The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-06

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/ The matter OF election funds Is
touched on briefly bit energeticaIly.
First Mr.. Roosevelt suggests the pas
sage of a law requiring the publication
OF a list Of the contributors TO can
paign funds in federal elections. He
appreciates the fact that such cleo
tons are necessarily expensive and
that large contributions must be made;
but only legitimate expenses should be
incurred or paid. in his opinion. The
strongest feature of hisAcampaign fund
comment is this:
"An contributions by corporations 10
any political committee or for any po-
hucal purpose should be forbidden by
law. directors should not be permitted
% use stockholders money for such pur-
poses, and moreover, prohibition OF
THIS Kind would be, as tar as il went.
an effective method OF stopping the evils
aimed at ia corrupt practices acts. Not
only should both the national and the
several state legislatures forbid any OIL
Ticcr OF e corporation from using the
money OF the corporation in or about
any election. but they should also for
bid such use of money in connection
with any legislation save BY the en-
plOyment of counsel in public manner Tor
distinctly legal services.
Such a law, If enforced literally,
would surely have the. effect Of cut
ting Republican campaign funds down
TO a minimum. We are sure every
Democrat win gladly endorse the prop
osition.
With The Hague conference as a text
the chief executive now goes III 10 shed
some light on the blessings OF peace
and the horrors of war. It is very
nice little sermon, indeed, that he
breaches. but tho same things have
been said in much the same way by
SO many other writer's and speakers
that comment on the presidents most
recent utterance is entirely unneces-
sary. lie follows his war-peace dis
QUESTION with a talk about the Monroe
doctrine.
In this he lays down the principle
that this government will always OPP
pose. with force If necessary. the ac-
qIisition of territory on this continent
by any foreign power. This, not with
any idea of acquiring South American
territory for ourselves, but that the
other republics of this continent shall
be happy and prosperous" The execu-
tive declares that it is not the, policy
of the United States TO intervene be-
tween South American republics and
the payment of their just obligations,
however.
He thinks, though, that creditor ma
tons Of those republics should not
send warships and seize custom houses.
Rather should they submit the claims
to us and give us a chance 10 say
whether or not they are just. This in
order to save our neighbors on the
south from imposition.
Mr.. Roosevelt's navy recommended
tons show that he sides with Secre-
tary Bonaparte rather than with Ad-
miral Dewey. The admiral, it will be
remembered, is in favor of the immedi-
ate construction of several new battle
ships. The secretary thought other.
wise. and the president agrees with
him. He thinks we have enough fight
ing units in the navy, but that those
we have that are out Of late should be
gradually replaced with new and ell
cient types.
a suggestion that contains souTd
sense is that provision should be r.ada
for the massinE Of American troops on
occasion so that the officers ana mn
may have experiences auel. as they
would have in actual war Tbs presi-
dent is also in favor of cutting down
the number of army posts and % IN
creasing the capacity of those that are
left, so that they will acc lmmOdate
brigades instead of regiments as at
present AS Fort Douglas Is an ideal
place for a brigade post, We heartily
concur in this recommendation. and
trust congress will enact K into Jaw at
the earliest possible momen:
-
Breaches Of trust in the publi2 serv-
ice are touched upon in the message.
The president evidently hal the cotton
report leak in mind when he said thu;
Legislation should also oe' enacted To
cover. explicitly. unequiFocally and he
yond question breach oc trust in the
shape of prematurely ,iivulgmg official
secrets by an officer 9r empl3ye of the
United States, and to provide a suit
able penalty therefor" He says that
such secrets should be g1arded care
fully.
Certain 10 receive practically unani-
nous endorsement is P.esIdeYt Roose-
velt's view of the wisdom Of the pro-
vision in the national irrigation law
under which not more than 100 acres II
land under government irrigation
works may be taken 10 by a single
settler. firm or corporation. lie says
truly that THE creation of small iIri-
gated farms under the reclamation act
is a powerful onset TO the tendency Of
certain other laws 10 tost2r or permit
monopoly Of the land"
Hearty endorsement will also be Civ
en- to the presidents endorsement cf
forest reserves. His western expert
ence has taught him the great value Of
such reserves in the conservation Of
SNOW and the water SUNNY While Il