Evening star., 1939-08-06
Hatch Achieves Hall of Fame
With His Clean Politics. Law
Senator Has Shown Dogged Persistence in Pushing
Measure to Keep Those on U. S. Pay Roll
From Trying to Influence Voters
By Marqns ". Chlds
By Marquis ". Childs.

ideas and objectives rather than the
politics of the machine.
Some critics of the bill have been
prone to treat it lightly and say that
we must be realistic in this day and
age. Well, realistic is exactly what those
of us sponsoring the bill have tried to
be. We are realistic in the sense that
we want to place all the obstacles pos
sible in the way of wrong doing in the
use of the vast funds we annually ap-
propriate for relief and other purposes.
Last summer it was, perhaps, idealism to
seek these corrective measures against
the improper use of relief funds. Today
that idealism has become realistic law
and mandate. And I'm glad it is So
Only a little more tt.an year ago
Mr.. Hatch was engaged in furious and
futile debate with Majority Leader
Barkley over Mr.. Hatch's amendment in
tended to keep w. P. A. out of politics.
Mr.. Barkley was in a primary contest
with Gov. A. B. Happy" Chandler and
his realistic argument was that, if W..
P. A. were to be taken out of politics,
then Happy" would defeat him with
his State machine, built on State en-
ployes. The Hatch amendment was de-
feated by single vote
Language Stricken Out.
There was great deal of merit in
what Senator Barkley argued at that
time Mr.. Hatch says These State
machines are built on State jobholders.
Particularly pernicious is the use of the
State Highway Department in politics.
In my bill as originally drawn I would
have barred from politics all those whose
compensation is paid or whose employ
ment is made possible in whole or in
part by funds appropriated by any act
of Congress-.
THAT language, which was later
stricken out, would have applied to q
great many State jobholders, and es-
pecially in highway departments, where
Federal grants in aid are essential. OF
course believe in applying these same
restrictions to State employees.
In 1887 had bill drawn which was
introduced in the New Mexico Legisla-
ture in that year. When I come back
in January, intend to work for a ma
tional law that will apply to all State
employees. The President has indicated
in his message that such law would
be constitutional. And I believe there
would be wide support for it in Congress,
even from those who opposed the
measure just passed. 1t is not uncom-
mon in many States for the Governor
to seek the senatorship, and the Senator
would naturally want to have the same
set of rules applied to his opponent that
he must work under"
Politics in New Mexico have in the
past been on rather tough, pay-as-
you-go basis. Numerous scandals have
rocked the State. Recently w. p A.
scandal in New Mexico centered around
Mr.. Hatch's colleague in the Senate,
Senator Dennis Chavez Several of Mr..
Chavez's relatives were indicted, tried
and acquitted on various charges grow
ing out of the use of w. P. A. funds
Like so many New Mexicans, Hatch is
an adopted citizen of his State. He was
born and grew up in Kansas, practiced
law there briefly, and then moved to
Clovis. He has a 400-acre' farm near
Clovis where he grows wheat and, ac-
cording to his own confession, loses
money. He likes baseball and fishing
In his office he has photograph of
himself holding catch of four magnifi-
cent trout taken in stream near his
home. Ordinarily the most even-tem-
pered of men, he worked himself up to
a pitch of fury several times during the
fight over his bill. Once was when he
suspected Senator Sherman Minton,
Democratic whip, of trying to prevent
unanimous agreement on the bill as
passed by the House and to send it to
conference.
Let us not be misled by anything that
may be said on the floor of the Senate
today" he shouted. Let nobody be de-
ceived by the issue that is confronted
if it is sought to send this bill back to
conference, for there is nothing to con-
fer about. A vote to send it back to
conference means simply this: 1t is a
vote to send the bill to the graveyard"
Minton Gives His Blessing.
Il have no dagger up my sleeve for
the Senator's beloved BILL" Mr. Minton
said, surprised by this attack II have
no intention to knife my friend in the
back. I want him to have his bill. His
heart is set upon it and am for him.
'"' So far as am concerned, the Sena-
tor may have his bill and God bless
him.
Amused now at his own rashness, Mr..
Hatch recalls that it was year ago,
just as the previous Congress was ad-
journing after defeat of the Hatch
amendment, that he predicted to news
paper reporters that his bill would rass
the Senate by unanimous consent First
came the amendments to the w. P. A.
appropriation bills, eliminating politics
and campaign contributions from re-
lief. And then few months later came
the triumph that he had never really
believed possible at the time of his
prophecy.
Mr.. Hatch is essentially serious. It is
no accident that his Senate nickname is
Deacon" His is the earnestness of a
reformer He believes that the time in
which we are living is as critical as any
period of American history, perhaps even
more critical than the period of the
American Revolution. Deeply disturbed
by the paradox of poverty in the midst
Of plenty, he is looking earnestly for
some solution.
In recent months he has been studying