The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-12-05

UsE O 20 n PoLITICs.

USE OF MONEY N POLITICS.
The growing use o. m-ueT il politics
is az evil which demands immediate
and serious consideration No one ac-
quainted with the facts can believe
that the large campaign funds expend-
ed everywhere by the republicans and
In sCme sections by the democratic
reOrganizers are either necessary or
legitimate In one VOtiEG precinct of
Nebraska the republicans boosted that
they spent more than one hundred dol
lars As there are only a few more
than one hundred voters in the pre-
einct referred TO. 1t would mean a cam
paign fund Of about $500 600 for Ne
braska alone If the same effort was
made in ali the precincts A Connect
cut paper, speaking Of the democratic
campaign, says that the twenty-fOUr
state committeeman should be required
to raise one thousand dollars each ii
any committeeman cannot produce this
sum-" says the paper. let him step
down and make room for another VINO
can do it." and it adds: with the
sum Of So, 600 assured beyond question
there should be no difficulty in secUr-
ing enough more TO enable all the legit-
innate expenses Of the campaign TO be
met without a heavy assessment on the
candidates" Twenty-fOur thousand is
only a beginning in Connecticut
There are certain proper and legiti-
mate expenses which cannot be avoid
ed, but it is a notorious fact that large
sums are used for purposes which can
not be defended. Men are hired to
work" when it is known that the
money is intended for their votes;
some are hired to stay at home. while
still others are bought outright
As a rule, the large campaign funds
are collected from corporations that
have favOrs to ask at the hands OF the
government and the money is sub
scribed in return for assurances that
make it impossible for the party re
ceiving the same to do its duty TO the
people. In the sugar trust inTeStiga-
ton a few years ago Mr.. HaVemyer
testified that the trust gave TO the
democratic party in New York and 70
the republican party in Massachusetts,
When asked about New Jersey. he said
that that state was doubtful and that
he would have to look at the books
before he could say to which side the
trust contributed
The use Of large funds gives great
advantage to the party which the cor
pOrations support For instance, in
year to furnish transportation to any
college boy or other person away from
home who would return home and vote
the republican ticket In a close legis-
Iative or congressional contest the
voters thus returned at the commit
tees expense might turn the scale. not
to speak Of the effect of this offer on
the mind Of a person away from home
and anxious to visit his family.
In the heat Of a campaign q strong
partisan might rejoice in the fact that
his party had the largest campaign
fund. but no lover Of his country can,
on reflection. doubt the cOrTupting in
huenCe Of immense campaign funds
drawn from insOlent and arrogant mo-
nOpOlies-
In 1892 the Cleveland committee had
a very large fund; in 1896 the Tepub-
lican committee had a still larger fund
In 1900 the republican national com
mittee was so we'll supplied with funds
that one trust magnate was surprised
to receive after the election a cOnsid-
cradle sum as a rebate on his cOntribu-
ton.
In stead of trying to initiate the re-
publicans in the matter of expenditure /
the democrats should appeal to the
of fair-minded and we'll
republicans and win them
over to clean and honest political
Methods