Evening star., 1947-07-11

organizations may expend such
funds as they desire to COM
pile and distribute to their men,
oership and afflliates and to the
public the voting records, speeches,
or other statements of Federal
candidates.: the unions may pur-
chase radio time and discuss the
merits and dement's of candidates
and their platform in relation to
labor's welfare; unions may print
or have printed newspaper ads or
articles containing similar discus
sions; they may send officers and
organizers to make speeches at
unions as we'll as public meetings
and may pay for advertising and
hall hire for such meetings; they
may even invite candidate to ap-
pear at such meetings if the purpose
is to have him explain his position
on matters of interest to labor.
I'm short, labor unions may con-
tinue to engage in all the ordinary
activities Except, of course, direct
financial contributions to political
candidates as discussed above) which
In the past had customarily been en-
gagged in by them affecting political
candidates and parties, when the
unions purpose is to further Its
own social and economic program
and when such activities are under
taken without agreement or arrange
ment with any candidate"
Industry Can Do Same.
The same provision of law pro-
hibits corporations from making ex-
penditures, 50 II the labor union
lawyers are proved right, the big
corporations, with their house or
gans, can soon go ahead and use
plenty of money for propaganda to
influence elections.
II this particular provision of the
law is held invalid by. the courts, 1t
Goes not affect the other sections OF
the law relating to labor manage
ment regulation. But 1t would i'm
mediately immunize corporations
from any penalties, and they would
enjoy the same privileges bestowed
on unions to spend unlimited funds
hereafter to influence elections in
America.
The corporations probably would
be happy to have the unions over
throw this provision and thus get
clear-cut decision on something that
business corporations have long
wanted to have clarified. In any
contest, of course, between business
companies and unions, the amount
Of funds available to influence cleo
,tions would be far greater on the
side OF the companies.
An effort doubtless will be made
to clear, up the point quickly, SO the,
l94S presidential campaign may turn
out to be the heaviest in money
expended in the history OF this
country. When the Hartley
bill was enacted, there was some
discussion about borderllne cases
labor-union newspapers, for exam
pie, that might publish editorials or
. statements about a political cam
spaign. Almost everybody here con-
ceded that this would not constitute
an expenditure" specifically for a
campaign, since in the normal
course q periodical or newspaper
would be commenting on all manner
of current happenings and would
not be publishing for brief period
lust for the single purpose OF circu-
lating political editorials.
Beyond Borderline Case.
Now, however. the legal depart
ment of the American Federation
of Labor has gone far beyond any
borderline case and insists that
Congress has no right to regulate
what money shall be expended IN
connection with elections or by
whom. The AFL contends that un-
der the Bill of Rights of the Con-
stitution any union has full free
dom to use radio or the press or
handbills "to accomplish its objec-
tive, and no law can fatty and
unqualifiedly destroy this freedom. y
Congress, however, has, for many
years regarded the excessive use OF
money In election campaigns as
tainted. While the Constitution
may protect individual rights, 1t
does not impair the power OF Con-
gress to regulate fraud or misuse
OF members or stockholders funds
or what a corporation or labor union
or any other organization. may
spend in an election. even if that
organization thinks it is achieving
a social or economic objective bene-
'ficial to 1t. Under the AFL coun-
sells view, Congress could not make
any laws respecting expenditures in
elections.
1t would be most surprising if
the AFL lawyers were sustained.
But If. they are, corporations will
win privileges they have long been
denied and America will see a
spending spree in campaigns such
as it has not witnessed since the
COS when employees were propa-
gandized regularly by employers
during the last weeks of a cam