Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-17
Mr.. COCKRAN'S BILL
HE ADVOCATES TT BEFORE THE
HOUSE COMMITTEE.

Representative Bourke Cochran of New
York appeared before the House commit
tee on the election of the President and
Vice President today and spoke I'm support
or his bill providing for publicity in con-
tributions to campaign funds in presiden-
tial and congressional elections.
Some say that widespread campaign
corruption began In 1892; some say 1t was
greater in 1896. and others say 1t reached
the climax during the last election" said
Mr.. Cochran. But 1t makes not so much
difference when 1t began, as 1 am chiefly
concerned with the fact that the use of
enormous sums of money in presidential
elections is an admitted and well-known
fact"
Mr.. Cochran said that his bill. which pro-
vides that all contributors to campaign
funds must make statement of the
amount of their offerings and file the same
in the federal court of their respective
jurisdictions was entirely non-partisan,
1.-The democratic party and the republican
party have been equally culpable. The re-
publican party has spent great deal more
money than the democratic party in the
past several elections, but I am frank to
say that it was largely due to the fact
that they could get more to spend.'
Mr.. Cochran insisted that the present
state of affairs in regard to the of
money in elections approached a scandal.
He urged that 1t was the duty of Congress
to do something that would reduce the inn
portance of Doodle and increase the inn
portance and the influence of wholesome
discussion. At present, he said, the finan-
cial interests of the country have a practi-
cal power of veto. He said that while the
financial interests could not name the can
didate still they could prevent his indorse-
ment by a national convention by with
holding promises of financial aid and sup
port.
In the course of his remarks on the bill
Mr.. Cochran unfolded very utopian
scheme for the conduct of campaigns He
urged that the campaigns Of the republican
and democratic parties or whatever great
parties there should be in the future should
be conducted under government super
vision. That Is to say, he proposed that the
campaign headquarters should be provided
by the government with offices in WASH
ington, that the chairmen of the campaign
committees should be allowed the franking
, privilege for the distribution of their docu-
ments and literature. that the government
printing office should do the printing of
such campaign documents free of cost and
that the campaign committee be permitted
to enter into some sort of an arrangement
with the railroads providing for the trans
portation of political speakers free OF
charge 1t was Mr.. Cockrans belief that
no great campaign could be conducted in
the proper manner for less than a million
million and half of dollars He did
not draw the line against private contri-
buttons or contributions from corpora tions,
but only desired that such gifts were
made should be brought to the knowledge
of the public and the public be allowed to
judge for itself as to the reasons and in
fuence behind the offerings. Mr.. Cochran
said he did not care whether Rockefeller
gave a million dollars Morgan two mil
lions but he thought the public had right
to know of the facts and to do its own
judging
A whisper in politics, Mr.. Cochran said.
usually meant that something was being
hidden. When the politician had anything
to say that he was not ashamed of he usu-
ally proclaimed it from the housetops.
When he whispered it was safe to say that
he was trying to hide something
Mr.. Cochran summed up the four great
divisions of campaign expenses under the
heads of headquarters, the printing of
documents, the circulation of documents
and the travelling expenses of the campaign
speakers. With the government renting
the offices for the headquarters. the docu-
ments printed in the government printing
office free of charge, the literature cireulat-
ed under franks. and the speakers travelling
on passes, other expenses would hardly be
worth bothering about. He thought. more
over that instead of there being COM
petition in extravaganza between the rival
campaign managers there would be an ac-
tual competition in economy. Every ex-
penditure, no matter how small. would be
known to the public, every move made by
the campaign managers would be known as
well, and wholesome discussion and not
unwholesome Doodle would be the deter
mining factor in the election result.
In concluding, Mr.. Cochran said that IN
his opinion contributions of funds by cor
porations for campaign purposes amounted
to nothing more or less than the larceny of
funds 1t made no difference. he said, that
the board of directors of the concern might
approve such contribution. 1t would not
become legitimate until every shareholder
in the concern had given his approval or
Endorsement to the proposition.