Evening star., 1940-03-09
The Political Mill
Hatch Act to Keep Politics Clean
Expected to Survive Current Attacks

Democrats voted against prohibiting
Federal employees from taking ac-
tive parts In political campaigns,
and a minority of the House Demo-
Gratis, along with nearly all the
Republican members of the House,
made the passage of this salutary act
possible. Nevertheless. the Demo-
Gratis can take credit for the enact
ment of the lava credit which
they would have lost had the ma
jority of the Democratic members
of the Senate had their way on
Wednesday.
Reasons for Hatch Act.
The reasons for the enactment
OF the Hatch Act have been given
many times. Those who held public
office, 1T has been said, were ex-
pected to devote part of their time
toward helping the party in elec-
tions, and often they gave more
hours to partisan service than to
public duties. 1t was pointed out,
too, that unnecessary positions on
the Government pay rolls have bene
created to provide employment for
party workers, and salaries were not
closely related to the nature of the
work, but rather to the requirements
of the political incumbent.
AS Senator Hatch and other sup
porters of the clean politics law
have explained many times, the act
does not keep a Federal officeholder
from being for any candidate he de-
sires, nor does it hamper him in any
way from voting for his choice on
election day. What it does do is to
prevent him from going out and
actively campaigning for him and
from holding Office on political cam
palgn committees and managing DO
litical campaigns.
Those who oppose the Hatch Act
hold that it is unfair to deprive an
officeholder of the privilege of work.
ing in political campaigns. 1t is
clear, however, that a great army of
officeholders-and the army is grow
ing greater all the time-can be
used effectively to renominate a
President, or Senator or Repre-
sentative, and ultimately TO re-elect
him. Oficeholders have been SO
used in the past-by both Repub-
llcans and Democrats. 1t is a Gus
tom, however, which is neither ad-
mirable nor desirable to retain. 1t
was possible to strike at such a
practice only because the country
was aroused when a Senate cam
paign investigating committee in.
1888 showed up the use of Federal
rellef IN coercing voters.
Extension of Act Sought.
Senator Hatch is now seeking to
have the provisions of the clean
politics act extended to cover those
Government employees in States who
are paid in part out of Federal
funds. 1t is his bill for this purpose
which was sought as a vehicle to
strike down his original act. There
seems no doubt whatever that his
new bill will now pass the SEN
ate unless filibuster develops.
1t may run into snags in the House
but there. too, it should prevail un-
less 1t is held too long in committee
for action before the coming cam
paign. Such tactics may be at
tempted by opponents of the effort
to eliminate public officeholders
from campaign management.
A new Senate campaign investi-
eating committee has recently been
set up-to watch over the elections
this year. This committee will be
IN posltion-as we'll as the De-
partment of Justice-to ascertain
whether any violations of the Hatch
Act occur. And this new Senate
committee is not likely to look with
complacency upon the efforts of
any one, New Dealers or anti-New
Dealers, to use Government Office
holders in the campaign. It is head
ed by Senator Guy M. Gillette of
1owa-who in 1888 was the object
OF purge attempt, engineered bv
Federal officeholders here and in
his State. The committee was Gre
ated through resolution offered bv
Senator George of Georgia, the.
target OF a purge drive headed
by no less a person than President
Roosevelt himself. aided and abetted
by other ofhceholders.