The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-03-03

ther prOyides t.rf every individual who
"OtheTwise than under the authority ana
IN behalf Of political committee. re-
ccives or disburses money for any or the
sbove-named purpose. sheil be subject 70
the requirements OF the act. the same as
political committee or its treasurer.'
Every such committee r. required 20 have
n treasurer Who must. within thirty da,
after an election, IL the total receipts or
expenditures OF the committee exceed
twenty dollars. file sworn statement
"ssffing forfh oH me reeeiDis expenditures
SisbBrscmcHfs and hqJiffies ~ me commit
tee and of ereTu o1ic,r or other DcFsOn dcfin.
under ns crfhorifp aHd IN ifs behalf The
vouchers must state the particulars OF eH-
pense In reEpect 20 every payment over
fve dollars. Expenditure for certain OBJ
Jccis. specified In the Act. such as station
cry. postage. kilograms and other similar
expenses personally incurred by a candi-
date need not be- included In bis statcment.
The effect Of this law g. 90 secure almost
complete publicity and pubilc rccOrd IN re-
specf 10 efpcHdifur,z for the nomination and
eiecfiDn NJ cdHdiddfcs Political committees
are forbidden 20 solicit contribution from
candidates. who however. may make
voluntary payment Of money for
the promotion Of the principles Of the par
IS which the committee represents. ana
for tho general purposes Of thc commit
tee" This provision ig directed against
the practice Of political assessments.
violation al tho provisions OF The law
f. punishable by iine not cX""cding 100
and In certain casCs with the alternative
Of imprisonment for not more than one
year Any peraOn upon tho petition Of
any candidate voted for. or ~ any I'VE
qualified voters. may be compelled 10 liie
correct and proper statement by the
courts
I'm the year following the raesace 81 the
ssachus~tts law. tho Legislatures of
ffaIt 4 D.. nj
souri 0aws 1880. p. lJO passed corrupt
practices laws which wort step in ad-
vance Of tho HnFsachueette statute. In
California. tho expenditure hy or FOR
candidate Were limited and by the Mis-
souri, l1W q maximum was placed upon
tn. total expenditure of chudidat" IL
recty or through committees. Tho call
fornia law Was prepared with special care
and Is more detailed IN It's provisions thar
mat Of perhaps any other state. IN bott
Missouri and California. aud In Kansas
reports of both cand,datcF and committee
are required.
The Kansas statute GnwF 1897. Chap
~. repealed 1909 was very similar - tha'
u Missouri, with the exception that Their
Vas no restriction upon ti" ma ozimuu
amount Of expenditure permitted The *
tension OF this class 81 legislation frOr
1899 10 iSa5 was very rapid. In tho latte
year, six states. In addition 10 tho SoVcI
already mentioned. adopted legislation re-
quirinE publicity In respect 10 camrair
expenses. The Arizona luN G.HWS 1881
Chap 2W md that Of north C1roliu
G.aws 1856. Chap. l5O were not so go
vancod In their provisions as the Mlssouf
law resembling rather the rumpITatiycl
Ineffective Now York law Ihc Arizor
statute, however contains prJvigo
similar 10 that Of Colorado requiring IN
party committees as well as cJndidat.
shall report campaign receipts and -
pcnseg.
\ law passed In Kentucky CHAP 20
retained the general features of thc Nh
sachusctts law but omitted much oi q
dctail 60 be found iu the l1'tcr act
Nevada Gaws 1896 chap. lnN copir
the California law Wit. .ishi changes
res pcct 10 tho maximum of expenditure
permitted which was somewh1t lowe
This statute. however has been siacc rC
pealcd laws 1870 Chap. lu').
Tho Michigan statute, which has bee
referred To as Cump1wtirol! deficient an
incncc I've was repealed in 1901 Uhgp GD
The Montana low p1er0d iu l'| tPcna
code iSqj. Sec. So ~ follows Tho M1ssa
chusetts law. but imposes limitations upo
the personal cXp,us's and upon tlH con
tributions Of candidates.
Tho Minnesota law of that y"ar U.aw
1895. chap. ZO. which I'm substtUce iol
lows tho Missouri statute, was iu one re
spcct tn" most compile lu.t hld been
adopted at TINT time Thc'~TDoviug very
detailed definition Of legitimate expense,
following the practice of tho English ac
was made:
"i For the personal travelling expense,
OF tn" candidate
"2. For the rent Of hall or rooms for tht
delivery Of speeches relative 10 principles
or candidates IN any pending election. rnd
for the rontng of chairs and other FUR
nlture properly necessary To III such hall
Il.
80 For tho payment OF public speaker
and musicians ~ public meetings an
their necessary travelling expenses
IS Printing nud distribution or list, G.
candidates or sample tickets. speeches %.
addresses. nv pamphlets. newspapers ol
circulars relative TO candidates or poltt
ical issues. cards, handbls, posters or
announcements.
IS For ch1lengcrs at the polls at cleo
tious
"e For copying and classification or
pollaE lists,
"7 For making cnnvasscs ot voters
'N For postage. telegraph, telephone o.
oth,r publiC messenger service.
go For clerk hire at the headquarters
pr Office OF such committee.
80. For conveying innrm or disabled
voters 20 and from the polls"
In 1896 Utah and Ohio were added g.
the rapidly growing list OF States that had
adopt,d more or lcSs satisfactory corrup'
prarticcs acts. Tho Utah act G.nWs 1896
Chan 50 merely required that candidate,
and committees report their election cX
pcndturcs.
Tho Ohio law daws of 1896 p ~, VIZ.
known rs the Garfield Corrupt Practice.
Act II provided that the candidates cN
pcnditurcS should I've limited to $40 fu
Ave thousand voters or loss. but. sNC''
not exceed $3.50 IN any cHsc. ~ p-'Nl
ftons were also applicable tu cnndidaD.-
before conventions or primaries ms W.
a before elections. Political committee
were defined. ma were rcqUircd tu have a
tron suror. who. as we'll rs every u"rsr'
receiving or dishurslug money ngr~n-1.
ing more than So. was required 60 k.c.
detailed accounts, a statement Cf Whic'
Including r"cciuts and ext. .UdlturyS mus
bo filod with the county clerk The onir,
OF SucCsssful candidate found guilty. q.
violation 81 tho act could hc declared va.
cant NJ any time during the incumhonc.
Of the offending person, The chirf d"fccl
in this law WAS that IL contained no d,uui-
tion OF legitimate or illeGitimate expenses.
10 was especially elaborate. containine
several novel features. and Its repeal ir
i9o? claws OF Ohio, y. IN may be regarded
a. the most important OF the few rcverscs
which the movement for the general adop.
tion ot corrupt practices acts has vet suf-
fcrcd. The only state 90 pass such a law
I'm $50, was Wisconsin U.aws OF 1897. Chap
15N). This act defined offences against IN,
suffrage, required reports of expenditure
by candidates and committees. and re-
strtctcd the purposes OF such eNpondi.
lures.
\ very important innovation. which wa
adopted ju each ~ the states 81 Tcuncs.
see. Florida and Nebraska In 1897. indie
pcnd"nty ot other provisions r"lattng 20