Evening star., 1940-02-25
New Hatch Bill

coo WHICH leSS tIldU year
ago passed the act barring Federal
employees from active participation in
political campaigns cannot logically
refuse now to pass the new Hatch
bill applying the same rules to thou
sands of State employees who derive
part Of their salaries from the Federal
Government. Nevertheless, shortly
after a Senate committee had an
nounced its approval of the bill re-
lating to State employees, a movement
to block passage of the measure was
started. Practical politicians, accus-
toned through the years to expect
those who obtain State employment
to get out and work for the organiza-
ton at election time, no doubt find
it difficult to embrace the Hatch Act
with open arms. There is a growing
realization, however, that public
service should rest on real merit
system, and, sooner or later, political
leaders will be forced to acknowledge
that the divorcing of public employ
ment from politics is an essential
step in developing that system.
1t may be argued that the incum-
bent in State job should have the
same right to ring door bells in get
ting out the vote for candidate that
is enjoyed by his neighbor who is not
on the public pay roll. But the fallacy
of that argument is that State politi-
cal leaders have demonstrated their
ability to weld State employees into
political machines which all too often
have prevented the rank and file Of
voters from making free choice of
elective officials.
Perhaps the only legitimate criti-
cism that could be made of the bill
is that it would not apply to all State
employees. Congress, of course, cannot
dictate general State legislation, but
1t has the undoubted right to attach
conditions to the use Of Federal
money. And Federal aid now is flow
ing into the States through so many
channels that the enforcement
clauses of the Hatch measure will In
sure respect for its prohibitions.
Changes by the Privileges and Elec-
tions Committee make the bill less
drastic and provide a more reason
able method of enforcement than
did the original draft. The only
penal clause in the bill relates to
the offense of using the official au-
thority of a public office to interfere
with or affect the nomination or
election of candidates in national or
congressional elections. The other
sections of the bill, designed to keep
all except policy-making and elected
officials from taking active part IN
political campaigns, would be en-
forced by withholding Federal aid IN
event of violations.
A wise change in the new draft
makes the Civil Service Commission
a central agency to administer the
law. so that each Government bureau
disbursing Federal aid will not have
to make it's own Interpretation OF
what constitutes a violation OF the
act. In order to avoid Furnishing
State unreasonably for the actions
of a few employees, the new bill also
enables the commission to fix the
amount of Federal aid to be withheld
in each case, according to the seri-
business of the violation. Another
safeguard requires reasonable notice
and hearing before the commission
determines there has been viola
ton, and gives the commission dis
cretion in deciding whether dismissal
of the offending State employees also
should be recommended.