The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-03-06

issued an honorable discharge in
the judges own name, c. S. Pal
mer.-Sioux City Journal.
Restriction Of Campaign Expenses.
Next to, and perhaps a twin pro-
ject to the reform of the ballot is
the idea of the public supervision of
the campaign expenses of candi-
dates for public Office. Its object
is to prevent bribery and to secure
the election of representatives that
will most nearly embody the views
of the ma jority of the people. To
some of the readers of the STAR
the idea may be a new one and yet
it has been entertained to such an
extent that in some of the state leg
islatures bills have been introduced
bearing upon this very matter. No
tably among these is Massachu-
setts, where in 1859 bill was in
troduced requiring statement of
expenses both from candidates and
from political clubs and commit
tees, but it failed of passage.
New York, however, did pass such
a bill, although similar measures
were twice vetoed by Gov. Hill.
Thomas B. Preston in an inter-
esting article in the February num-
ber of the Chautauquan has the fol-
lowing to say upon this very mat
ter: GAS to the publication of ex-
penses, the first requisite is the
classification of the objects for
which money may be used and the
prohibition of expenses for any 9TH
er purpose whatever. think it
would be safe to limit them to the
subjects mentioned in the English
act; such as printing, advertising,
messages, kilograms, public meet
ings and the like. In the United
States candidates have no election
agent, the campaign committee full
filling many of his functions, while
partaking of none of responsibility.
1t is above all things necessary that
this should be remedied by requir-
ing the publication Of campaign
committees expenses, as we'll as
those of the candidate. In addi-
ton there are frequent volunteer
committees, clubs apd private in
dividuals who spend money in cleo
tions without their contributions
going either through the hands of
the party committee or of the candi-
date. The requirement that all
sums should be expended by
the election agent in England
obviates this complication. With
out going to the extreme of res
tricting these disbursements to one
agent, here the law might necessi-
tate the publication of all such ex-
penses, vouchers for the same be-
ing furnished to the candidate and
together with the expenses of
the regular committees and the
amounts spent directly by himself
forming the sum total of his per-
missable campaign fund. Where
committee runs several candi-
dates, as in a city or county ticket,
fair division should be made
among the different nominees of
of the amount thus expended, each
quota to form part of each candi-
dates total.
The next step shonld be the strin-
gent limitation OF the total expenses
of every person running for Office
and the number of voters to be
reached. 1t has also been suggest
ed that nominees should be requir-
ed to publish the expenses they
may incur IN obtaining their nom-
ination, and possibly it might be
well to amend the law in that di-
rection, after the more essential re-
forms shall have been embodied in
out statutes. 1t is best that the
first efforts in this direction should
be carefully tested by experience
before extending their sphere.
Penalties of heavy fines or inn
prisonment for neglecting to file
statements of expenses should be
provided and vigorously enforced
and no successful candidate should
be allowed to take Office until he
has complied with the law. An
other efficient check upon bribery
would be to give to any individual
power to sue the bribe giver and
recover definite sum upon convic-
ton, thus practically offering a re-
ward for the detection of the crime.
To check the matter the defeated
candidate should have a right to
bring an action to GUST his oppo-
nent for any violation of the act,
and if he himself has not violated
it, to be awarded the Office, thus
putting all candidates on their good
behaviour and engaging the power
motion Of self-interest on the side
of compliance with the law