The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-12-05
FederaI Injections.

!
In my last annual message / said
.EThe power Of the government to
protect the integrity Of the elections Of
its own officials Is Inherent and has
been recognized and affirmed by re-
peated declarations Of the supreme
court There is no enemy Of free gov
eminent more dangerous and none so
insidious as the corruption Of the elect
crate. No one defends or excuses cor
ruption, and it would seem to follow
that none would oppose vigorous meas
ures to eradicate it. / recommend the
enactment Of law directed against
bribery and corruption in federal cleo
lions. The details Of such a law may
be safely left to the wise discretion Of
the congress, but it should go as far as
under the constitution 1t is possible to
go and should include severe penalties
against him who gives or receives a
bride intended to influence his act or
opinion as an elector and provisions for
the publication not only of the expend-
lures for nominations and elections of
all candidates. but also of all contribu-
tions received and expenditures made
by political committees
] desire to repeat this recommended
ton
All contributions by corporations to
any political committee or for any POI
litical purpose should be forbidden by
law, directors should not be permitted
to use stockholders money for such
purposes, and, moreover, a prohibition
of this kind would be, as far as 1t
went, an effective method of stopping
the evils aimed at in corrupt practices
acts.
The Hague Conference.
The first conference Of nations held
at The Hague in 1899. being unable to
dispose of all the business before it,
recommended the consideration and
settlement of a number of important
questions by another conference to be
called subsequently and at an early
date. These questions were the follow
ing % The rights and duties of neu-
trails; @ the limitation Of the armed
forces ON land and sea and of military
budgets; (3) the use of new types and
calibers of military and naval guns; a.
the inviolabiIity Of private property at
sea in times of war; 90 the lombard
ment Of ports, cities and villages by ma
val forces In October, 1904, at the in
stance of the. interparliamentary union,
/ issued invitations to all the powers
signatory to The Hague convention to
send delegates to such conference
and suggested that 1t be again held at
The Hague.
From all the powers acceptance was
received, coupled in some cases with
the condition that we should wait until
the end of the war then waging be-
tween Russia and Japan. The emperor
Of Russia, Immediately after the treaty
of peace which so happily terminated
this war in a note presented to the
president on Sept. 10 took the initiative
in recommending that the conference
be now called The United States gov
eminent in response expressed its cor
dial acquiescence and stated that it
would as matter of course take part
in the new conference and endeavor to
further its aims. We assume that all
civilized governments will support the
movement and that the conference is
now an assured fact. This government
will do everything in its power to Sc
cure the success OF the conference to
the end that substantial progress may
be made in the cause Of international
neaee irlstice and good win
Monroe Doctrine.
There are certain essential points
which must never be forgotten as re-