Evening star., 1938-09-26
POLITICS IN OHIO
SOCIAL SECURITY FIGHT
Fear Felt That Needy Ones
Nav Suffer.

Regret that politics has entered into
the administration of social security In
Ohio Is expressed by press commenta-
tors. The Federal Board has made
charges against the handling of the
matter by the administration Of Gov
ernor Davey, and the latter has replied
with denial Of the rights of the
Federal oficials. The danger that pay
ments may be suspended in Ohio, bring
ing distress to the logical beneficiaries.
is deplored.
The human consideration involved, -
says the Akron Beacon Journal, rs
infinitely more important than the
political issue. We mean that winter Is
coming on. That withdrawal of Federal
aid would be completely inhuman
penalty to exact from helpless old men
and women. That II there were misdeeds,
the pension recipients had absolutely
no connection with them. That cutting
of the Federal share would be q gross
perversion Of the humanitarianism which
the New Deal has 50 long professed.
+ -
TT is denied" according to the
Worcester Gazette, "that Davey's officials
in the State ONCE were neglecting their
duties to play politics, and were trying
to line up aged pensioners to support
the Governor. It would have been better
to answer these charges with specific
testimony at Washington than to stay
at home and denounce the board. Ohio.
as he says, Is still 4 sovereign State. But,
along with all the other States, 1t is
drifting toward disaster under the
burden Of its relief load"
"Tf II Ia v,rovnd s,,uuocts <k> n
(WashD Republic, that partisan politics
exists In the Ohio old-age pension sys-
tenn. that will cause no wonderment.
The only wonder In connection with
the situation Is that q Federal ofncial
called attention to It,"
THE only recourse Of the Federal
Board" In the judgment Of the Newark
Evening News. rs to suspend grants
until Ohio reforms her methods. As
the News has emphasized before, and
As Chairman Altmeyer now deplores. no
way is provided by the Federal act for
reaching directly public servants who
have been unfaithful to their trust.
1t puts the board In . tough spot, for
suspension Of grants, II continued for
even more than . month. means that
real suffering must be borne by the bene-
ficiarieS."
There may be some politics on the
Washington side of the case" declares
the Youngstown Vindicator, "for the
national administration does not like
Governor Davey and the first charges
were published during the height of
the primary campaign. None the less
Ohio cannot take the risk Of having
funds for needy aged people cut of
and Mr. Davey himself would leave
ofice In better standing If in the closing
months Of his administration he should
clean up q system which apparently
has been misusing, for political purposes.
money intended for helpless old people. ''
THE average reader" thinks the
Cincinnati Times-star, may dismiss
this controversy as another case Of pot
and kettle. But every reader must be
struck by the contrast In the views of
different Federal departments Is to
the political use of public funds. The
Social Security Board raises pious hands
against the practice of asking votes
from old-age pensioners. But when
w. P. A. workers in Kentucky were told
to vote for Barkley or lose their jobs,
the offenders were neatly whitewashed
by Harry Hopkins. The political misuse
OF relief money In Pennsylvania and
other States during the 1895 campaign
was unparalleled for boldness and
cynicism. Yet no administration official
In Washington even spoke against it,"