The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-03-18

An excellent bill has been introduced in
the state Assembly enabling any citizen TO compel
any candidate or committee To hle In the Sopfome
Court Az lteuiled account OF his OF their expenses Tor
pohitcAl purposes In any canvass or election There
is groat deal of preaching about the use " money
at elections w aud there Is much l0athiug Of people
who sell their votes aud there is no doubt that great
deal 0f money Is used 80 elections, aud that many
people sell theityoes But nothing epracticSlthan
preaching against " aud mOrazlng over u has yet
been hit upon as o means OF prevention The
sums which have been raised from once
holders and contractors and inant Industries W Tot
campaign purposes over since the war have been
enormous. Many OF the uses to which these colleo-
lions are put ara perfectly legitimate, but there Il
lust as little doubt that many OF them viii not bear
the light at all. Jaw ubbel acknowledged the other
day that his Congressional committee alone, which Us
not one Of the regular Canyasslng committee, raised
$500, 600 last summer. The committee approved NJ
his use OF H. hut they evidently afraid that the
public would not do So II It knew IT, for they burnt
the accounts aud vouchers Immediately after examine
Ing them. When Dorsey "carred Indiana, ~ IN
1850, everybody knew-aud indeed MIR. Arthur then
Vice President, acknowledged II at the famOurdlnnei
In this citythat It was done IN large part by the use
Of money, but probably no power on earth would
have Induced Dorsey 10 tell how ho used ".
OF the cortuptlug effect q all this on or politics
is needless 10 speak. Everybody knows II, and The
best that any say In defense or palllaton OF II
stlat "the other side (Repubcans or DemOcratS) I,
Just rs bad The remedy, however, Is not 10 be
found Ia preaching against electoral corruption, not
yet IN following up voters who take btbes because
they are apt to he too numerous and too scattered,
aud the evidence against them too detective to bt
anhead, or In other words, at the place where the
money Is collected. Itsqule right that money should
he raised for campaign expenses from all persons wht
disposed to give, and 1t Is the duty OF every voter
To give according to his meanstopromoie Ia Legitimate
ways the triumph OF his party. But II Is clearly tn,
duty OF the State that the money Is not used fol
Improper purposes aud for the discharge ot this duty
there Is nothing like enforced publication of accounts
In England, under the new election laws, each party
Is obliged to file accounts Of It's expenses and u they
are unlawful 1t vtiates the return. which Is trab'
before Judge OF one OF the law courts
That some such legislation Is needed here there u
no question Every voter aud every contributor to
campaign fund ought to have the means OF compel
ing the cusOdians and disbursefs OF such funds Il
publish their accounts; the first guarantee OF the
purity OF the election and the second an assurance
that his trustee has not been abusing his confidence
1t Is not necessary to point ont the effect this woult
have on the business OF 90 carrying Indiana 'ln
diana - would sti 10 carried, but 1t would be car
red IN ways which would not cause good men I,
despair Ot their country aud lead to the rise 4
high places In party counsels OF deNterous aud un
scfupuous rogues like Brady aud Dorsey, who reall!
have use anywhere out " - Indiana. '--ErsHini
DtgI