Evening star., 1940-05-07
Gillette Describes
Senate Machinery
10 Police Election
No Smeurine Candidates,
Committee Head Assures
In Forum Address

Senator Gillette, Democrat, Of
Iowa explained the work and policies
Of the Senate Campaign Expendi-
lures Investigating Committee in an
address In the National Radio Forum
last night. Senator Gillette is chair
man of the campaign committee.
His forum address, arranged by The
Star, was heard over a coast-to-coast
network Of the National Broad
casting Co.
The text follows:
It has been said often, and well,
that Government at best is a neces-
sary evil and that every law adopted
and promulgated is a surrender of
individual right of action and liberty.
In almost every organized society
there is constant controversy for
control of the enactment of these
laws. It is obvious that if one could
be in a position to control In any
manner whatever the rules of the
industrial, the financial, and the
political game we play the resultant
advantage would be tremendous.
Two methods are commonly adopted
to secure this control. One is by at
tempting through lobbying or pres
sure action to determine the pro-
visions of the law itself at the time
Of its adoption. A second and more
insidious, as well as potent, way is
to attempt to control the agencies
through which these laws will be
adopted, administered, or inter-
preted.
The people of representative demo-
cracies recognize no human laws
excepting such as promulgated by
agencies of their own choosing.
Democratic peoples refuse to recog-
nize or abide by anv other type of
man-made laws, excepting such as
emanate from these, their own Sc
lected agents. They willingly, how
ever, subject themselves to such
statutes, rules, ordinances, and regu-
lations as are adopted for their gov
ernment by their own chosen agents.
Every citizen of democracy knows
that these legislative rules, which
will determine all individual actions
In social relationship, may either
insure or destroy life, liberty, and
happiness security 1t then becomes
q prerequisite of transcendent i'm
portance that the agents of govern
ment-these employees chosen by us
to serve us in legislative, executive,
administrative, or interpretive capa-
city-shall be selected in a way that
the electorate may pe assured of the
fullest, fairest, and freest machinery
for registering their choice at the
polls and in the ballot box. Unless
this Is definitely assured, all of the
succeeding acts of self-government
are worse than useless, and this
abnegation of free choice will destroy
the very foundation Of principle on
which a representative government
rests. The control of election ma
chinery by insidious or indirect
method has always been the goal of
every dishonest, selfish, greedy, or
subversive element in our social sys-
TEN. The defense of these injustices
and the control of the right of free
expression at the polls for all of our
citizens has ever been 4 matter of
deepest concern for every American
who has at heart the general welfare
Of his country.
Committees Functions.
In each year of general election, it
Is the custom of the Senate of the
United States to appoint a special
committee composed of Senate mem
bers, directly charged with the duty
OF vigilantly policing the election of
that year so far as authority to do
30 can be exercised by the Senate
under the laws of the Federal Gov
ernment. Last February the Senate
passed a resolution setting up such q
special committee for the election of
1910. I have been asked tonight,
as chairman of this special commit
tee, to give short outline or resume
Of its functions, policies, and pur-
poses, on the belief that every honest
citizen of the United States wishes
to aid us in the work that we are
prepared to do.
The committee is authorized and
directed to investigate the campaign
expenditures of the various presi-
dental candidates, vice presidential
candidates, and candidates for the
United States Senate, in all parties,
and to learn the names of the CAM