Evening star., 1939-07-21
For Cleaner Politics

VI SiCOuSI OII(ISS
The use of Federal officeholders in
political campaigns was barred by
action of the House last night. That
body, by a large" bipartisan vote,
242 to 1873, passed the Hatch bill
designed to prevent any administra-
ton in power from calling upon the
huge army of Federal employees to
help perpetuate it in control of the
Government
Since the bill already passed the
Senate, there remains only a final
adjustment of amendments adopted
by the House, either by their accep-
tance by the Senate or in conference,
before the bill goes to the President
for his approval. And so a long step
IN the interest of cleaner politics
will have been taken. 1t is incon-
ceivable that the President will veto
such measure.
The Hatch bill is the outgroWth of
the Senate investigation of the use
of the Works Progress Administra-
ton, the relief organization of the
Government, in the political cam
paign of 1888 With commendable
industry, vlgor and honesty, that
committee, headed by Senator Shep-
pard of Texas, revealed the existence
Of political corruption and of the
coercion of voters ION relief" in
Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee
and several other States. The Hatch
bill, sponsored not only by Senator
Hatch of New Mexico, but also by
Senator Sheppard and Senator Aus
tin of Vermont and, in the House,
by Representative Dempsey of New
Mexico, was prepared as a permanent
deterrent to such political activities.
The Hatch bill writes into perma-
nent law the prohibitions against the
use of the relief organization for
political purposes which were in
serted in the relief appropriation
acts, passed during the present
session of Congress. 1t goes much
further and undertakes to prevent
the participation of all other Federal
officials, other than the policy
making officers, in political cam
paigns. 1t is a sweeping measure.
And in the light of the tremendous
bureaucracy that has been built up
In this country, particularly within
the past six years, it is an intensely
important measure.
Back in 1908 the Democratic party
In it's national platform complained
bitterly of the use of Federal Off
cials by the then President Theo-
dore Roosevelt to nominate his sue
cessor in the White House, the late
President William Howard Taft. The
Democrats who voted for the Hatch
bill doubtless had this in mind.
They do not intend to see the pres
ent Chief Executive, or any other,
make use of the employees of the
Government to name his successor. In
order that there should be no doubt
about this, an amendment was writ
ten into the bill making it unlawful
for any person in the Federal admin
istrative service to use his official
authority for the purpose of inter-
fering with the nomination, as we'll
as the election, of any candidate for
the Office of President, Vice Presi-
dent, presidential elector, member of
the Senate or member of the House.
In vain did administration Dem
ocrats seek to pull the teeth of
the Hatch bill. In vain did they
appeal to those Democrats who
favored the measure not to 60 along
with the Republican members of
the House. Those Democrats who
stood by principle remained un-
shaken by these partisan cries. Quite
possibly some of these Democrats
had become disgusted with the
efforts of the Administration to
purge" certain members of their
party by the use of Federal officials
In the congressional elections of 1898.
Nor did the House give heed to
arguments that the bill would de-
prive United States attorneys and
marshals, collectors of internal rev.
enue and a myriad of other Federal
employees of the right of participating
in political campaigns, and that it
would deprive men and women on
relief Of their right also otake part
In such campaigns. So far as the
people on relief are concerned, the
Hatch bill will free them from a
political coercion that has been in
tolerable, as well as corrupt, in the
past.
Twist and turn as they would, the
Administration forces, lined up
against this measure, were unable
to overcome the real demand for the
passage of the bill. If it becomes
law, as expected, and makes it