New-York tribune., 1905-06-26
CORRUPT PRACTICE ACT.
IT MAY BECOME Il Law
WouId .4uaI Little Unless Public
Sentiment Backed 1t.

crept into State politics especially in caucus ana
primary politics, is now before the state lesfs-
lature for action This subject has been before
the legislature for period of years, but has not
been attended to until certain specially notice
able departures from clean politics year OF
two ago. brough the matter up again Original
~ at this session. one or two New-Eaven men,
who belong to that class OF citizens OF Wnom the
professional politician and CRATER afraid.
and toward whom the stay-at-home cirlzen looks
I'D to more or less for championship. brought
to the legislature bill designed to cover TINS
ground. 1t was. perhaps. too drastic certainly
# did not meet the ideas of the judiciary Com
rnittee. Since then that committee has peeh
considering the matter, and is now out with d
document that, whatever its faults. is long
step In advance.
This new bill covers the ground pretty thor
oughly. though its practical working OUT Is o.
course. yet to be determined. 4 great ana III
bereut difficulty with all such laws is that no
matter how good they may be, or how high theS
aim. they will hardly amount to n4uch uiiess
there is a strong public sentiment behind Ihei1'
In such a bill this. aiming az 1t goes 70
minimize the possibilities Of debauchefy ia p0AA
+ios the chances that IL will ever amount to any
thing depend almost entirely on tne WY "
which the public takes it. law limiting the
expenses
pose of cleaning the slate, cannot Do enecii'eS
on.re+i1,s ~ there is not unanimous support 1or
a. ,,oo,e +ha great mass Of voters who ordinarily
-naLa aebauchery of this kind possible LAWS
ara Of course necessary to control ana oirec'
+bis sort of public morals. But what IL "Ahlsu
even more than laws is public sentiment Aau
that cannot be produced by any stasu1e L. -
tn be produced only by the reforrners keepihs
"everlastingly at IT.
RADICALLY CHANGES METHODS
The bill itself drafted by the Judiciary CoHi-
rnIttee in a large way revoiuuonizes Cofileo.'ous
no1,tica1 methods Hereafter the important deh-
n,tion is to be made regarding political com
,..4+oasn that such a term is to cover any COM
bination of three more persons Ine ap-
,,ogntn7ent OF political agents part OF the ne"
hin ran,,ires that within three days OF such ap-
noin+rnent notice is to be fled with the SecFetary
of State except in matters that relate oniy 10
CITY. town. ward or school districts Inc mann
mart Of the new measure Of course epphes 70
the uss Of money in elections. In a general
wav this matter is 20 be covered as folio"s'
The various candidates for public Offices are
to be classed and each class allowed q certaii'
minimum sum to be expended. NO canoloaee
may then expend more money than Is aiio"eo
the class into which he falls. The only excep-
ton TO JH1S Will Dc III lilO iA4o1ISA - S =
penses. such as office costs IN conducting cam
acknowledgements, postage. travelling, etc. The
limit of expenditure for political elections Is TO
be set as follows
A first class is established to consist Of can
didates for United States Senator. Representa-
tfves in Congress and for Governor, who ara not
to be allowed to spend more than so.Uoo TO
secure an election. Electors Of the President
and Vice-President of the United States and
candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer,
Secretary and Controller may not spend more
than 81 O00 which class is also to include county
officers. The third class is to consist Of candi-
dates for State Senator, mayors Of cities and
probate Judges, who may not spend mora than
$500 The fourth class is TO consist Of candi-
dates for representative IN the General Assem-
bIy and all town, city and borough officers. who
may not spend moro than 500. The fifth and
last class includes all other candidates not men
toned in the previous four classes. all OF whom
are limited to S25 to secure an election.
POLITICAL. AGENTS PROVIDED FOR.
Each candidate for any and ell public offices
shall appoint political agent, whose business
1t is to be to accept contributions from the can
didate and disburse them. The candidate him
self is not to be allowed 70 make contribution
to any one else than his own agent. Nor shall
any Questionable purpose. It is here that an at
tempt is to be made by the new law to put a
stop to the apparently innocent but really dan
gerous practice of distributing money In an cleo
ton broadcast The only way in which these
agents may spend their chiefs money is to uss
it for traditional but legal purposes. such as,
for instance, the hiring OF halls and music
for conventions public meetings and public pri-
maries and for advertising such meetings; for
the printing of political pamphlets and books
and distributing the same; rent Office rooms or
hotel rooms to be used by political committees;
for clerks and other people employed in COM
Inittee rooms or at the polls; for the travelling
expenses of agents and stump speakers and for
necessary charges Of carrying on such an Office
campaign.
MAKING EXPENSES PUBLIC.
One Of the chief troubles before this IN making
any such law as this operative, or at least in
making it worth anything at all. has been IN the
publication end OF the expense column So
many loopholes have been found. both by the
honest and dishonest. through which to escape
the publication Of political expenses that up
to now the law has not been worth the paper
II is printed on. No one has believed. in certain
instances, that the amount of money named az
the sum spent has covered the actual expenses.
There is the same difficulty with the new law
Perhaps it is an inherent difficulty. The new
law has this section that within fifteen days af-
ter an election the political agent or treasurer
of a candidate must file sworn statement with
either the Secretary OF State at Hartford or
the town clerk locally, which statement must
include the amount OF cash or property in each
case received or promised. the name OF the per-
son giving it promising IL. the amount OF
every expenditure or liza bity. the name OF the
person to whom the expenditure promise has
hean rnada and the nuIpose for which Il was