The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-27
To Purify Elections.

Porbably the most exhaustive bill for
try has just been prepared by the Civic
Federation of Chicago, for introduc-
ton at Springfield The bill proposes
to revise the present naturalization
laws compelling the would-be citizen to
secure his papers purely through his
own efforts and without interference OF
political parties, politicians or bureaus;
prevents wholesale naturalization
on any one day; reverses the
present bribery law so that the
briber is the one to be the most
severely punished and not the bribee:
gives legal status to existing party
machinery; forbids non-residents, or
alien residents, or corporations to con-
tribute to any campaign fund; limits in
dividual contributions by actual resi-
dents to $500 for general elections and
$3.50 for any other, and eXacts from
campaign managers, committees and
candidates the utmost publicity as to
the amount of money which they ex-
pend in any one campaign, where they
received it and how they spent it, by
items.
The bill, as drawn, contains nearly
ll,O00 words and hence is much too long
to be reprinted. 1t was framed only
after its authors had made a thorough
study Of the corrupt practices act in
England and also OF the similar laws
now in force in Massachusetts, Michi-
gan, Missouri, Colorado, Kansas, Cali
fornia and New York. AS u circum-
stance of interest it may be noted that
the same subject is pending in Rhode
Island. Connecticut and Wisconsin, with
every probability of an early legisla-
tive agreement in each state upon the
terms of the act best fitted to eliminate
from our politics the corrupt use of
money both before and at elections, and
also to diminish the jobbery in party
spoils which amounts to almost as
grave a nuisance. This latter feature
is also present in the Chicago bill, which
compels elected candidates to make
oath that they have not promised the
patronage of their offices in exchange
for political support.
Nothing is clearer to the careful stu
dent of events than that public senti-
ment is arming for battle to the dea tn
with the twin evils of bribery at cleo
tions and the prostitution of the public
service, after election, in the payment
Of party or personal debts. The first
evil is already generally reprobated. A
Chicago orator, Mr. +. b. Peabody, has
we'll said of the second one: "A more
vicious and demoralizing system can
not be conceived. To remove a compe-
tent and useful officer for the purpose
of replacing him By personal or party
follower Is breach of public trust 1t
has been well said, in effect, that such
a removal is as great a crime as to
use the public money for private gain,
and President Madison Is quoted as de-
claring with righteous indignation that
such action justified the impeachment
of the offender These indiscriminate
removals have become 50 common a
practice that the enormous wickedness
Of it is too generally overlooked. or
else justified on the plea of party neces-
sity. The party that shall hereafter
continue to justify or condone this ne
farious practice has not long to live.
Merit and purity may cause the "un-
washed" to smile; but they are bound
to be increasingly demanded in our
politics as the public conscience qulckens
and awakens.