Evening star., 1940-02-03


tions during political campaign.
If the Justice Department. under
Attorney General Robert Jackson
and his principal assistant prosecu-
tor, Thurman Arnold, should accede
to the S. E. C.s request, the Ameri-
can people may be treated to a real
sensation. For it would obviously
be difficult for the department to
apply the Federal Corrupt Practices
Act to one set of citizens and not
apply it to others who are alleged to
have violated it. Indictments of
prominent members of the Demo-
cratic campaign of 1886 and corpo-
ration executives would then be
logical.
Senator Holt of West Virginia,
Democrat, has pleaded in vain here
tofore that the sale of campaign
books by the Democratic National
Committee to corporations in the
1886 presidential campaign was a
f1agrant violation of the Federal
statute.
Studied Purchases.
He said in June, 1898:
II have made a detailed study of
the sale of these campaign books
and have prepared a complete list
of those who purchased these
volumes. 1t rs quite shocking to see
money being accepted from some
firms which the administration
claims to be so bitterly anti-labor
that they have been charged with
violating the Wagner Act and being
hostile to unions. The list also con-
tains the names of some of the best
known economic royalists. a class
that has been so often spoken of as
hostile to reform. These royalists
become angels with their contribu-
tions.
Some firms which bought books
at outrageous sums do business with
the Federal Government. Other
firms which want to do business
with the Federal Government also
purchased these books. Firms re-
ceiving subsidies directly or indi-
rectly from the Federal Government
purchased these books many of
which were autographed by the
President of the United States"
Nothing was done about Senator
Hollis charges, though the facts
about the sale of autographed cam
paign books have been widely pub
lished. Once Minority Leader Bert
Smell tried by letter to find out
why the Justice Department didn't
invoke the Federal Corrupt Practices
Act, but he did not succeed. 1t
Is violation of the law, not only
for corporation to make a con-
tribution which is defined in the
law as being anything of value"
but the same statute says it is
unlawful "for any candidate, polit-
ical committee or other person to
accept or receive any contribution
prohibited by this section" And,
of course, the contributions pro-
hibited are from "any corporation
whatever in connection with any
election at which presidential and
vice presidential electors or Sem
ator or Representative in Congress
are to be voted for"
Test of Sincerity.
Fines and imprisonment consti-
tute the penalties for violation of
the aforesaid law, and since it is
a statute relating to political be-
havior, it forms an acid test of
sincerity on the part of political
parties that are in power. Thus,
the Hatch Act, which has had so
much publicity, is tame in compari-
son with the Federal Corrupt Prac-
tices Act and there will be no spe-
cial value to the Hatch law if the
Justice Department ignores viola
tions of it, as has been done with
respect to the Federal Corrupt
Practices Act.
The Republicans have a much
better record in their conduct of
the Justice Department when scam
dals have arisen. Thus, President
Coolidge did not even let the depart
ment do the prosecuting. but ap-
pointed two special prosecutors
Owen j. Roberts, Republican, and
the late Senator Atlee Pomerene of
Ohio, Democratic prosecute ir-
regularities that concerned a Re-
publican officeholder, Albert B. Fall,
Secretary of the Interior. A con-
viction was secured.
If the S. E. Cs quest for criminal
prosecution against some former
public utility executive should be
granted and it becomes necessary
for the present administration then
to obtain the indictment of PROM
inent Democrats and prominent
corporation executives, the appoint
ment of special prosecutors would
relieve the present Attorney General,
Mr.. Jackson, of any political en-
barrassment. Failure to do any,
thing about the unlawful sale Of
campaign books in the 1896 cam
paign may only mean a repetition
In the 1910 campaign of such tactics,
often called a "shake-down" Of
corporation executives. But the
most important consequence will be
a loss of confidence by the public
in the whole Federal corrupt prac-
tices law if prosecution of all viola
tors is not undertaken, or if only
few are singled out while all others
who have plainly violated the statute
are left untouched.
Whatever else it may have done
In the past, the New Deal majority
on the S. E. c. has certainly done
much to make itself popular in
political Washington by rediscover-
ing the Federal Corrupt Practices
Act.
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