Evening star., 1939-07-24

County and Stote Units
Must Be Remode,
Political Observers Soy
By the Associated Press.
Political strategists say the rea
effect of the Hatch bill will be found
not in the number of Office holder.
it strikes of the rolls of the 1916
Democratic convention, but in re.
shaping of party machinery at it,
base.
The bill, approved by Congress
last week, is on President Roose-
velt's desk. 1t forbids political activ-
ity by most Federal officials anG
bans campaign contributions by per-
sons on relief.
In some States, politicians say
county and State political commit
tees will have to be virtually remade
because hundreds of office holders
now serve on them.
A good majority of the delegate.
tc national conventions is chosen
in State conventions. The county
and precinct men play large part
in selecting the delegates to these
State meetings.
Advocates Point Of View.
Advocates of the Hatch bill say
that if these little community meet
ings are dominated by of1iceholders
they will point their county delega-
ton toward perpetuation in power
of the men who gave them theii
jobs. If this should hold true ir
the State as a whole, or in a ma
jority of the counties in any State
the whole State delegation woulc
be put at the disposal of whatever
candidate seemed to represent the
interest of the job holders.
Some members expressed belief
that the bill will force some of then
colleagues to seek peace with State
political organizations with which
they had been at loggerheads fol
years.
The bill puts Federal officehold.
ers squarely in the hands of theiI
State organizations, one House
member said, because it leaves thu
State jobholders entirely free Il
engage in political activity.
"Appointees or employees of &
Congressman. however, must keer
their mouths shut and take nj
part in political campaigns"
Delegation Seeks "Tieup."
One Western Democrat said ths
House delegation from his State
was going home to tie up with
the State organization" although
the two groups had functioned in
dependently for years.
He said the delegation woulo
seek to elect the entire State
ticket from the Governor down,
and one member might even be-
come a candidate for the govern
orship.
The interest of Vice Presiden;
Garner in the Hatch bill has been
evident throughout the session. He
spotlighted the measure by one OF
his rare quotable statements. ir
which he told reporters it would be
enacted.
His hand was felt in behalf of the
measure in the House. And he was
present to gavel it through to finaI
action in the Senate Friday, doing
this so eXpeditiously that only q
quick leap and loud shout from a
tentative dissenter brought a chance
for any discussion.
Fits Gamers Plans.
The measure ties in perfectly with
the plans of Mr.. Garner's campaign
managers. Already they have been
working on ideas by which they
could take the battle for delegates
down into the counties and local
precincts.
One Of their chief endeavors at
present is to build up sentiment for
preferential primaries in the States
which permit such primaries, but
where they are not mandatory
Georgia and Alabama are examples
In addition, they are trying tc
work up such general public in
terest that the party voters will
get out and take an active part in
the precinct and county meetings
at which delegates to State con.
ventions are chosen. This, they saw
will help to overcome the efforts
under way in several States to send
unlnstructed delegations. They fig
ure that the elimination of Office
holders from local committees will
help along this plan.
Aside from practical considera-
tlons. many House members were
chuckling at what they described
as the Senate's discontinue owe,
passage of the bill.
Several Senators already have
oeen over here explaining they had
oeen counting on the House to
stop the bill and that when it passed
the Senate the majority never in
tended for it to become law" one
Southerner said.
Representative Buck, Democrat
OF California, who presided over the
House when it debated and passed
the Hatch bill, said today Presi-
dent Roosevelt should veto the
measure.
Il think we have exceeded our
authority in passing the bill; I think
we have deprived thousands of per-
sons of inherent rights said Mr.
Buck.
4