Evening star., 1944-11-02
Campaign Frauds
Seen CLOSED Over
Justice Department Derelict In
Its Duties, Writer CHARGES
By David Laurence


If President Roosevelt wins the cleo
ton it will be the first time that legal
doubt will have been cast upon the
cleanness of his title
For this election campaign is being
conducted with widespread acquiescence
in violations of the Federal Corrupt
Practices Act.
Notwithstanding this, the Justice De-
partment, which is one of the depart
ments Of the Government directly under
the Presidents own jurisdiction. has
not begun a single prosecution for law
violation, and yetsa Senate committee
/ composed of Republicans and Democrats
alike has voted unanimously to recon-
mend to the Justice Department that
| test case be begun on the alleged
violation of the Federal Corrupt
Practices Act by labor union
This step is humiliating revelation
! to the country that the Justice Depart
ment is derelict in its duties and must
| be prodded by committee of Re-
publicans and Democrats in the Senate
! to see that the laws are faithfully
executed
The Federal Corrupt Practices Act
! prohibits labor unions as well as cor
porations from contributing not only
money but any of their facilities or
anything OF value" to assist in presi-
dental campaigns. There is plenty of
evidence that union organizations have
been used to enroll workers to bring
voters to the polls next Tuesday The
unions themselves frankly admit that
they have issued literature bearing upon
the campaign and they are openly
questioning the validity of the law.
Nine Pivotal Cities.
If Mr.. Roosevelt wins, it will be
largely because of the heavy vote
brought to the polls in the big cities
by the CIO Political Action Committee.
There are nine pivotal cities located in
nine States that embrace a bloc of
222 electoral votes which together with
the solid South of 1l2, gives more than
the necessary 266 majority needed to
win.
Concentration in these nine cities can
bring in enough ma ajorities to control
the electoral vote in those nine States.
and the CIO-PAC has concentrated on
these cities and put in its most intensive
work there. The cities are: New York.
Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles,
Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, St. Louis and
Milwaukee
Many citizens who are members Of
labor unions have been requested BY
union officers to volunteer their services
or their funds in connection with
electioneering. 1t is a viola ton of law
for any unions to permit their officers
during normal working hours to utilize
any Of the time paid for by unions
themselves for election purposes. 1t is
likewise a violation of law for union
lists or membership rosters to be
utilized for campaign purposes.
Members of Congress have drawn
these matters to the attention of the
Justice Department without result
The Constitution Of the United States
says that the President shall take care
that the laws be faithfully executed"
particularly when he is candidate
for reelection. to lean over backward to
see that the laws relating to elections
are faithfully executed The moment
any substantial number of citizens in
the electorate gets the idea that there
is cheating in the election campaign
and that fraud is being used it produces
an unhealthy state of affairs that can
not but have disagreeable consequences
in the conduct of Government.
Recent Example.
conspicuous defiance of the ethics Of
campaigning was given in a press con-
ference on Tuesday OF this week when
he was asked questions about the One
Thousand Club. He admitted that he
had suggested such an organization but
that he recommended at first that the
members should contribute $1,000 900 or
$4,000. Just Why Mr.. Roosevelt made
that suggestion when he knew that the
law prohibited contributions in excess
OF $4,000 from any individual is. Of
course, not explained Nor did the
President explain why Representative
Kefauver, Democrat. of Tennessee in
letter that has been made public,
claimed that groups of members of
the One Thousand Club had met five
times at the White House with Mr..
Roosevelt recently and that contrbu-
tions were being solicited on the
strength of that intimacy or privilege
OF counseling on governmental policies.
The President has not explained why
he permitted his campaign to receive
contributions from individuals who
have large-sized war contracts with the
Government Mr.. Roosevelt laughed at
the whole idea and gave the impress
sion that it was a matter of very little
consequence.
But the subject is of great conse-
quence to the American people who
are shocked to see any President be-
come the beneficiary of brazen viola
tions of the letter as well as the spirit
of the laws governing presidential elec-
tions.
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