Show washington digest MIXTURE OF RELIEF CASH AND POLITICS DANGEROUS candidates methods of influencing voters scored by washington observer suggests return to election of senators by legislatures by WILLIAM BRUCKART service national press washington D C washington I 1 had finished reading my evening paper a few nights ago when I 1 found myself quite down in the dumps the news of the day was disturbing it was vicious news in its implications there was so much of it that was disturbing that I 1 could not help wondering where we as a people are headed on page one there was an account of the bitter factional fight within the democratic ranks in tennessee sen george berry was seeking reelection election re rather and senator mckellar his colleague was fighting tooth and nail to prevent it party control in the state was the objective and marchalls marshalls Mar apology thomas R marshall vice president of the united states slates in the wilson administration once said maids 1 I 1 have only one apology that I 1 know of to make fo for r my political life I 1 apologize to the american people for having been in favor of the llie election of united states slates senators by the people there thinks william bruckart is the key to problem lern let state stale legislators pick V U S senators he says and well irell be rid of chiq demagogue raio acho is elected by his ability to promise more than the opposition there were countless charges of the use of money federal relief money state payroll money other money there was likewise a fight going on next door in kentucky gov happy chandler was seeking the democratic nomination to the senate and sen dear alben barkley wanted to be and reelected also the new dealers in washington from president roosevelt on down wanted senator barkley sent back and the president had gone into kentucky to tell the voters of his views again money federal relief money state payroll money charges of attempted trades of federal judgeships judge ships so that there would not have to be a bitter primary fight like that which came mr hopkins II idea on relief votes backfires Back fires here in washington there was the greatest spender of all time mr harry hopkins head of the works progress administration and professional reliever of destitute persons whether they are politicians or the poor popping OH off 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 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 1 read how governor earle of pennsylvania was calling the state legislature into special session there to enact laws that would prevent a grand jury from investigating vesti gating some of the governors acts the call for the special session had been preceded of course by a terrific political fight 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 be an inquiry rather than by an independent group the only 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 as the democratic senatorial candidate in california was under fire some of his campaigners paig ners it was charged were using coercion as well as federal relief funds while out in south sooth dakota opponents of 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 in south dakota had been sending out a press release that had nice things to say about governor berry the press release was two years old of course but the was mailing out many of them to voters and paying no postage on them it was another case of using the franking privilege said the accusers cu sers politics hits new low with no change in sight it was enough to make one sick at ithe ithe stomach here was politics in a new quagmire and no signs to in indicate that it is not a permanent condition what I 1 thought is goring ing to be the type of men coming into the united states senate v with ith such background as these stories indicated and then rather in disgust with the whole thing I 1 turned to a new book the volume is titled notable virginia bar addresses among the 27 speeches listed there I 1 decided to read that by the late thomas R marshall his address like all of the others was intended to preach good government and the obligations of the lawyer as well as the layman in reading that speech I 1 came across this passage 1 I have only one apology that I 1 know of to make for my political life I 1 apologize to the american people for having been in favor of the election of united states senators by the people my reason for it was different from the reason of many men I 1 had gotten tired of voting for some old rum nosed democrat tor for the legislature in indiana because a united states senator depended on him for election and I 1 thought that I 1 could raise the grade of legislators in indiana by letting the people elect the united states senators now it was an altruistic movement to make that change in the organic law of the united states but ladies and gentlemen when it has resulted in the spending of half a million dollars to elect a senator I 1 want to know if the old fashioned government would not have been better answer to problem given in 1920 and right there I 1 believe is the guts of the present day problem mr marshall had held many elective offices and the speech from which I 1 quoted the above passage was made while he was vice president of the united states he was an observer and a student of politics he saw in 1920 where we as a people were going and I 1 have no doubt that he could have predicted exactly the set of circumstances we are meeting now when senator norris of nebraska once a republican then a democrat and now labeled as something else drove the constitutional amendment through congress and cleared the way for direct election of united states senators he accomplished two things 1 he made it possible for the purest type of demagogue to win elections by his ability to promise more than the opposition rewards political patronage pork barrel returns to the state and 2 he assured that vast sums of money can indeed must be used to influence elections and in amplification of the second item he made it possible for any administration any dominant party in control of the federal government to build up national and state machines jointly by byssing using federal money too many senators out for greatest amount of dicag cog I 1 grant that corporations corporation vested interests formerly had too much to say about the election of united states senators by state legislatures but of the two I 1 have come to the conclusion that we had a better national administration and particularly a better senate under that condition than under the system where every voter casts a ballot directly for a united states senatorial nominee that is why 75 per cent of the present senate members are nothing more or less than salesmen who are 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 after day we have watched cliques formed and trading done don over legislation in the senate the senators either are trying to make good on demagogic promises or they are building a storehouse to be used in the next campaign senator norris may have thought he 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 1 am firmly convinced he did quite the contrary for be it known were it not for mr 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 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 than that he is using the influence available as a result of his dictatorship ship over relief distribution it all depends of course upon how one views the bunc functions ti 0 s and purposes of the united states senate if one wants the senate to be just a glorified house of representatives able to maintain itself solely on what pap it is able to lay in the laps of voters then we ought to keep the present system it if however one believes as I 1 do that the senate is is comprised or should be of senators of the united states instead of senators of a state variety unconcerned with the union ol of states then there could well be repeal of the amendment 0 western newspaper union |