Chance to be White House guest is inducement to join ‘1000 Club’
‘Every member will know our President,’ those willing to give $1,000 are promised
By Peter Edson
Washington –
Examination of the charter of the newly-found Democratic “1000 Club,” each of whose 1,000 members are to pay $1,000 apiece to build up a million-dollar fund to aid in the reelection of President Roosevelt, reveals that this organization has the makings of one of the most powerful pressure groups ever created to influence White House opinion.
Every member who kicks in his $1,000 gets a copper-engraved, red enamel inlay lifetime membership card and a copy of the constitution, a noble and inspiring document of lofty aims. He also gets other things for his money.
‘Will know President’
The prospectus for membership makes this bald statement:
Every member should and will know our President, to more intimately realize the zeal with which he so successfully guided our country’s ship of state through the most troubled waters of our history.
In other words, join up and you get to know the President personally.
Some of the franker approaches to prospective members have been along the line of, “You want to get in that White House, don’t you?”
When the prospect indicates that he does, that greases the skids for the $1,000 touch.
The constitution of the 1000 Club states that this “voluntary contribution of $1,000 shall be one of the qualifying requisites to membership.”
There are no other dues to this exclusive club, but it is provided that “any member may contribute additional sums.”
Payment of the $1,000 initiation fee is not, however, the only way a prospect may become a member. If a party wheelhorse gives the equivalent of $1,000 in services, that would make him eligible, or if he had given $1,000 to other party organizations – the Democratic National Committee, or Democratic State or County or Township or City Committees, he could still get in by proving his good deeds of the past.
The constitution says:
The Board of Trustees may elect to membership any eligible person who has in its opinion contributed outstanding services to the objectives of this club.
Quite a few members are expected to be admitted under this provision, getting their copper membership cards without direct payment of the $1,000 poll tax.
Some of the prospects approached for membership are reported to have been able to bargain their way into membership by citing their own good party deeds and offering to get a few more members for the club if they themselves are admitted without payment of another $1,000.
‘To support Constitution’
Borrowing a line original with Gerald L. K. Smith, Dr. Edward A. Rumely, Pappy O’Daniel and others, the first objective of the 1,000 Club is stated as “To support and defend the Constitution.”
In politics, you can apparently do anything you want to just so long as you say it’s to support and defend the Constitution.
The second and third objectives of the 1000 Club are: “To promote the general welfare o, the United States” and “To support the war–”
The club’s constitution provides members should prepare… “To participate actively in political campaigns in supporting the men best qualified to hold public office.”
‘To accept contributions’
But the payoff comes in the final precept: “To accept contributions and make expenditures for the purpose of influencing the election of candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency.”
Well, it costs money to elect a President, and the Democratic National Committee is limited by law to $3 million. Radio time costs $90,000 an hour if you go in for a nationwide broadcast, and half a dozen such chain hookups would cost over half a million.
The 1000 Club expects to do considerable sponsoring and advertising and in other ways relieve the National Committee as a purely independent service.
In office for life
Work of the 1000 Club will not end, however, when this campaign is over, for the constitution provides that members of the Board of Trustees shall hold office until their death or removal or inability to act.
The chief duties of the trustees, besides taking in the million dollars in initiation fees, seems to be in passing on the membership, but that’s wide open, as any democratic club should be.
The constitution says: “Any American citizen may become a member by applying for membership and by being elected by the board of trustees.”
If the 1000 Club doesn’t accept your application for membership, it promises to refund your money.
