Evening star., 1951-06-05
The Political Mill
JonkeI Filming Unlikely
To Upset Probe Findings
Butler to Keep Senate Seat
Despite Election Inquiry
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
The $1,000 fine imposed on Jon
Jonkel, campaign manager for Senator
Butler of Maryland, Republican, in the
latter's race against former Senator
Tydings Democrat, will not change the
findings Of the Senate Rules subcom-
mittee which has conducted searching
investigation of that campaign. Further,
it is unlikely that the subcommittee will
recommend the ousting Of Senator But
Ter from the Senate, although the
subcommittee report will score heavily
incidents in the campaign-especially
the use Of composite photograph Of
Mr.. Tydings and Earl Browder, former
Communist leader. Nor is there evidence
up to this time that concerted drive
will be made by Democrats in the
Senate to unseat Senator Butler.
The subcommittee, which is headed
by Senator Monroney of Oklahoma, was
thoroughly conversant with the activ-
tiles of Mr.. Jonkel in the Butler cam.
paign and has been at work on its
report for some time. Indeed Mr..
Jonkeps indictment for violation Of the
Maryland corrupt practices act grew
out Of the investigation by the Senate
subcommittee and Mr.. Jonkel's own tes-
timony before the subcommittee. Mr.,
Jonkel pleaded guilty to the violation,
but insisted that the violation had been
"technlcaF and unintentional. The
charges involved the failure to report
on time the expenditure Of SGT 900 and
the fact that, under the law, Mr.. Jonkel,
resident Of Illinois, was not qualified
10 be campaign manager in Maryland.
Report to Be Constructive.
The subcommittee is intent on writing
report which will be constructive in
nature-a report that will make for
cleaner election campaigns. Already, iC
Is said, 1t is at work on second draft
OF its report, and it is the hope Of the
subcommittee to submit 1t to the Senate
within the next two or three weeks.
The Maryland senatorial campaign Of
last year is being used as an example,
but the purpose Of the subcommittee
is to make remedial recommendations
that will cover the whole field of con-
gressional campaigning in the future.
The principal charges made by former
Senator Tydings against the Butler
campa1gners were that they used false,
Scurrilous and defamatory literature
against him. None of these charges were
involved in the indictment and convic-
ton Of Mr.. Jonkel. although some of the
expenditures Of money which he failed
to report on the date provided by law
were made for tabloid, From the
Record which contained the defama.
tory statements Of which Mr.. Tydings
complained.
Outside Of the libel laws, there is at
present no legal recourse for a COM
pla1nant who feels he has been wronged
in political campaign. The great diff
ficulty which the Senate subcommittee
faces Is to write an effective statute
which will not violate the free speech
provision of the Constitution. One sug-
gestion, however, is that law may be
written which will place greater respon-
sibility upon congressional candidates
for the conduct of their campaigns,
Another Is the banning of such COM
posite photographs in political CAM
paigns as that of Mr.. Tydings and Earl
Browder, clearly intended to be harmful
to the candidate. @
Standards May Be Set.
Senator Monroney is sounding out a
proposal that the committee report
stress the advisability of the creation,
by both major political parties, of COM
mittees or commissions on ethical CAM
paigning." Such committees, he con.
tends. could set standards and act as
watchdogs for better and cleaner cam
paigns.
The subcommittee. in addition to
Senator Monroney. is composed Of Sem
ator Hennings of Missouri, Democrat,
and Senators Margaret Chase Smith Of
Maine and Hendrickson of New Jersey,
Republicans. A strong effort is being
made to write report which will be
accepted unanimously by the subcom-
mittee. and at present such unanimity
appears likely.
The one thing that might upset the
apple cart is the desire of the Demo-
Gratis generally to eliminate what they
call "McCarthyiSm" as threat in fu.
ture campaigns. Senator Mccarthy Of
Wisconsin, Republican, accused Mr..
Tydings Of whitewashing the McCar-
thy charges Of Communism in the State
Department-and this was one of the
main issues brought against Mr.. Tydings
in the Maryland campaign of last year.
Since Senator Butler won the election
by more than $4,000 votes, and since the
investigation has shown he was not per-
sonally responsible for some of the
tactics Of which Senator Tydings COM
planned, Senators will be slow to vote to
unseat him.