The Van Buren press., 1904-12-31
RecOmrended Reform.

In his ness sage President R0ose.
welt admirably declares: There
is no enemy of free government
more dangerous and none so in
sidious as the corruption OF the
electorate. No one defends or ex.
cuses corruption, and it would
seem to follow that none would
oppose vigorous measures to
eradicate it. recommend the en-
actment of "A law directed against
bribery and corruption in Federal
elections. The details OF such a
law may be safely left in the wise
discretion of the congress, but 1t
should 60 as far as under the
constitution it is possible to go,
and should include severe penal
ties against him who gives or re-
ceives q brlbe intended to influence
his act or opinion as an elector
and provisions for the publication
not only Of the expenditures for
nominations and elections Of all
candidates, but also of all c0ntrl'
buttons received and all expend.
itures made by political com
mittees."
What Mr.. Roosevelt himself has
done to encourage the very form
of corruption which he here con.
demns rises up and thunders over
what he says, There can be no
doubt of the sincerity or the Wis
dom Of the recommendations, and
they may he taken for their in.
trinsic worth, but it is impossible
to forget the case of John Edward
| O'Sullivan Addicks Of Delaware,
by all odds the most evil influence
Of our day in politics. Left to his
own resources Addicks would
have long since died out ofpower,
but he has survived and prolonged
his malign control solely through
| the aid and encouragement Of
Roosevelt. At all times Addicks
has found the executive ear and
secured what he wanted IN the
way Of appointments. Addicks'
has been Roosevelt's vice regent
of the Delaware machine, occupy.
ing the same relation to the ma
tional machine as the senatorial
bosses elsewhere. Delaware has
not had n senator, but the presi.
dent has had his Addicks.
Now that politics is no longer
the prime consideration or Ad.
dicks u political necessity with
Roosevelt, the latter's encourage.
ment may be withhold u consum.
nation TO be wished, For the
public good it is to be hoped that
gratitude to the Delaware man
win not influence the presidents
actions, but that he will now for
the first time pursue his loudly on
plotted proposition that "there
must be no compromise with the
corrupt boss in politics. His
message has the right ring,
Vigorous Legislative measures
against CorrupIors OF the ballot
are u demand of the day. A strong
Federal law against bribery, equal
to the task of punlsbing the man
who buys or attempts to buy or
sells or attempts TO sell his vote,
would have a corrective tendency.
just how tar such u law could go
under the constitution IL, as the
president indicates, u question.
The law would be intolerable as
an instrument of Imperialism or
M u force bill giving Federal
courts jurisdiction aud control
over state elections, but II 1t were
possible 20 Gonhne the law TO the
mere punishment Of the specific
0fcnse and lts operation slrlotly
10 the trial OF u criminal case II
would undoubtedly prove salulary
IN instances where the enforce
ment Of state laws was lax.
The constitutional question
would seem to arise also IN the
cnse of u Federal law compelling
state committees 10 publish all
contributions received. Much
good womb De done, however, by
compelling The national committees
TO make such publications. That u
republican congress- will pay serI'
0us heed 10 k0osevclps recon-
uieudalious along lhIs lne Ia
scarcely 10 bc thought OF the
friends Of protection will not be
likply to give the ,nap away" or
kin the goose that luys the golden
EGG,