(CARL ATWOOD HATCH Small card signed by U. S. Senator from...)
CARL ATWOOD HATCH Small card signed by U. S. Senator from New Mexico Carl Atwood Hatch Signature: "Carl A Hatch/New Mexico". 4x2¼ card. Kansas-born Hatch (1889-1963) was a Democratic U. S. senator from New Mexico (1933-1949). An vocal advocate for cleaning up American electoral processes, he's probably best remembered as author of the Hatch Act (1939-1940), which prohibited federal employees from engaging in political activity. He chose to step down during his last term and was appointed a U. S. District Court Judge for New Mexico (1946-1963). Lightly toned. Light tear in top left corner. Otherwise in fine condition. - Please contact us if you have any questions or require additional information. HFSID 70789
(CARL ATWOOD HATCH The U. S. Senator from New Mexico signs...)
CARL ATWOOD HATCH The U. S. Senator from New Mexico signs a 3¼x2¼ card. Signature: "Carl A Hatch", 3¼x2¼ card, affixed to an 8½x11 page, with transmittal envelope with Atwood's ink stamped frank (3 surfaces). Kansas-born Carl Atwood Hatch (1889-1963) was a Democratic U. S. Senator from New Mexico (1933-1949). A vocal advocate for cleaning up American electoral processes, he's probably best remembered as author of the Hatch Act (1939-1940), which prohibited federal employees from engaging in political activity. He chose to step down during his last term and was appointed a U. S. District Court Judge for New Mexico (1946-1963). From the collection Ralph Errington Ward (1926-2009) a fighter pilot and squadron commander in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II. Ward became President and CEO of Cheseborough-Ponds, Inc., transforming the cosmetics firm into a major home product conglomerate. Paper clip imprint and rusting (effecting signature). Adhesive on verso (affixing card to the page). Otherwise, fine condition. - Please contact us if you have any questions or require additional information. HFSID 293627
Carl Atwood Hatch was an American politician. He served as a United States Senator
from New Mexico, and Judge, Chief Judge and Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.
Background
Carl Atwood Hatch was born on November 27, 1889 in Kirwin, Kansas, United States. He was the son of Harley Atwood Hatch and Esther Shannon Ryan. Near the turn of the century, the family moved to Eldorado, a booming railroad town in southwest Oklahoma. Harley Hatch operated a store in Eldorado, and Hatch worked there while finishing his secondary education.
Education
Hatch attended public schools in Kansas and Oklahoma.
At the age of twenty he decided to go to law school.
He entered Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, and received his degree in 1912.
Career
After completing high school Hatch became a reporter for the weekly Eldorado Courier. For a brief period he and a friend owned the newspaper. He then returned to Eldorado to practice law.
Hatch moved from Eldorado to Clovis, New Mexico, in 1916. Once he became established as a lawyer he purchased a cattle ranch.
He served as an assistant state attorney general (1917-1918), a state district judge (1923-1929), a collector of internal revenue, and chairman of the Democratic state committee. Hatch was appointed a United States senator in October 1933, when Sam G. Bratton resigned. In 1934 Hatch was elected to complete the remainder of Bratton's term. He was reelected in 1936 and 1942.
He was also the author of the Hatch Acts of 1939 and 1940. The 1939 Hatch Act prohibited all but top-level federal officials from engaging in political activity. It also forbade parties to solicit funds from any employee of a public-works relief project. The second act extended the provisions of the law to any state employee whose salary was paid in part by federal funds, and attempted to limit the annual expenditures of any national party or committee to $3 million. Individuals were limited to maximum contributions of $5, 000.
In 1942 an amendment was passed that assured teachers the right to participate in political activities. Another provision, added in 1944, forbade the government to disseminate political literature among the members of the armed forces. It was Hatch's hope that this legislation would curb the influence of special interests, regardless of whether they were governmental, corporate, or labor.
But by 1946 Hatch admitted that the Hatch Act was a failure, especially the provisions on limiting campaign expenditures. Through numerous loopholes and questionable accounting techniques, political expenditures had soared far beyond the legislative limit.
By the end of his Senate tenure, Hatch was advocating full disclosure of all contributors and the amount each person donated. But it was not until after the Watergate scandal that clarifying legislation was passed.
Following Hatch's retirement from the Senate in 1949, Truman appointed him to a federal district judgeship in Albuquerque, where he served until early 1963. Five months after retirement as a judge, Hatch died at Albuquerque.
(CARL ATWOOD HATCH The U. S. Senator from New Mexico signs...)
Politics
Hatch was a Democratic party stalwart.
As a senator, he was a comfortable ally of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
He was most interested in farm and labor legislation. Hatch advocated higher minimum wages and legislation that would compel arbitration in key-industry disputes.
He also strongly advocated antiracketeering investigations and specific legislation against certain activities on the part of union officials. Hatch supported appropriations for the National Park Service and numerous Interior Department reclamation projects.
During his last term he engaged Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon in a series of debates and discussions concerning oil leases on federal lands and indiscriminate "pork barrel" reclamation projects. In these instances Hatch tended to favor the forces of exploitation.
Hatch was an avowed supporter of a bipartisan foreign policy. In 1943 he was instrumental, along with Lister Hill of Alabama, Joseph Ball of Minnesota, and Harold Burton of Ohio, in committing the Senate to participation in a postwar international organization.
A believer in reciprocal trade, he favored strong economic and political alliances.
He was deeply concerned about rumors that federal relief recipients, especially Works Progress Administration employees, were being asked to contribute to political campaigns. He succeeded in pushing through legislation for cleaner elections. His goal was to prevent what he called "pernicious political activity. "
Interests
Politicians
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman
Connections
On September 2, 1913, Hatch married Ruth Caviness; they had two children.