Evening star., 1939-04-10

c. D., ington to save
Charles G. Ross the boss. of the
final collapse Of the defenses that
stuffed-shirt complacence, political
chicanery and the power of money
had thrown around him.
1t does not minimize the i'm
portance of other factors and per-
sons in long fight for civic decency
to say that Pendergast might not
now be in the Federal tolls, on
charges of income tax evasion, If
the force of an aroused public opin-
ion had not compelled the abandon
ment of shameless political deal
cooked up in Washington little
over a year ago in aid Of the boss.
United States District Attorney
Maurice M. Milligan at that time
was in the midst of brilliant cru
sade against the Kansas City elec-
ton crooks. Indictments of judges
and clerks at the 1886 election were
coming out of the grand jury hop
per in wholesale lots, to be followed
by convictions or pleas of mo con-
test" The higher-upS in the or.
ganized prostitution of the ballot
in Kansas City had not been
reached, but the trail was getting
steadily warmer.
Between Devil and Deep Sea.
This was the state of affairs as
Milligan came to within a few
weeks of the end of the four-year
term for which, on the recon-
mendation of Senator Clark. he had
been appointed. The Pendergast or
ganization, for years tremendous
factor in holding Missouri in the
Democratic column. demanded its
quid pro quo. 1t demanded that
Milligan be ditched. The machine,
and apparently with good cause,
banked heavily on two things, on
the well-known soicitude of Jim
Farley for the welfare of the KAN
sas City organization, perhaps the
most efficient mass-producer Of
Democratic votes in the United
States, and on the fact that the
Kansas City district attorneyShip,
under a division of patronage be-
tween Senators Clark and Truman.
belonged" to Truman, who had
been put in Office by the Pendergast
machine.
The Roosevelt administration was
between the devil and the deep sea.
If it reappointed Milligan it would
offend Pendergast; if it dropped him,
when there was no reason what
soever in his record for dropping
him but every reason, in the public
interest, for keeping him, it would
convict itself in the public mind OF
giving aid and comfort to election
crooks for the sake of Democratic
votes. That was the issue as it
came to be clearly understood IN
Missouri. and that was the issue as
it went up to headquarters in Wash
ington.
In these circumstances, the clever
fellows who handle such political
hot pokers thought up their scheme.
Milligan was not to be Immediately
supplanted, but was to be allowed
to hold on after the end of his term,
as the law provides, until his Sue
cessor should be appointed. He was
not to get the straight-out reap
pointment to which his record en-
titled him; he was simply to stay In
office on sufferance. subject to being
kicked out whenever the powers at
Washington might see At to put a
new man on the job.
Roosevelt Meets Issue.
This cheap device was seen and
denounced In Missouri for what it
was-an effort inspired by the -ank-
est sort Of spoils politics to dodge
a clean-cut issue Of decent govern
ment against corruption. The effect
Of the compromise, had 1t gone
through, would have been to dis
hearten every law enforcement agen-
cy that was trying to clean up the
mess in Kansas City. In all prob
ability. the fine results which have
just been obtained would have been
indefinitely delayed, if, indeed, In
the face of administration apathy,
they could have been expected at
all without q complete change Of
government.
The people Of Missouri saw an
this and they let their views be
known.
Mr.. Roosevelt. to his great credit
be 1t said, met the issue. Not
withstanding the opposition of Sena.
tor Truman, Notwithstanding the
fact that Senator Clark, who ought
to have been in the middle of the
fight for Milligan, was sitting on the
sidelines, Mr.. Roosevelt gave Milli-
gan commission for another term
and, by that token, gave all the
interested Federal agencies the sig
nal that the track was clear to 60
after Pendergast.
More Than Local Fight.
There is far more than local sig
nificance In the successful fight that
is now being made to end the PEN
dergast domination of Missouri
Democratic politics. Some Of the
immediate effects of the fight may
be briefly catalogued:
Gov. Stark emerges as q figure Of
national Importance who may be
considered for the Democratic nomi-
nation for either the presidency or
the vice presidency.
Attorney General Frank Murphy
adds to his political stature.
Elmer Trey, head of the intelli-
gence unit of the Bureau Of In
ternal Revenue, ties another scalp
and what a scalp-to his already
well-laden belt.
Whatever chances Senator Tru-
man may have had to come back to
the Senate are washed out.
Finally, the Roosevelt administra-
ton has removed some Of the taint
that the alliance Of its political de-
partment with unsavory big-city
machines has placed upon 1t. It
ought to have three resounding
cheers for the blow 1t has struck for
public decency.