Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1897-02-21
THE PURITY OF ELECTION LAW

At 0 meeting OF the Nevada Press
Association held at Carson City yes
terday il was unanimously resolved to
repeal the Purity OF Elections law,
50 called. Ii was urged in favor of
this action that the act encouraged. il
il did not i. cessitate. misstatements
on the part OF candidates for public
Office. as in many counties the limits
Of expenditures allowed by the act
did not enable candidates to pay their
legitimate expenses in visiting the
various mining camps and agricul-
tural villages where they desired 20
discuss general or local issues with
the people Besides this the question
which most concerned the Press As
sociaticn was that newspapers were
not paid for legitimate and neces.
sary advertising for their respective
parties Take. for instance, the cam
paiga of 1886, in which the papers adj
voca.lng the election of the Silver
Democratic ticket received only eight
dollars each for advertising for which
the legitimate charge to State, county
or individual would be from one
hundred to three hundred dollar :.
The Central Committee aud the an
didates, while admitting the justice
OF the newspaper bills were powcrless
to pay them, as the Committee recciy-
ed no money except from candidates
and the candidates could not pay only
a very limited sum without p%eriuring
themselves.
IT 10 also argued in support Of the
the Australian or secret ballot and
the acts prohibiting the corrupt use
OF money in elections are ample fer
the protection Of the candidate and
the voter. and that the Purity Of
Elections law, which is open te var
ious constructions and liable to get
Central Committees and candidates
having no intention or disposition to
eXpend a dollar III corrupting voters,
into very serious trouble. Scarcely
two lawyers in the State construed
the provisions OF the act alike. What
effect the course Of the Press .AssOci-
alton will have on the Legislature
remains To be seen, but the members
from White Pine and other eastern
counties are pledged 10 advocate and
vote for the repeal of the law.-Rcno
journal.
In calling for the repeal o. this law
the Press Association has taken a
step that we believe will meet with a
hearty response from everybody
familiar with its workings. The law
Ia SO drawn that il infriugcs upon the
personal liberties OF citizens who be-
come candidates for Office and inter-
feres with tho proper conduct of Il
political canvass. In taking this
step the Association is not placing
itself On record against the purity OF
elections in Nevada. but against the
law now on the statute books which
falls far short OF accomplishing that
object while it encourages and slim
ulates the commission OF perjury.
Another reason why tho Associa-
ton believes this law should be re-
pealed is: That il interferes with the
business Of newspapers and takes
away from them The legitimate adj
vcrtisIng Of a political campaign.
THIS was tho experience Of the papers
in the last campaign and will he their
experience III the future il the law is
permitted to remain on the statute
books. For this reason. il none other.
the press oi tho State should bc u
unit in demanding ita repeal.