee and Cutting of New
Mexico in the days before the New Deal.
AS a stop-gap. the Senate in the inter-
vening election years has depended upon
the Special Campaign Expenditures Com
mittees to establish a rule of fitness for
membership in the upper branch. These
committees have required accountings of
primary campaign funds. and do possess
the power to recommend against seating a
candidate The Very fiexibility of the COM
mittees authority and its varying defini-
tions of corrupt practices as it may change
in temper and political complexion have
made it, however. a not fully satisfactory
instrumentality for bringing politics to a
high plane.
Despite this obvious shortcoming it has
been argued with effect in past election
years that primary tests were strictly State
affairs and that irregularities were the un-
fortunate accompaniment of a system con-
ceived as substitute for the convention
plan which had resulted in promiscuous
buying and selling of delegates and tight
machine control of whole parties and
States
That the substitute has been any actual
Improvement over the original certainly is
debatable question but it may be signifi-
cant to note that there has been little or
no agitation to return to the convention as
the lesser of two evils At the present
time. direct primaries are mandatory by
law in 40 States and optional in five others.
with only three-Rhode Island, Connecti-
cut and New Mexco-clnging to the con-
vention plan.
In fairness it must be said that the in
dividual States have recognized the abuses
common in the primary system and all have
enacted corrupt practices acts by which
they attempt to limit expenditures, force
enumera ton of other expenditures and con-
tributions. and curb various other undesir-
able campaign methods
That these safeguards are not adequate
to cope with some Of the fancy practices
of todays primaries, including the political
immortality" of Democrats posing as Re-
publicans and vice versa, is due largely to
the entirely new situation" of which Sen
ator Sheppard complained. In turn, their
very inadequacy provides ammunition to
those who would extend the Federal con-
troll
One other argument for greater Federal
control of these preliminary contests also
has been heard frequently and is reflected
in actual practice OF the present Democratic
party leadership. namely. that American
political parties are national organization
directed largely by national officers to
whom credit or censure ordinarily are at
tributed for whatever transpires. 1t is
contended, therefore, that the regulation Of
such organizations might properly be ma
tional in character rather than unco-
ordinated and inconsistent as at present.
This national character" of the political
parties, even down to their local primary
differences, was the basis OF course for
President Roosevelts assault upon Senator
George of Georgia. fact made plain by the
Chief Executive when he explained his in
tervention by saying that TO carry out my
responsibility as President it is clear that
there should be cooperation between MEM
bers of my own party and myself. That
! is one of the essentials of party form Of
government
| In less exaggerated and less publicized
manner, the Republican party's national
leadership also ntervened openly in at
least one of its party primaries this year
when Chairman John D. NJ Hamilton ad-
vised the Republican voters against select
ing the Rev Gerald B. Winrod as the party
nominee for the governorship of Kansas.
That such Intervention from Washing
ton will increase rather than decrease in
the election years of the immediate future
would be a reasonable speculation; some
observers already believe it will become
accepted practice. If it is to develop that
primary contests are commonly to be test
ing grounds Of direct Federal influence then
little basis exists for withholding from Fed
eral regulatory agencies the power to ex-
tend their policing authority over such