Evening star., 1940-03-13

the campaign book will be larger
than ever and that it is legitimate
medium for advertising by corpora
tions. But unfortunately it was not
the advertising revenue that caused
the rumpus, but the high-pressure
sale at ridiculously large prices of
copies of the book itself-prices far
beyond the intrinsic value of the
publication. The Federal law plainly
prohibits what was done in the
name of the Democratic National
Committee.
The fact that the Department of
Justice under Democratic admin
istration has never submitted the
facts to grand jury, so that the
guilt or innocence of the members
of the Democratic National Com
mittee involved could be established,
will stand as a stain on democratic
government-much worse in some
respects than the Teapot Dome
scandal. To the Fascist and Com
munist observers abroad, it will come
as further evidence that democratic
government is sometimes not on the
level either with itself or with the
people when it comes to methods
of keeping or getting power and
public office.
w. p. A. Scandals Recalled.
Once confidence in the integrity
OF governmental processes is un-
dermined, the public is not apt to
think much of other laws or regula-
tions which the party in power
virtuously attempts to enforce.
The w. P. A. scandals, of course,
became so conspicuous as conse-
uuence of missue of governmental
machinery by the Democrats IN the
1886 and 1888 elections that the
Hatch law had to be adopted to
satisfy an outraged public opinion,
but the Joker is that the Democrats
do not prosecute themselves for law
violations. The Hatch law, there
fore, is as good as dead unless some
means Of enforcement Is found.
When the Democratic committee
in its public statement saws that
everybody knows the Democratic ad-
Yninistration "has no favors to sell"
It forgets the recent testimony
before the House committee investl-
eating the National Labor Relations
Board when a G. I. o. official was
revealed to have complained bitterly
to the board of a decision which, in
a rare instance, went against the
c. I. o.
THAT'S not what we pay our
money for" the G. I. O. executive
exclaimed. Later he made a lame
exclamation that he was referring
to something else than the fact that
the C. I. o. was contributor IN
large sums and lender Of $500,0OO
to the Democratic national cam
paien of 1896. The Democrats Will
not borrow from the G. I. O. again.
Getting money from big business is
easier and the demands after elec-
ton are not so exactlng.
Smoke Screen.
The Democratic committee at
fenpts to throw a smoke screen
over the Republican challenge that
the campaign book of 1910 be aban-
doned by arguing that the Repub-
licans should cease to take contri-
buttons from the Weirs, the Du-
points and the Pews." But the con-
tributions from these men were
their individual gifts to the cam
paign and not the funds of their
CORPORATIONS. 1t is not unlawful for
individuals to contribute. The Demo-
Gratis have dispensed ambassador
ships and other favors to men VINO
have contributed big sums to their
campaigns and, of course, this is also
what Republican administrations
did in the past.
AS for the Democratic committees
charge that Republican campaign
contributors pay high sums in erect
for the benefits of a protective tariff
like the Hawley-Smoot law, it is
also true that the Democratic ad-
ministration has been in power Tor
nearly eight years and has never
moved to repeal the Hawley-Smoot
law. though in fairness it must be
said that the Hull reciprocity agree
ments did tend to reduce a few OF
the duties. The protective tariff Is
on,the statute books today, however,
es much a result of Democratic as
Republican influence.
Il would be much better thing
for America if a law were enacted,
prohibiting contributions in excess
of $4,000 by anybody and If at the
some time so-called 'non-politicaf'
gatherings like the A. A. A. dinners
THROUGHOUT the country last week,
plainly using governmental machln-
erv to get votes, were prohibited.
Prosecutions Favored.
r would also be a great step for
uord # the Federal Corrupt Prac-
t;ces Act were enforced so that the
shakedown of corporations by the
agents Of the Democratic commlttee
would lead to prosecutions. JUST
why the Democrats neeo 70 Ialse
100000 by sale of campaign oook
copies and advertisements Wnen
they have been using the w. P. A.
and A. A. A. is considerable of a
puzzle, but, after all, the Democrats
rolled up an unprecedented ma aiority
In 1885 and the statistics show that
as the average of relief appropria-
tions rose throughout the various
countries that year, so did the per-
centage of the Democratic vote.
Purity in politics is a long way
off-and the issue is befogged by
the cry that because rich men con-
tribute lawfully to the Republican
party, this makes it right for a
supposedly idealistic New Deal ad-
ministration to do unlawful things,
The decline in political morality
today in the National Government
Is cause for general concern. It
has often in the past been the theme
of liberalism" but not NOWADAYS
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