Show I 11 Washington ashington Digest c MIXTURE MIXTURE OF RELIEF CASHI CASH I AND POLITICS DANGEROUS I Ca Candidates Candidates' l Methods of Influencing Voters Scored L. L by Ly Washington Observer Suggests Return to Election of Senators by Legislatures By WILLIAM BRUCKART Service National Press Washington D. D C. C W WASHINGTON I had had- finished r reading my evening paper a few nights ago when I found m myself seU quite down in the dumps The news I 1 of the day was disturbing It was vicious news In Its implications i On page on one there was an aCcount account account ac ac- count of the bitter factional fight within the Democratic ranks in Ten Ten- Sen George Berry was seeking reelection election rather rather nation nation and and Senator McKellar his colleague was fighting tooth and nail to prevent it Party control in inthe inthe inthe the state was the tile objective and Marshalls Marshall's Apology Thomas R. R Marshall Vice President of oj the United States in the Wilson Jr administration admin admin- once said 1 have only one oTle apology that I know of to make for my political life I 1 apologize apologise to the American people for having been in favor of the tire election of United States senators b by the lire people There thinks William I Bruckart is the key to today's today's to to- days day's problem Let Lei state stale legislators pick U. U S. S senators senators sen sen- he lie says sas and well we'll be berid berid berid rid of the demagogue who icho is elected by his ability to promise more than the opposition op 01 position there were countless charges of the use of money federal relief relic money state payroll money moner other money There was likewise a fight going on next door In Kentucky Gov Happy Chandler was se seeking king the Democratic nomination to the senate senate sen zen ate and Sen Dear Alben Barkley wanted to be and re- re elected Also the New Dealers in Washington from President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- Roosevelt velt on down wanted Senator Barkley Barkley Bark- Bark ley icy sent back and the President had gone into Kentucky to tell the voters voters voters vot vot- ers of his views Again money federal relief mone money state payroll money charges of attempted trades of federal judgeships so that there would not have to be a bitter primary mary marj fight like that which came Mr lUre hopkins hopkins' Idea on Relief Votes otes Backfires Here in Washington there vas was the greatest spender of all time Mr Harry Hopkins head of the Works Progress administration and professional professional reliever of destitute persons whether they are politicians or the poor popping off of another idea Mr Hopkins was saying that 90 per cent of the relief clients would vote for President Roosevelt for a third term It was a statement that immediately immediately im tin- mediately caused a backfire from Capitol Hill where Senator Sheppard of Texas was saying as chairman of the committee investigating the use of relief money in politics that there must be something done about such methods of influencing voters In another place I read how Governor Governor Governor Gov Gov- Earle of Pennsylvania was calling the state legislature into special special special cial session there to enact laws that would prevent a grand jury from in investigating investigating in- in g some of the gover governors governor's acts The call cali for the special session session ses ses- sion had been preceded of course by a terrific political fight over over the Democratic nomination for United States senator in Pennsylvania which was won by Governor Earle The governor preferred to have the investigating done by members of the state legislature if there was to tobe be an inquiry rather than by an independent independent in in- dependent group The only omy way to prevent it was by a law taking away the authority of the courts and the grand jury There were other states involved too Senator McAdoo who is seeking seeking seek seek- ing as the Democratic senatorial candidate in California was under fire Some of his campaigners campaigners cam cam- it was ch charged were using using using us us- ing coercion as well as federal relief relief re re- re- re lief lid funds while out In South Dakota opponents of ot Governor Berry now the Democratic nominee for the United States senate were bringing forth a new set of charges They informed the senate committee here that the Farm Security administration tion in South Dakota had been sending sending sending send send- ing out a press release that had I Inice nice things to say about Governor Berry The press release was two years old of course but the L was mailing out many of them t to voters voters and and paying no postage on or them It was another mother case of using usini the franking privilege said aid the ac ac- Politics Hits New Low Lazy With Wilh No Change in Sight It was enough to make one sick a at atthe atthe t the stomach here was politics in a anew anew i new quagmire and no signs to indicate indicate in in- L- L that it is not a permanent t condition What I 1 thought is goIng going go go- Ing fag to be the type of men comm coming g ginto into the United States senate with wit h hsuch such background as these stories indicated in it I. I And then rather in disgust with the whole thing I turned to to a n new book booIe The volume is titled tilled Notable Notable Nota I bl ble Virginia Bar Addresses Among the 27 21 speeches listed there I decided to read that by the lat late Thomas R. R Marshall His address address address ad ad- dress like all of the others was intended intended intended in in- tended to preach good government and the obligations of the lawyer as aswell aswell well weB as the layman In reading that speech I came across this passage I 1 have only one apology that I Inov know v no of to make for my political life I apologize to the American people for having been in favor of the election of United States senators senators senators sena sena- tors by the people My reason for it was different from the reason of many men I had gotten tired of voting for some old rum-nosed rum Democrat Democrat Democrat Dem Dem- for the legislature in Indiana because a United States senator depended depended depended de de- de- de on him for election and I thought hought that I could raise the grade of legislators in Indiana by bj letting the people elect the United States senators Now it was an altruistic movement to make that change inthe in inthe inthe the organic law of the United States but ut ladies Indies and gentlemen when it has las resulted in the spending of or hall half halfa halla a million dollars to elect a senator I want to know if the old fashioned government would not have been better Answer to Tot Today's Pro Problem blen Given in 1920 And right there I believe is the guts of the present day problem Mr Marshall had held many elective elec- elec tive ive offices and the speech from which I quoted the above passage was vas made while he was vice president president president dent of the United States He was an observer and a student of poli poli- tics Ics He saw in 1920 1020 where we as asa asa asa a people were going and I have no nod d doubt that he could have predicted exactly the present circumstances s. s When Senator Norris of Nebraska once a Republican then a Democrat Democrat Democrat Demo Demo- crat and now labeled as something else drove the constitutional amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment through congress and cleared the he way for direct election of United United United Unit Unit- ed States senators he accomplished two wo things 1 He made it possible possible ble le for the purest type of demagogue demagogue demagogue dema dema- gogue to win elections by his ability to o promise more than the opposition opposition tion ion rewards political patronage pork barrel returns to the state and 2 2 he assured that tha t vast sums of money can indeed can indeed must be used be-used used to o influence elections And in amplification amplification amplification am am- of the second item he made it possible for any administration tion any dominant party in control control con- con rol of the federal government to build up national and state machines ma ma- chines jointly by using federal money Too Many Senators Out for Greatest Amount of Swag I grant that corporations vested Interests formerly had too much mucho to o say about the election of United States senators by state legislatures But of the two I h have ve come to the conclusion t. t that at we had a better national national na- na administration and particularly particular particular- ly a better senate under that condition condition condition condi condi- tion than under the system where every voter casts a ballot directly for or a United States senatorial nom nom- nom nom- inee That is why 75 per cent of the present senate members are are nothing more or less less' than salesmen who ho are arc trying to collect for their states the greatest amount of swag which they can put over with their brother senators That is why too day a after ter day we have watched cliques formed and trading done over legislation in the senate The senators either are trying to make good on demagogic promises or they are re building a storehouse to be used in the next campaign Senator Norris may have thought he tie was performing a great service to the American people and he may have felt that he was building a monument for his name but I am firmly convinced he did quite the contrary For be it known were it not for Mr Norris' Norris monumental amendment to the Constitution of the United States there could hardly be such an outrage committed as that by Mr Hopkins It must be remembered that Mr Hopkins never never nev nev- never er was elected he is an appointee of the President of the United States and is responsible to him alone So when Mr Hopkins flirts with a state electorate there can be no other Interpretation placed upon his action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion than that he is using the influence influence ence available as a result of his dictatorship dictatorship dic die over relief distribution It all depends of course upon how one views the functions and purposes of the United States senate sen Len ate If It one wants the senate to be just a glorified house of representatives representatives tives fives able to maintain itself itsell solely on what pap it is able to lay Inthe In Inthe Inthe the laps bps of voters voters then then we ought to keep the present system If If however however however how how- ever one believes as I do that the senate is comprised or should be of senators of the United States Instead instead In in- instead stead of senators of a state variety unconcerned with the Union of states stares then there could well vell be repeal re re- re- re peal peI of the amendment 0 Western Newspaper Union |