Evening star., 1940-08-10

senator HatCn [a
called attention
to the fact that David Lawrence.
while the present Hatch law, en-
acted on July 10, 1910, provides
penalties for those who buy books
or advertising, we find no penalty
for those who sell them"
Within the last "a hours the Dem
ocratic National Committee an
nounced that it was in process of
publishing campaign book full of
advertising, and when its spokes-
men were queried about it, the
answer was given that the sellers
of advertising space were not cover
ed by the Hatch law.
1925 Act in Force.
But unhappily for the sellers and
buyers of advertising space in any
book issued by any political COM
mittee, the Federal Corrupt Prac-
tices Act of 1925 is still on the
statute books, and the Hatch laws
of 1889 and 1910 are 'in addition
to and not in substitution for" the
previous statutes governing elec-
ton practices. In the law of 1925.
known generally as the Federal
Corrupt Practices Act, appears the
following section 251:
1T is unlawful for any national
bank, or any corporation organized
by authority of any law of Con-
gresS, to make a contribution in
connection with any election to any
political office, or for any corpo-
ration whatever to make a con-
tribution in connection with any
election at which presidential and
vice presidential electors or a Sem
ator or Representative in Congress
are to be voted for, or for any
candidate, political committee, or
other person to accept or receive
any contribution prohibited by this
section. Every corporation which
makes any contribution in viola
ton of this section shall be fined
not more than $4,000; and every
officer or director of any corpora
ton who consents to any contribu-
ton by the corporation in violation
of this section shall be fined not
more than $1,000 or imprisoned not
more than one year or both.
Section 252: Any person who
violates any of the foregoing pro-
visions of this CHAPTER, except those
for which a specific penalty is i'm
posed by section 208 and section
25l of this title, shall be fined not
more than $1,000 or imprisoned not
more than one year, or BOTH
Defines Contribution.
Now what is contribution"
This term is defined in the same
Federal Corrupt Practices Act of
1925 as follows:
The term contribution includes
q gift, subscription, loan, advance,
or deposit, or money, or anything of
value, and includes a contract,
promise or agreement, whether or
not legally enforceable, to make a
contribution"
Would the Attorney General say
that when a corporation buys ad-
vertising space in book issued by
political committee, this is not
covered by the definition anything
of value? If there is some loop
hole in the law which protects the
Democratic National Committee
members from prosecution under the
Federal Corrupt Practices Act, it
would be interesting to have the
public told about it.
Earlier this week, the Justice De-
~, F,,n 9F
the academic discussion by Henry
Fletcher, counsel for the Republican
National Committee, on the subject
of possible contributions to State
committees and organizations. Sen
ator Hatch himself denounced even
the talk of possible use of such loop
holes. Here, however, is a case in
which the Democratic National Com
mittee has announced that it has
collected large sums for advertising
in this years campaign book Will
Senator Hatch take an interest in
this episode? If he does not, the
country may as well forget the
whole series of provisions in the
Hatch law and make up it's mind
that the Democratic administration,
II continued in power, will continue
to wink, not only at violations al
ready proved in connection with the
Federal Corrupt Practices Act, but
future violations of the Hatch laws
Of 1889 and l940
Can Nullify Accomplishment.
The achievement OF the able
Democratic Senator from New Mex
leo can be nullified easily by the
practical politicians who may con-
troll the law enforcement machinery
of the Federal Government.
If throughout the country the
rank and file of politicians see the
Justice Department overlooking
plain violations of the Federal Cor
rupt Practices Act, they will tend
to believe that nothing serious will
happen to them if they contravene
the Hatch laws. Maybe Senator
Hatch will show his courage once
more and demand of his own party
that the national committee turn
back to all donors the funds received
for the campaign book, or that in
dictments be asked for at once from
grand juries for all who may have
played part in the collection of
funds for the Democratic campaign
book this year.
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