Evening star., 1951-12-11
The Political Mill
Major Surgery Vital
For Clean Government
Elimination of Administration
Only Way to Effect Cure
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

President Truman and his advisers. in
their efforts to grapple successfully with
a Government "clean up''-shown to
be necessary by congressional investi-
gations-face an impossible task The
firing Of man here and there will not
effect cure for the situation. A major
operation is required-in this case, the
elimination Of the present administra-
ton.
The recent disclosures of graft and
political favoritism to enable cronies to
make money are only the surface indica-
ton OF an easy money" Government, a
Government bloated with billions Of
billions to dispense. Fundamentally,
the administration perpetuates itself
through the use of the American tax
payers money. Hitherto it has been an
easy way to victory at the polls.
The administration leaders have
shrilly screamed charges of election buy
ing by its Republican opposition-alleg-
ing the G.. o. P. has had millions of
dollars contributed for It's campaigns. It
has kept very quiet however, about the
influence on elections Of Federal pay
roll running into the billions, Of
hundreds of millions put out by the ad-
ministration in Federal farm and other
subsidies, of the hundreds of millions ex-
pended for Federal relief lists, and par
ticularly of the billions awarded in Fed
eral contracts. Republican expenditures
for campaign purposes shrivel into in
significance when compared to these
potent influences in electioneering.
Most Effective Argument.
President Truman himself, in his
campaign speeches, warned that If the
Democrats were turned out of office.
this flow of dollars into the pockets Of
the faithful would be turned off, 1t was
his most effective argument in 1948.
The get-rich-quick fever has infected
many persons, it appears, in Government
and political Office. If the rumors are
correct, the end of the list of political
grating. of the selling of favors, through
allegations Of materia ndthrolas
ALLEGATIONS of materials and through the
other Government controls is by no
means in sight.
The Senate committee investigating
elections and campaign expenditures in
the interest of clean elections, has given
no attention so far to the use of Federal
favors extended for political purposes.
Yet it has been apparent for long time
that these have had tremendous i'm
pact on the elections in this country.
The American people, now bearing q
huge burden of taxation, at least are
awakening to the situation. They have
been jolted first by the revelations of
political favoritism for RFC loans
with political influence traced back to
the White House doors-and second, by
the revelations of corruption in the very
tax-collecting agency of the Government
itself
Steps Taken by Coolidge.
For years the Democrats pointed the
finger of Scorn at the Republicans be-
cause of the Teapot Dome scandal in
the Harding administration, and the
fact that a Republican Secretary of the
Interior went to jail because of it. They
are frantically taking cognizance today
OF the speedy steps taken by the late
President Coolidge. Republican, to clean
up the mess. Mr.. Coolidge never tempo
rized, or delayed, or cried red herring"
but appointed two eminent lawyers. one
Republican and the other a Democrat,
to get to the bottom of the corruption
and to prosecute.
1t is clear that the administration is
getting nowhere by attempting to mini
mize the charges of graft and corruption
and political favoritism, growing out Of
the House and Senate Investigations. 1t
is clear that these charges and the facts
developed are going into the campaign Of
1852, no matter what steps may now be
taken by the President and his advisers.
The Truman Administration, however,
still has that all-important weapon
Government spending to influence
millions of voters, and the spending in
the coming year promises to exceed in
amount that of all other years. 1t has
favors of all kinds to dispense to busi-
ness as well as to those who demand
Federal relief. With these it will buy the
next election if it can.