Evening star., 1939-04-01

ulCdSulC Id llo"
on the Senate calendar, and if Sen
ator Hatch has his way it will be
passed promptly and sent to the
House for action also.
The bill is not substitute for ex-
listing laws against corrupt practices
or pernicious political activity-it is
merely intended to be supple
i mentary. 1t carries in its provisions
the prohibitions against political &C
tivity by relief workers and admin
istrators, which were written into
the w. P. A. appropriation bill pass
ed at the opening of the present ses-
sion. That curb of political activity
attached to the appropriations act
dies with that act, unless renewed.
Senator Hatch. who reported the
bill from the Elections Committee,
| believes that the time is ripe for
permanent legislation, particularly
as the country was greatly aroused
by the revelations last summer of
the use of the relief organization
and relief money to affect elections.
State Control Abandoned.
Senator Hatch was anxious to
have the new law reach political
activity of State employes-for some
Senators, among them the Demo-
cratic leader of the Senate, Senator
Barkley of Kentucky, complained
bitterly last year that gubernato-
rial candidates ranged against them
for their Senate seats were making
use of the State pay roll crowd. But
the opinion of a majority Of the
committee was that to include such
a provision might bring the act
into conflict with the Constitution,
which leaves State officials and en-
ployes to the control of the States
So the section attempting to reach
some of the State employees was
stricken out. and also that section
which sought to deal with primary
elections and State conventions for
the nomination of Federal officers,
including the President, Vice Presi-
dent. Senators and Representatives
in Congress.
Section of the BILL as reported.
seeks to put employees of the Fed
eral Government in ANY admins
trative or supervisory capacity on
all fours with the regular civil
service employees in the matter OF
political activity" 1t states: 1T
shall be unlawful for any person
or,p1o,-od in opv oIy,, mi c{ ro tive ~
supervisory capacity by any agency
of the Federal Government, whose
compensation or any part thereof,
is paid from funds authorized OF
appropriated by any act of Con-
gress, to use his official authority
or influence for the purpose of in
terfering with an election or affect
ing the results thereof. All such
persons shall retain the right 70
vote as they please and to express
privately their opinions on all politi-
cal subjects, but they shall take no
active part in political manage
ment or in political campaigns"
Would Sap Purge" Efforts.
That is quite mouthful. If such
law had been in effect last year,
the administrators purge" efforts,
directed against Democratic Sena-
tors who had incurred the displeas-
ure Of the President. would have
been more handicapped and more
disastrous than they really were
Indeed, this section, as interpreted
by sponsors Of the bill, would pre-
vent political campaigning or activ-
ity by any Federal official not hold
ing a policy making" job. Policy
making is distinguished from "ad-
ministrative or supervisory Office.
That would still let cabinet officers
and undersecretaries take part in
electioneering. But every one else,
including bureau chiefs, internal
revenue collectors, United States at
torneys and marshals would be COM
PEELED to restrain themselves in po-
litical campaigns, or else face i'm
mediate removal from Office.
There are some who hold that this
section might even call halt on the
use of cabinet officers and their i'm
mediate subordinates in political
campaigns. But that is not Senator
Hatch's view of the matter. But the
New Mexico Senator does not be-
lieve that other employees of the
Government should be any more
privileged to electioneer than are
the ordinary civil service employees
of the Federal Government.
There is nothing in the language
r,r;a. tor ord PopD Renublican. Of Cali