Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-21
MONEY FOR POLITICS
President Expected to Recon-
mend Legislation.
MR.. CHANDELIERS BILL
UNANIMOUSLY REPORTED, BUT
DIED WITH THE SESSION.
Many Speeches Looked for on the Sub
ject During the Next Congress
on Both Sides.
MR.. CHANDELIERS BILL


of Congress the President will recommend
legislation relating to the making of politi-
cal contributions, 1t is quite generally be-
lieved that he will refer to that matter in
his next annual message, and there are
many senators and representatives who IA
vor prompt action in the enactment of such
legislation.
On February Q, 1901 Senator Chandler in
troduced bill in the Senate to prohibit
corporations from making money contribp-
tions in connection with political elections.
The bill provided that 1t should be unlaw-
full for any national bank or any corpora
ton engaged In interstate or foreign COM
merce. or any corporation organized by au-
thority of any laws of Congress, to make a
money contribution in connection with any
election to any political office The bill pro-
Vided that 1t should be unlawful for any
corporation whatever to make contribution
In connection with any election at which a
representative or senator Is to be voted for
The. bill provided that any corporation
found making such contribution should be
fined 5000 and any officer, stockholder.
director or employe of corporation who
should consent to the making of such a
contribution should be fined 81 900
Reported Unanimously.
This bill was sent to the committee on
privileges and elections, and five days
after its Introduction 1t was reported unan-
imously by Mr. Chandler. AS introduced
the penal clause was against any officer or
employe consenting to the making Of such
contribution by corporation, the fine
being $1,000. AS reported the fine was
made also to apply to the corporation in
the sum of 5000 and stockholders and
directors were included among those who
might be fined 81, 600 for consenting to the
making of the contribution
Being introduced such short time before
the close Of the Congress in which it made
Its appearance it was not then Thought
possible to pass the bill through both
houses. As a fact it died about one month
after it's Introduction, when the Congress
adjourned OH March 4, 1901. The bill ex-
cited no opposition. so far as the record is
concerned. The committee that reported it
consisted of Senators Chandler. Hoar Bur-
rows, Pritchard, McComas, Ca1fery, Pettus,
Turley and Harris of Kansas. OF those
senators only Burrows and Pettus will be In
Throughout Congress 1t was no secret
that the bill to prohibit the making of con-
tributions by corporations was not regarded
as a measure likely to pass even If it had
been introduced early in the session. 1t
was looked upon as rather a measure for
discussion and for the future. The fact is,
except in those campaigns in which the
gold standard was declared to be placed at
jeopardy. both political parties looked to
corporations for funds with almost equal
chance of getting them.
1t was no secret that many corpora tions
regularly contributed to both political par
ties. Mr.. Havemyer of the sugar trust
declared in plain language that he had con-
tributed to democrats and republicans
alike.
Discussion in Next Congress.
The discussion in the next session of Con-
gress IS likely to tend largely toward the
Presidents plan for the publication of all
campaign contributions and to endeavor to
hedge national elections about in such a
way that money may not be spent for cor
rupt purposes Every one recognizes that
in order to have the great political issues
properly contested there is certain need
of money. The publication and distrtbu-
ton of speeches and all classes of litera-
ture is quite generally regarded as not to
be condemned, but as of advantage in hav-
ing the issues of the day properly under
stood by the voters. There are many other
expenses attending elections that are re-
garded as entirely justificable and essen
tial to having the political issues laid be-
fore the people in proper way.
Leaders in Congress are a unit in de-
claring that it is only when money is ex-
pended to corrupt voters that the expendi-
ture can be criticised. But 1t is generally
believed that this subject will give ris6 to
an immense amount of debate In the next
Congress. There are a score OF senators
and a large number of representatives who
will wish to go on record saying things
about the corporations and the practice OF
corporations making contributions to po-
litical campaigns.
1t Is understood that Senator Carmack
will have some very pointed remarks to
make on this subject and Mr.. German will,
II is believed, tell what he thinks of corpo-
ration contributions. On the republican
side there will also be many speeches.