Evening star., 1939-01-30

recommendations had to be given
consideration. 1t meant also that
appointees we're under personal OBJ
legation to Senators and thus self
perpetuating political machines were
born.
The sweeping restrictions just
voted by the Senate undoubtedly will
be followed by the House of Repre-
sentatives when the relief appropria-
ton comes back from conference
The new provisions are so far
reaching that they may affect the
new technique of forcing contribu-
tions for political purposes from
Government workers by means of
"banquets" with high prices for the
tickets.
Much to Be Corrected.
There is, to be sure, much loose
ness left to be corrected If it is
improper for Government funds
which go for relief to be used for
politics, it is equally wrong for any
Government funds and any Govern
ment officials to be concerned di-
rectly or indirectly with the collec-
ton of any political money from
Government employees or for any
governmental influence to be ex-
erted on the workers.
In private industry it would be
regarded as reprehensihe for the
bosses of factory to tell the work.
ers how to vote or to elicit from
them contributions for political
campaign. Yet cabinet officers who
are paid out of public funds have
been in the past active in forming
organizations which prey upon Gov
eminent workers both within and
without the civil service The real
victory for clean elections will not
be won till the laws absolutely pro-
hibit the Government officials from
soliciting either directly or indirectly
any funds whatsoever from any per-
sons employed by the Federal Gov
ernment.
Public Opinion Felt.
The Senate did not vote the ban
on relief money in politics out of a
sense of new-found virtue. Quite
the contrary, the Senate only last
June refused to pass any restrictions
on politics in relief and the majority
leader of the Upper House. Senator
Barkley, led in that refusal. But
today public opinion, which became
outraged at what happened last
June, can point to the reversals in
the elections last autumn as q sign
of what may be expected in the next
election unless political skullduggery
is eliminated from the handling Of
Government money paid into the
. Treasury by taxpayers of all classes
and all parties. Nothing can con-
tribute so much. history shows, to
the undermining of confidence in
democratic institutions as the mis-
use of public funds collected from
persons who pay taxes.
The record of the Democratic
party in allocating relief funds, in
allocating public works projects and
In allocating public Offices in
, places of strategic Importance re-
lated to an election is one that
differs only in extent and scope from
the misdemeanors of the Repub-
1ican party. Politicians have little
regard for scruple when they get
hold of public power and the public
purse. That's why when public
opinion does succeed in making the
politicians reform themselves, or at
least make them take away from
themselves part of the political
booty which they believe belongs to
them, it is, indeed, triumph for
the democratic processes and a Wig
liant press.
For it is we'll known that but for
exposures opened up in connection
with the primary campaign in
Kentucky last summer the country
would not have had as strong
q case against relief in politics.
Likewise, it is to the credit of Sen
ator Morris Sheppard of Texas,
Democrat, and his colleagues on the
Senate committee investigating cam
paign eXpenditures-Whose reports
were widely printed by the press
that they fearlessly exposed the
truth about politics in relief and
now the whole Senate, by a voice
vote, led by Senator Barkley him
self, has gone on record in favor
Of laws forbidding such practices.
Law Must Be Enforced.
But there is one big hurdle to be
overcome before the new laws pro-
hibiting politics in relief will be
worth the paper they are written on
, 1t is to find some way to compel an
administration in power to prose
cute wrongdoers of the same polit-
ical affiliation. Thus the Federal
Corrupt Practices Act was flag
rantly violated in connection with
the 1896 presidential election
through the sale of campaign text
books and by the acceptance by
political committees of funds solic-
tied from corporations, but the De-
partment of Justice did nothing
about it. Possibly the answer lies
in amending the laws so as to take
the Department of Justice itself
out OF politics by making it's law
enforcement divisions a separate in
stitution, with permanent staff
and a longer tenure. Or possibly
the same end might be reached
through laws permitting grand
juries to take the initiative inves-
tigating violations of laws relating
to political activities and proyid-
ing, in those special instances. for
the appointment OF special prose-
cutors appointed by the Federal
judges. Certainly there is no safe
guard when a political Department
Of Justice can order the quashing Of
any indictment at any time or
worse yet, when it can fail to pre-
sent case to a grand jury involv.
ling political misbehavior. The same
Department of Justice which car
think up plenty of ways to get in.
dictments under criminal Law
against corporations because o.
technical violations Of the anti