Evening star., 1939-07-21
Early Action
In Senate Seen
For Hatch Bill

'S~'S oSSSO Oy
House Faces Only
Minor Amendments
BACKGROUND
Political activity by jobholders
has been under fire since disclo-
sures in last campaign that
e1orts had been made to muster
ret,et 10orkers to support admin
iStration candidates. Senator
Hatch. Nep Merico, Democrat,
got through Senate cleanup
bill, Which was amended, hoD-
eUer, By House Judiciary Com
m1ttee to ertent Uhere the Sen
dtor charged it UaS "emascu-
lated.' House restored teeth"
to measure last night.
By the Associated Press
The Hatch bill to curb political
activities of Federal officials was
headed back to the Senate today
after winning House approval last
night in long, boisterous session
in which Republican-Demo
coalition defeated stubborn attempts
to modify it's language.
The measure, passed by a vote OF
242 to 1873, goes back to the Senate
Tor acceptance of minor amend
mentS. Senator Hatch, Democrat.
OF New Mexico its author, pre-
dicted this would be forthcoming
quickly
AS weary legislators left the Cap
ltol Senator Hatch. who had re-
mained to hear all the acrimonious
House debate. told reporters:
The purpose of the bill is to pre-
vent office holders going to political
conventions as delegates. 1t is not
intended to limit the right of a per-
son to express his political opinion,
but only to prevent the average
office holder not already covered by
the civil service from going out
and managing or engaging in my
campaign or anybody else's."
Republicans Join Democrats.
The final vote found all the Re-
publcans present-157-joini 80
Democrats and 2 Progressives in
support of the measure Voting
against it were 132 Democrats and
the lone American-lab borite.
The House nullifled a revision
proposed by its Judiciary Commit
tee after President Roosevelt had
called the original Senate bill poorly
drawn. Senator Hatch had con-
tended, however. that the COM
mittee draft would emasculate the
bill
In rejecting the committees rec
ommendation, the House accepted
by lop-sided vote a proposal by
Representative Dempsey, Democrat,
of New Mexico, declaring that most
persons in the executive branch of
the Government must not use their
official positions to influence an
election and must not participate in
political management or political
campaigns"
But the chamber agreed to these
exemptions: Members of Congress,
the President and Vice President.
heads and assistant heads of ex-
ecutive departments and presiden-
tial appointees who determine Ma
tion-wide policies and policies re-
lating to foreign relations
Relief Fund Gifts Barred.
The measure as finally passed also
would forbid solicitation or receipt
OF money for political purposes
from persons paid from relief ap-
preparations.
Fines of $1,000 and imprisonment
for one year could be imposed for
violations of the relief section and
the prohibitions against coercion
and intimidation. An administra-
tive officer found guilty of viola
tion could be removed from office.
Representative Martin, Republic
an, of Massachusetts, the minority
leader, said the House action would
provide a clean election in 1910"
Representative Dempsey said it
would clean up the perniclous po-
htlcal activities that have aroused
the people so much" in recen.
months.
But Representative Parsons. DEM
ocrat, OF Illinois, leader of the
opponents, declared that the hands
OF many offlceholders-both Demo-
cratic and Republican-would pe
tied in the 1910 campaigns.
This administration under Mr.
Roosevelt has been the most non
partisan since Andrew Jackson he
said. The President has appointed
10 office members of all parties. The
Dill will tie their hands and inter
1ere with the rights OF free speech.
Called Slap at Roosevelt.
we will now have the Republic
ans STOPPING to their old tricks of
getting contributions from large cor
poraticns. The Democrats will be
handicapped because of lack of
funds from the small contributors
where they have always received the
larger part of their funds.
The Democrats who joined in the
passage of this bill did it largely as
a slap at President Roosevelt"
After it became apparent that
the Republicans and their bloc of
Democratic allies were in control of
the situation. opponents offered a
series of amendments with tongue in
cheek. Representative Duncan,
Democrat. of Missouri suggested