August 2, 1939: The Hatch Act Becomes Law

Senator Carl Hatch

August 2, 1939: The Hatch Act of 1939, An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and becomes effective immediately. It was named for its sponsor, Carl Hatch, a Democrat from New Mexico who served in the U.S. Senate from 1933 to 1949.

Its main provision prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in some forms of political activity. For example, it prohibits members of the President's Cabinet, or Ambassadors, from engaging in political fundraising. It also prohibits them from making speeches on behalf of political candidates. For that reason, a former Cabinet secretary may deliver a speech at the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention, but not a current Cabinet secretary.

The Act makes exceptions for the President and the Vice President, since they would need to act on their own behalf to run for re-election -- or, in the case of a Vice President, running for President himself or herself.

Widespread allegations that local Democratic Party politicians used employees of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), during the 1938 Congressional elections, provided the immediate impetus for the passage of the Hatch Act.

At the time, Roosevelt was struggling to purge the Democratic party of its more conservative members, who were increasingly aligned with the administration's Republican opponents. FDR considered vetoing the legislation, or allowing it to become law without his signature, but instead signed it on the last day he could do so. His signing message welcomed the legislation as if he had called for it, and emphasized the protection his administration would provide for political expression on the part of public employees.

The Act has occasionally been amended since, most recently in 2012.

UPDATE: The Hatch Act has been invoked against officials in the Trump Administration, by federal prosecutors.

*

August 2, 1939 was a Wednesday. This was the day that Albert Einstein and Leo Szilárd sent their letter concerning the building of an atomic bomb to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. I have a separate entry for that event. And horror film director Wes Craven was born on this day.

These baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 7-2 at Yankee Stadium. Bill Dickey hit a home run, but Atley Donald did not have good stuff.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Joe Bowman pitched a 5-hit shutout.

* The New York Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 12-2 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Mel Ott went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

* A doubleheader was split at Fenway Park in Boston. The Cleveland Indians won the opener, 8-2. The Boston Red Sox won the nightcap, 5-4. Red Sox rookie sensation Ted Williams went 0-for-6, although he did draw 2 walks.

* A doubleheader was split at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Athletics won the 1st game, 13-4. The Chicago White Sox won the 2nd game, 2-1.

* The Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 2-1 at Griffith Stadium in Washington.

* The St. Louis Cardinals were supposed to play the Boston Bees (as the Braves were known from 1936 to 1940) at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, but were rained out. It was made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. The Cards swept, 5-1 and 4-3.

* And the Philadelphia Phillies were supposed to play the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but were rained out. It was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on September 14. The Cubs swept, 13-1 and 5-2.