Evening star., 1939-07-11

DISCUSSES CONGRESS- PROB
Martin, jr., who spoke last nigl
and all secret commitments which
might again take American soldiers
to foreign battlefields.
Part of my job in Congress is to
keep in touch with American public
opinion. And this 1 know for
profound truth of our day-that
the American people are determined
to keep out of it.
Keep the United States out of
war!
Challenge of Clean Government.
The second great challenge be-
fore America today is the issue Of
clean and honest government.
Recent Investigations in both the
House and Senate have revealed
corruption, loose management-yes,
even bald political racketeering in
the management of the public busi-
ness. Our living ideals of faithful
public service are in danger.
Since 1888 our Federal pay roll
| has increased from roundly SOS 900
persons to 100000 today.
Partly because of this unwhole-
some expansion of bureaus, COM
missions and councils, but more be-
cause of the New Deal sabotage of
the merit system of civil service,
we are confronted today, in several
major segments of government,
with all but complete demoraliza-
ton of the administrative functions
Political appointees. often selected
with little regard for qualifications
of experience, are taking a heavy
cut of the relief funds appropriated
by Congress for the w. P. A.
Local supervisory and admins
trative staffs have been padded to
the point of national scandal
A special Nationwide survey or
dered by the House of Representa-
tives last February disclosed at that
time more than $4,000 persons on
the w. P A. rolls who were found to
be not in need of any public as
sistance whatever.
Those are the figures taken from
the public record of the House.
They explain how millions of dol
lars month voted by Congress to
aid the needy unemployed. are be-
ing diverted to unnecessary nigh
salaried political supervisors and
superintendents.
SpOils in Farm BOunties.
Spoils likewise corrode the dis
tribution of farm bounties, to the
extent that in several States re-
Gently We have come upon the dis
heartening spectacle of county elec-
tioneering by the crop checkers and
quota experts of the Government.
When partisan politics thus eats
in upon the distribution of public
assistance funds. then the fine ideals
of American public service are on
the gallows.
We have the vivid memory of the
New Deal national convention at
Philadelphia in 1896, when, by the
official record, more than a ma
jority of the accredited delegates
were active Federal off1ceholders
Is the moral sense of the Repub-
lie so calloused by the incessant din
of White House crises and emer-
gencies that our people must submit
to an arrangement of government
manipulated by a convention of
pay-rollers?
1t matters not particle whether
the question be third term, fourth
term of fifth term. The principle
at issue touches the very heart of
our American scheme of govern
ment. If we are to be managed and
o. KID in every relationship of life
by pay roll cabal, then the
grandeur of the great American
dream is dimmed to the shadowy
flicker of self-seeking spokesman
, ship.
These, in part, are the reasons
why I gave public Endorsement q
month ago to bill introduced in
the Senate by Mr.. Hatch of New
Mexico. Senator Hatch is a Demo-
crat, but I Endorsed his bill with
out qualification.
Look over the map of the United
States and note the blots of scandal
during the recent years Of New Deal
political domination-a shocking
string of criminal indictments
against public officials, or removal
from offices of public trust-New
York, Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Pennsylvania, Missouri, New Mexico,
Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky,
Michigan. The mere roll call of the
States is eloquent testimony to the
need for a real house cleaning now.
Penalties Political Coercion.
I am supporting the Hatch bill
because it would impose mandatory
criminal Notwithstanding fines
and imprisonment-upon all forms
of political coercion or intimida-
ton of relief workers.
1t would also penalize political
activity by all Federal workers,
whether they be postmasters, farm
agents, w. P. A. superintendents
or tax collectors.
WIN our F'eQeral pay roll aver
aging approximately 10000 900
per month, it is unfair to every citi-
zen that millions should be diverted
to political roundups for the New
Deal campaign.
Every dollar of the public pay
roll directed to political activity is
a betrayal of the American ideal of
honest and faithful public service.
I am confident that a cleanup in
these patronage scandals also COM
mands the support of the real Dem
ocrats in both the House and Sen
ate.
Pay roll politics Is now confronted
by an outraged public opinion.
Our program in the House calls
for q vnta m fhA Hatrh hill this