Evening star., 1950-11-24
Roosevelt Job Pledge
After Campaigning
Stirs Discussion
Political Observer Cites
Letter in Question on
Ethics of Politics
By David Laurence

has the cOQe OF eCnlcS 1r
American politics deteriorated:
The answer depends to a large
extent on what period in polit
ical history is used as yard
stick.
Thus, the revelation this weeI
Of q letter written by the lats
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
in which he asked three ambassa.
dors to resign in order to dt
political campaigning and gave
them the promise that they woule
have their Jobs back or the equi'
vslent thereof, when the cam
paign was over. has occasionet
considerable discussion. Perhap
this letter would not have at
tracted as much attention wer,
1t not for the fact that, in tht
recent New York State guberna
torial campaign, Gov. Dewey wa
vehemently criticized because h
promised a State job to the thel
1t. Gov. Hanley in the event tht
latter was unsuccessful in hi
forthcoming contest for Unitec
States Senator.
Named Three Ambassadors.
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter is part o
a compilation entitled "F. D. r.
His Personal Letters" to be pub
lished by Duell. Sloan & Pearce
Addressed to Breckenridge Long
then American Ambassador tt
Italy. in February. 1886, it read
in part as follows:
"As you know, want you her,
during the whole of the campaign
I hope, too, that Bowers and Bull
lit and probably Cudahy amons
the ambassadors and two or thret
among the ministers will do Like.
wise. This involves resigning, be-
cause all of us here are agreed
that it is not wise to retain tht
titles and be active in campaign
work. You know, and the other.
too. that after November I shal
want you again to be part of tht
administration"
1t was in the early part of tht
century that another President
Theodore Roosevelt-was attack.
ing the big corporations for theil
activities in politics, and Congress,
in 1909 amended the Federal Cod.
as a first step toward cleanins ur
political practices. Other legis,
lation followed and then came tn,
Federal Corrupt Practices Act O.
1925, which not only prohibits an,
congressional candidate from
making any promise for reward
through appointment "of any per,
son to any public or private posi-.
ton or employment" in order tx
get political support, but alst
specifically provides:
"It is unlawful for an,
officer or employe of the Unitee
States, or any person receiving
any salary or compensation fol
services from money derived from
the Treasury of the United States
to directly or indirectly solicit, re-
ceive. or be in any manner con-
cerned in soliciting or receiving
any -. contribution for any
political purpose whatever from
any other such officer. employe, or
person."
Involved Federal Office.
The same statute defines "con-
tribution" as anything of value. y
1t will be observed that this law
and later legislation passed BY
Congress - notably the Hatch
Act-dealt with employees in o,
candidates for Federal Offices. II
the case Of Gov. Dewey. he wa.
not connected with the Fedora
Government and so would not bt
subject to this statute. Likewise
1t is not clear from the famous
Hanley letter whether the jol
promised was mentioned as s
means of inducing Mr.. Hanle!
not to run for the governorshil
rather than as a promise of rewarc
for political support.
In the case Of the Franklin
Roosevelt letter. it Is plain that tn,
ambassadors were to make "con
tribution" Of their time and ener.
gies to the 1885 presidential cam
paign and that they were promised
jobs or reappointment to thos'
they then held as a reward TO-
those services.
There will be some people whit
will say that the episode is of n,
consequence because the person
mentioned In the F.D.R. letter ar,
no longer In public service ant
because all this happened man,
years ago.
But the Importance of the in
cident lies in the fact that in poll
tics precedents are created b,
pieces Of evidence Of this kind
especially when the action stem
from a person with the prestig
and standing that Franklin q
Roosevelt had in American poll
tics.
There has been of, late a goo,
deal of the same type of behavior
Men, have resigned from the Fed
eral Government to become candi
dates for the United States Sen
ate and membership in the Hous
of Representatives. In some in
stances, they have returned t,
Federal service after their defeats
and the public has gotten tn
impression that some sort of dea
had been arranged whereby tn
administration would send out Ger
tain men to contest local cleo
tions. and in the event of defea
they would be given back thei
jobs or similar posts. Any sucl
behavior is, Of course, contrary t
the spirit as well as the letter @
the Federal Corrupt Practices Ac1