The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-06-22
A Question OF Shine
Washington, June II


Washington, June IT..
For the moment, Attorney General
Frank Murphy, the Great Crusader,
whose recent declaration urging ex-
tension of the civil service and TWEEN
ty-five per cent reduction in the num-
Der of Federal jobholders has a dis
tinct humorous side which will be
dealt with later, seems to have slightly
slowed down in his -publicized
campaign to "clean up" the judiciary,
elevate the administration of justice
and purify the body polite in the
United States.
So Immediately pure himself that,
his friends insist, even remote contem-
plation of the impure is painful to
him, for weeks Mr.. Murphy charged
about the country eXuding warm and
oily press statements concerning the
noble nature of his drive. Prompt re-
suits were eXpected-and still are
from the advance publicity, and the
present appearance of stagnation
which the drive wears is said to be
misleading.
There has, it is insisted, been no
dimunition in zeal upon the part Of
M Murphy in this holy war. On the
contrary, he is more determined than
ever TO eradicate corruption and rout
the forces Of evil. Those scoffers who
hint that ''the forces of evil" are some
what magnifed for publicity purposes
are soon to be COMPOUNDED. Very short
~ now three-perhaps four-other
Federal judges, whose records are as
unsavory and Ubiquitous as that of the
convicted Manton, will be exposed.
Their prosecution will be relentlessly
conducted by Mr.. Murphy, in person
If necessary. Every one is to be driven
off the bench and put behind the bars.
Such at any rate is the Attorney Gen
erals program as outlined by his
friends
No one wants to handicap by criti-
Sisn a man engaged in fight against
corruption and neither the fact that
My. Murphy's personal piety is too
publicly paraded nor that his state
ments have an unctuous flavor justify
disparagement of his efforts or his re-
snlr-if he gets results. However, it is
certainly true that the White House
politicians who were enthusiastic
ah0at the Murphy crusade because of
their belief that he would outshine
District Attorney Dewey, whose,
strength as a Presidential aspirant is
largely due to his success as prose-
cIltor of New York crooks, are slightly
disappointed.
The conviction of the Kansas City
Ross, Tom Pendergast, for example,
did not rebound to the personal credit
of DIR. Murphy, although Mr.. Murphy
personally flew to Kansas City at the
time of the trial. The credit went
largely, as it should, to Governor
Stark. of Missouri. Nor has the Man
ton conviction resulted in any lessen
ing of the political availability of Mr..
Dewey. Perhaps, within the next few
weeks the scheduled exposures will
make the Dewey record against rack
eteeYs look small and stand Mr.. Muir
phy ont as the shining hero he was ex-
pgCtelg 20 be. Just now, it is sad to re-
por1. There is a feeling that he does not
shinF very brightly.
***
Thp disappointment of the Admins
tratiun politicians who are managing
tina Ghird-telm movement, has been
sbawn in two ways. First, they have
stopped the publicity about Mr.. Muir
ohv AS the running mate for Mr..
Roosevelt in 1910. Through their jour
naIistjc friends the names of Paul Nc
Mutt. of Indiana; Senator Wheeler, of
Mcn1ana; Henry Wallace, of Iowa;
Pos Emas ter General Farley; Senator
Schwellenbach, of Washington; Sena-
tor O'Mahoney, of Wyoming, and Rep
resent alive Rayburn, of Texas, are
being pointedly mentioned. There is a
double idea in this: first, to show Mr..
Murphy that he has not become the
outstanding Administration figure
forecast by his press agents; second,
sc create strength for their draft
movement by holding out the second
place on the ticket as bait to a number
of well-known Democrats in and oIt
of Ghe Senate.