Evening star., 1940-03-13
Civil Service Sweep
For Federal Workers
Urged in Hatch Bill
All But PoIiey-Mokine
Cfficiols to Be Urged
By Senator Minton
BY j. A. O'LEARY.

BY j. A. O'LEARY.
The Senate will be asked today or
tomorrow by Senator Minton, Demo-
crat, of Indiana. to bring all except
policy making officials of the Fed
eral Government into the civil serv-
ice, as an amendment to the pend
ing Hatch bill.
The Indiana Senator today COM
pleted the draft of this broad pro-
posal, on the theory that since the
thousands of non-civil service work.
ers in Government agencies are
barred from taking active part in
politics by the original Hatch Act,
they should be given the benefits
OF civil service status.
Meanwhile, Senate leaders were
more hopeful of passing the pend
Ing bill, extending the Hatch re-
strictions to all State workers paid
from Federal funds, within a day
or two without prolonged filibus-
ter. Democratic Floor Leader Bark
ley indicated a final vote by this
SfSAAAAAS 40 a pC0olOlllIy
Tomorrow More Likely.
With three or four amendments
remaining to be debated, however,
a decision tomorrow appeared more
likely.
A dozen opponents of the bill con-
ferred informally this morning, and
while they said no definite agree
ments were made several said indi-
vidually they thought the bill would
be disposed of after remaining
amendments have been discussed
and acted on.
The Minton civil service amend
ment, if adopted, would do more
directly and definitely what is con-
templated by the Ramspect civil
service bill, recently approved by the
House and now awaiting Senate
hearings. While the Ramspeck bill
merely gives the President discre-
tionary authority to extend the
merit system to non-civil service
agencies, the Minton proposal would
be automatic and nearly all-ln-
elusive.
Sweeping in Its Terms.
1t states, in substance, that all
Federal employees affected by the
Hatch Act shall be covered into and
granted all of the rights, privileges
and immunities of civil service The
only persons exempt from the Hatch
law are the policy-making officials.
Senator Bankhead, Democrat, of
Alabama continued today the speech
he began yesterday against the bill
in its present form.
He has pending an amendment
that would prohibit any one from
contributing more than $1,000 to a
political campaign fund.
Senator Bankhead called the bill
"gag rule" under the name of clean
politics.
The Senate yesterday beat down,
Al to "a, an amendment by Senator
johnson, Democrat, of Colorado
which would have applied the Hatch
law only to States which imposed
prohibitions against political activ-
aIy py Chelr own employees.
Sharp Words Fly.
Yesterdays debate included sharp
reminders of President Roosevelt's
attempts to defeat three anti-ad-
ministration Senators in 1888.
Senator Smith, Democrat, of South
Carolina, one of the targets of that
campaign, demanded that the Presi-
dent and his cabinet be brought
under the ban against political ac-
tivity by Federal workers. Pacing
across an aisle, the 72-year-old Sen
ator doomed:
why should we curtail the little
fellow and leave out the Chief
Executive of the United States,
who uses his Office to discredit a
faithful member of this body?"
Senator Tydings, Democrat, of
Maryland, who also was opposed by
the President in 1888, commented
that Mr.. Roosevelt had spoken for
the new Hatch legislation.
All of these fine words are lust
so mucl. finger swapping he de-
clared. Some of those who are upon
a pedestal had better look to them
selves and their own actions before
telling Others how to run elections"
Hits "Undemocratic Coercion"
Senator Bailey, Democrat, of
North Carolina, contended the pend
ing bill would be an undemocratic
coercion of the States and said it
would leave Postmaster General
Farley and Secretary Ickes free to
campaign while "the sheriff of my
county must run in his hole and
hide"
In reply, Senator Hatch, Demo-
crat, of New Mexico, said that some
provisions of the existing Hatch law
applied to the President and that in
addition he had been striving con-
stantly to make it impossible for the
President ito use his enormous
power of patronage to go into South
Carolina or Georgia or any other
State and try to control an election" !"
Il certainly have done a service
to the United States," retorted Sena-
tor Smith, "in getting that frank ex-
preston from the Senator"
II have said it dozens of times be-
fore Senator Hatch snapped.