Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-09-13
NUMBER kG.
CAMPAIGN EXPENSES.

The Atehison Champion comes u
the defense of the action of the RepubG-
can National Committee in purchasing
the election of 1880. tits not possible
that honest JOHN A. MARTIN indorses
such methods, and we shall do him the
credit of believing that he has done il 10
be in harmony with his party metbadS,
and not because his ludomt Mt pl OmptS t.
HIS plea in substance, is that the prac-
tice has come into vogue of using very
large amounts of money at presidential
electric n ;, and, therefore, it is to be
winked at and condoned. 1t is q very
plain failacy.-Leavenwor Standard.
Willyou state correctly just what The
Champion did say on the subject? If
you wilt, there can lie no chance for a
misunderstanding,
1t, The legitimate and perfectly hon
est and proper expenses of conducting
a Presidential expenses to
which no decent man in America, of
any party, can or viii object-are very
large, These may be summed up as
including the following The preparation
printing and circulating of pamphlets,
speeches, books and papers. presenting
the issues of the campaign, the merits
of the candidates etc :; all expenses OF
public meetings, hire of halls, bands,
etc; the expenses Ofspeakers, the cost of
preliminary cahvasses; and, as in Indi-
ana that year, the employment of de-
tectives and patrols to prevent illegal
voting and repeating. These; and a
number Of other expenses that might be
enumerated, are entirely legitimate,
honest and proper.
I'd, Not single letter or statement
published by the democratic papers,
concerning the Republican campaign of
1880, proves the expenditure of a single
dollar for corrupt or illegitimate pur-
poses.
Sd, All the money mentioned as con-
tributed, in that correspondence, and
three times as much, could be, and no
doubt was, expended for perfectly le-
climate, honest and proper campaign
purposes. There is certainly not a
word, line or sentence in any letter yet
published, that proves the contrary. If
there islet the Standard cite it.
4th, The editor of the Champion does
not believe in, does not practice, and
does not endorse, the purchase of votes,
orsthe paying of money to voters for
their suffrage. He believes firmly that
the greatest danger that menaCes Re
publican Institutions is the use of mon
ey to corrupt voters and purchase votes.
And he would favor Constitutional
provision, and stringent law to enforce
it, forever DISTINGUISHING any man who
either purchases or sells a vote.
9TH, But it is in entire accord with the
spirit and genius of free Institutions to
instruct and convince voters. The more
thoroughly such work is done, the more
intelligent are the ballots cast. 1t IS,
therefore, proper that each party should
appeal to the voters by printed and spo-
| ken arguments, facts and statements;
that it should spread broadcast pamph-
lets, books and papers presenting its
case; that it should organize meetings,
to be addressed by public speakers that
it should use any means to induce the
people to attend such meetings; that it
should employ canvassers to visit and
talk with the voters; and that it should
use any and every means to prevent il
legal votes and repeating.
The National Republican Committee
did not ''purchese the election Of 1880. y
Il did not expend as much money, in
that campaign as did the National DEM
ocratic Committee.
Nor did you state our ''plea in SUBJ
stance'' correctly. If you will state it
fairly, we are entirely willing TO stand
by and defend it, upon any and all oc-
casions. But we don't like being mis-
represented. Champion.