The Washington times., 1905-10-03
LARGE CAMPAIGN
FUNDS LEAD ONLY
TO CORRUP T|ON
Fight Could Be Waged
for One twentieth
Sum Used.
SAYS STRONG DEMOCRAT
Compares Amounts Used by
the Two Parties in
Past Struggles.
SAYS STRONG DEMOCRAT

Vast sums OF money are not needed
in the conduct of a national political
campaign Campaigns can be managed
and every proper and legitimate expense
betrayed for amounts not one-twentie;h
part as great as those expended in re-
cent years by one of the two great par
ties. Any excess over this reasonable
amount can be used only for purposes of
bribery and corruption"
A man prominently identified with the
management OF the Democratic national
campaigns in 1906 and 1900 epitomized
thus his views on one of the engrossing
public questions of the moment His
name. II IL could be used would give his
views the largest national interest. bat
he would not consent to be quoted
Il have rather lost faith in the de-
sire of the people to be awakened from
their political slumbers." he said. They
seem indifferent to the perpetration or
the great wrong that Is Being done their
American manhood
The Democratic campaign fund of
1896 amounted TO between $500. 900 and
$400 eco. Our opponents certainly had
twenty times as much money and possi-
bly, fifty times much. With the funds
at our disposal We paid all the expenses
of the campaign. sent Mr.. Bryan on his
tour of the country. provided for speak
ers In all places OF controversy or conse-
quence, paid telegraph tolls and printing
bills. and emerged without a dollar OF
Defeated by Money.
That year there We're cast for the
Democratic candidate for President
e.532.9 .925 votes-more than have ever been
cast for any Democratic candidate and
more than had ever. been cast for the
candidate OF any party before that eiec-
tion- In my opinion there were enough
votes cast for him TO have elected Mr..
Bryan President. and the use OF over
wfellning sums of money was all that
prevented that. consummation.
hat WAS campaign OF principle
To the campaign fund there were only
Tour very considerable contributor
William r: Hearst. Marcus A DAILY.
James NJ. Guhey. and William A Clark
he rest OF the fund was made up OF
small indeed.
we received one that 1 shall never
forget. IL came from a -laboring man in
Kansas City He wrote he had walked
down 10 his work for six DAYS, instead
OF using the street cars. and inclosed the
ssner contributions of like character.
Many Services Gratis.
No one of the many speakers of the
campaign was paid for his services. His
expenses were betrayed. and that was
ALL 1t was the same thing with the
yVcils iileh- "iio oAu lhe cierlcai Work In
the Chicago Headquarters. They were
all ardent Democrats and they worked.
with few and small exceptions, for the
love OF the cause.
"A course practically Identical was fol-
lowed in the campaign of 1900 In that
campaign. too. there were few large con-
tributors 10 the campaign fund. and the
speakers and those in charge OF ex,cu-
tive work labored because OF their belief
In the party's ideals.
THE point is that great campaign
funds are not necessary and cannot be
applied in their entirety to proper
and legitimate purposes Our small fund
met every needed expense. filled tie
country with literature and covered it
with campaign orators; We poiled SIX
and a half millions of votes. II is not
hard for those whose memories go back
nine years TO recall the saturnalia of cor
ruption which resulted from the expendi-
lure of the Republicans unlimited mil
49,