New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-17

political committees did with the money Is not stated
For all that the public know the committees expended
every dollar they received in the bribery OF voterS
and OF course "unbeknownstn to the candidates. One
OF the most striking instances Of this wholesale trans
fer of money to political committee can be found In
the statement of Henry Bacon, the Democratic cand
date for Congress in the XVIII District. Below Is a
literal COPY OF the items OF his statement:
ss oso ss IN cG%s Re State o ai Ea $500
c. f. Lamont treasurer OF Demoeraae Congress
for printing circulars and addressing them; 300
re1spha' nss teHapsmpbipe' eHpebi up... 100
Total observation-disclosures. So'oao
Assnredly the public, looking such statement,
does not learn whether or not all OF Mr. Bacon
money expended legitimatey
The remedy for this lack OF sunlight upon all the eX-
penditnres of candidates for Office is be found in
compelling the political committees rs well as inc
candidates to file with public officers an temzcd ac-
count Of their outgoes That undoubtedly will lie one
OF the first acts which will be pressed before the Legs
lature which meets in January next
OF the passage Of such act and It's approval by the
Governor there can be little doubt Both Governor l
and the Senate are indeed committed already to the
support OF such an act. Scarcely haG the Corrupt
Practices Act been signed by Governor Hill on
April A, 1890. when 1t became obvious thai 1t
required amendment in respect to political com
mittees Some elections held, and the
candidates reported paying large sums OF money 10
political committees, and there the public lost trace
Of the money. James H. Manning who ran for Mayor
of Albany reported that he sent $500 as his assess
ment TO the Democratic General Committee of Albany
No one accused Mr. Manning OF any wrong doing lie
paid the assessment which Democratic candidate
before him had done Yet every one naturally asked
What did the Democratic General Committee 90 WIN
the money! Governor Hill on April II sent mes
sage TO the Legislature recommending that an act
supplemental to the Corrupt Practices Act be passed,
requiring political committees. and indeed all persons
who should receive money from candidates for Office,
TO make report stating in detail what they did with
the money. with his message, the Governor trans
med bill which he had drawn mp to compel political
committees and political agents to make this report
The bill is given below:
Section little Of the Penal Code, relating to crimes
against elective franchise is hereby amended by add
ing heo section which shall be known as Section
4is while shah red ss follows:
See. Every chairman treasurer other officer or
OF State county town, ward, district or other
political organization and every other person VINO snail
receive from any Office voted for at pub
lie election within this State or other val
thing paid contributed by any such candidate or
by person for him. 10 be used In aid OF the ec
ton candidate of the candidates upon the same
ticket with candidate any OF hen or TO deray the
of such election expense Of the canvass OK
said candidate OF the ticket upon which he may De-
either after such election shall have taken place.
shall within days after such election or WITHIN ten days
IL is not received within days after the election file
an itemzed statement the same offices In which such can
ddate Ia required by Section 4ld OF this act 10 HE
statement OF expenses, which shall give the names
OF the various persons to whom such money
r otber valuable thing was delivered, the amount
paid TO cach specific nature OF each Item ana me pu
pose for which expended or paid out whch state
ment shall signed by the person making IL ana Vefheo
nv his adayit that is in all respects true
and that H. IL full and detailed statement OF al moneys
or other things OF value received by him OF any canddate
voted for at election Of any person In beha or suoh
to be used In aid Of the election OF such cand-
dato or NJ the ticket upon which he be may have
been or deay the expenses Of any such election or 10
dfray any expenses OF such candidate or OF
the candidates upon such tickets
Anv such chairman treasurer, officer, member person
Who refuses or negect make and file statement as
n,escribd I'm this section, shall be guilty OF misdtmeanor
punishable provided in this title.
senator saxton has already introduced similar bill,
hut thinking the Governors touched certain points
which his did not he suggested to the Judiciary Com
mtee that it substitute Mr.. Hills bill for his own
This was done, and the bin was reported favoraby.
The next day. April D., it passed the Senate without
n ,,ybtest opposition Twenty four Senators, all that
.ro nresent voted for 1t. These twentyfour were
| Ah..rn. Brkett Brown, Cantor, Chase, Coggeshall
Collins Emerson, Fassett, Hawkins Hendricks, Hunt
or Ives Jacobs Laughlin, Linson, McNaughton, kicl
| eriason Robertson Roesch Saxton, Sloan, stadler,
stewart. - =, Ouost,on that with tl,s evidence
or, before them that candidates dodge behind poca
Committees when asked to account Tor % teir eec'H t
eynenses the twenty four Senators VINO Voted ior te
ahpve bill the present year Will again vote Tor te
| measure the coming winter. The bill was iaVorapy
repored by the Committee on Codes, OF the Assembly
when n came from the Senate but II was so late ID the
session OF the legislature when Mr' "araeher, tle
chairman of thst committee, managed TO gct nus report
before the Assembly that its friends found u mpossos
10 push aside from its path tho hundreds OF b ahein
Of Il upon the Assembly calendar IL was tepap ps be
not acted upon IL passed early In the session Oh tc
coming Legislature by the senate tee Woqa seem Ng tho
he no question Of the measure iminedlatey passing o
Assembly especially since William +. sheehaii' VIII
promseS TO be the Speaker OF the Assembly last Aprt
made speech declaring that 1t ought TO bc pasScd a'
| once. :. ,,.. ,,,d I,v soma
candidates for Office 1t Is possible also that te Legis% %
! nre NAV pass an act restricting Candidates IN u'
respect. Governor Hill Is also commltteu u ,niS "
| form. In his message OF April 21 he said
While 1t Will be observed that the proposed ACT I'M
| poses no restriction upon the amount OF money % wno
candidates or other persons may contribute Tor poea
PURPOSES nevertheless desire to suggest he anNaos
OF some such llmltatonsomewhst analogous 10 the pro-
visions of the English This would Involve te es'o
lshment Of q scale OF amounts properly graded, wneh
shall prescrbe the maximum sum that candiuaee ior
each office may contribute the purposes OF his eeeon
Such provision might also limit In some appropra'
manner the amount expenditure, by committees anu INC
| subscriptions Of contributors.