The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-11-23
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER %, 1905
MARYLAND CAMPAIGN FUNDS.


Efforts that have heretofore been
made to induce Maryland legislatures
to pass corrupt practices acts have all
met with failure. Possibly most of
these laws, as drafted, have been too
drastic in their provisions, and some
who have voted against them from
the conviction that satisfactory and
effective enforcement of them would
be impossible. That law is needed
to regulate the expenditure of money
in MARYLAND campaigns and to limit
the amount to be so used goes with
out saying. Each political contest
makes the demand for such law
more imperative. and the legislature,
at its coming session, should not fail
to add corrupt practice act to the
Maryland statutes. The advocates
of such q measure must, however,
have care that they present the
measure in such shape that it will re-
ceiye the support of all who recog-
uize the need of eliminating from the
management of our elections all I'M
toward influences or methods that
prevent or seek to prevent the indi-
yidual from giving expression to his
own opinion by his vote.
As a rule, campaign funds in Mary
land are not large, and at the end of
a contest campaign committee
counts itself fortunate if it has on
hand money enough to pay the legt-
innate bills. Very rarely does can
didate for Office contribute a large
sum, and it is very probable that
there is no state in the Union in
which campaigns are so cheaply con-
Quoted as they are in Maryland.
Both the Republican and the Demo
cratic managers in the recent state
canvass had many complaints to
make of the shortage of funds for
legitimate expenses. Were the exact
total of the outlay known it would
probably cause surprise on account
of small figures. Still, the fact can
not and must not be overlooked that
in some sections of MARYLAND money
is expended in an illegitimate way in
every election. This is especially
trne in some of the Eastern Shore
counties. and the campaigns that
have been made against the open
buying and selling of votes have not
yet been attended with any remark
able degree of success. The laws
against this practice are plain and
specific, but they seem to be entirely
ignored and the violators go unpun-
ished. Now and then Judge calls
attention to attractions of the law,
but the grand juries, though they
may make a perfunctorv investiga-
ton, and a still more perfunctory re-
port, 60 no further, and thus the
men who make it a practice to buy
votes feel no hesitancy about repeat
ing the performance at each recurring
election. corrupt practices act
that would compel candidates in that
section. as well as in all other parts
of the state, to make a sworn public
statement of their campaign expen-
ses, might have the effect of check
ing, if not wholly eradicating. this
evil. It would, at least, reduce the
amount OF money available for such
purposes
The Corrupt Practices Act, in force
in New York, has not worked in
satisfactory manner, and a movement
has been started to make it far more
strict, so that it shall cover not oulv
the individual expenses of each can
didate but all the funds handled bv
campaign committees, no matter from
what source they may come. The
committee in charge of the proposed
REVISION OF the New York law also
favors provision preventing corpo-
rations from becoming contributors,
and no doubt, the corporations would
welcome such q charge. The prob
lem is one that should be solved in a
sensible, practical manner, and if
Maryland is to have a Corrupt Prac.
tees Act let it be one that can be
and will be rigidlv enforced in every
section of the state.