Evening star., 1938-12-03


use its political power to squelch an
investigation? President Coolidge,
Republican, did not hesitate to be-
gin proceedings through the De-
partment of Justice against men,
ber of the cabinet of the preceding
President of the United States.
Owen Roberts, now a justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
and the late Atlee Pomerene, q
Democratic Senator, were given ap-
pointments as special prosecutors
and the public knows that the prose-
cutlon was successful.
The Democratic party has some
skeletons in its closet. The Senate
committee investigating campaign
expenditures is at the moment en-
gagged In writing final report. It
will shock the country because it is
a revelation of immortality in gov
ernment such as has scarcely been
paralleled in the whole history of
elections in America.
The part that the w. P. A. and
other Federal agencies played in
congressional elections has been
publicly condemned by the Senate
committee of which Senator Morris
Sheppard of Texas is chairman.
There can be no doubt that even
with the meagre funds available for
investigation, the committee has
done an outstanding job in gather
Ing facts about the improper use of
public funds and public offices.
Sheppard and Walsh.
Senator Sheppard is a Democrat
and SO is his able and active COL
league on the committee, Senator
David Walsh of Massachusetts,
These two men are naturally looked
upon as leaders in the drive for
morality in elections because thev
have faced the frowns of their partv
associates and have gone forward
with the investigation, even though
1t involved at one time the nomina-
ton in primary election of Sena-
tor Barkley, the Senates own ma
5ority leader.
What will be done with the final
report? Will the Democratic partv
follow the precedent created when
the Teapot Dome scandal arose and
vote complete investigation? Will
the Senate decide whether men
nominated or elected to Office bv
reason or irregularities in elections
shall be permitted to take their
seats?
Clearly the Democratic party as
the majority party faces a great
challenge. 1t can bury the report
with strictly partisan vote and let
the matter rest. Or it can order an
inquiry OF a more comprehensive
character with view to the formu-
latlon of amendments to the exist
ing Federal Corrupt Practices Act.
But something more is needed
than additions to that law. Some
method has to be devised to remove
from Office the members of an ad-
mlnlstration who neglect to enforce
a criminal statute. The Federal
Corrupt Practices Act has been
violated by high officials of the
present administration, but no in
dictments have been filed before anv
grand jury by any district attorney.
The Department of Justice is very
lavish with its criminal indictments
on the complex economic questions
growing out of the antitrust laws,
but 1t is very sparing in it's use of
the criminal indictment where uues-
tions of morality arise and Demo-
cratic party members themselves are
implicated
Sale of Campaign Books.
The sale of campaign books to
corporations was the instance in
which the Democratic administra-
ton refused to enforce the law.
How then can an administration be
compelled by some process to prose-
cute wrong doers in its own ranks?
Doubtless it cannot be done by leg
islation. 1t may have to be done
by the Senate itself or by the House
OF Representatives by bringing into
public view the facts of those viola
tions and letting the country decide
whether it approves of the course of
the administration in failing to
prosecute.
Similarly, if the Senate seats men
who have been nominated or elected
by improper means, the country will
have to judge where the RESPONSE
bility for such course shall be
placed.
If the Democratic party evades
the issue, the Republican minority
will have clear issue handed to it
on silver platter for 1910. When,
on the other hand, the record of
Democrats who have benefited by
improper use of public funds is
examined by a thorough-going
Investigation and the public decides
that the evidence is inadequate or
hardly persuasive, the benefit inures
to the innocent parties. If the elect
ed officials are guilty, then efforts
to squelch the investigation can
only hurt them in the public eye.
Certainly, the need for thorough
study of Americas election machin-
cry in view of the large public
spending program is becoming every
Gay more and more necessary to
keep the average man from losing
commence in the whole major party
system, irrespective of label. There
Is no surer way for democracy to
be undermined than for the public
10 suspect that public officials are
either guilty of violation of law or
the use OF public funds for selfish
political ends, and yet not have the
irregularities thoroughly probed.
Copyright. 1885,