November 5, 1975

Political Reform Not Even Handed

If you think politics was cleaned up by the so called "Campaign Reform Bill" of post-Watergate fame, then think again.

The law is a farce dreamed up by liberal Democrats and scared Republicans.  Perhaps a few cool-headed moderates of both parties truly believed the goal of "reform" would be advanced by the strict restraints on political contributions.  In practice, however, it has developed that reform applies only to the Republican Party, Republican candidates and GOP contributors.

The Campaign Reform Law, it turns out, is simply a new weapon with which to beat down Republicans, now that the old "depression guilt" smear has worn out.

You will remember that several corporation executives were heavily fined for contributing to President Richard Nixon's last campaign.  It was passing strange, therefore, when illegal contributions to the campaigns of Senator Hubert Humphrey, Senator Mike Mansfield and other prominent Democrats were largely ignored.

Now it has been learned that the Justice Department has quietly dropped serious charges of illegal contributions by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's political machine.

U.S. Senate officials, in line with its responsibilities, under the reform law, conducted a routine audit of campaign expenses of Illinois Congressman Roman Pucinski who lost a 1972 race for the Senate.

The auditors found that Pucinski had received three illegal contributions totaling $25,000 from Boss Daley.  A $10,000 and a $5,000 contribution came directly from the Cook County Democratic Party, while another $10,000 gift came from Daley's Dinner Committee."

Political parties are permitted to give money to candidates, of course, but the campaign law stipulates that with any organizational contribution of $1,000 the names of donors giving $100 and expenditures of $10 must be reported.  Daley refused this information to Pucinski who attempted to comply with the law, and Daley again refused the information to the Senate auditors.  The Senate cited Daley to the Justice Department.

Behind the scenes, however, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed word to bury the charges.  Like the well known "800-pound gorilla," Daley does what he wants.  The Cook County machine he runs as a private empire makes and breaks presidents.  It fraudulently stuffed the ballot boxes for President John Kennedy and suffered neither punishment nor loss of dignity when convicted of the crime six months after the election.

The Justice Department quashed the charges a year ago so quietly that it has just last week come to light.  Political observers expected nothing different, but the press so quick to castigate Republicans spitting on the sidewalk were remarkably dilatory in reporting Daley's crimes.

There is no question that politics needed - still needs - effective reform.

But it has to be even-handed reform or it will collapse from its weight of cynicism.  It's tottering from this affliction even now.

Author: Lindsey Williams