New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-17
FOR HONEST ELECTIONS.

The bills sent to Albany by the Association
to Prevent Corrupt Practices at Elections are
for the most part, sound and well thought OUT,
and their essential features at least should
speedily be enacted into law. For long time
the Penal Code has forbidden bribery IN gen
eral and particular practices which tended 10
the corruption Of the franchise. such as the
entertainment Of voters or the compensation OF
a person for procuring the attendance of voters
at the polls Now the plan Of particular pro-
hibition is abandoned, and the proposed meas
IRE carefully enumerates the things which may
be done in the way Of campaign expenditure
and declares everything in excess corrupt prac-
tice thus changing the burden OF proof ana
making any extraordinary expenditure pre-
suInptiveIy corrupt. Another section fofblds
any corporation not organized for political pur-
poses or its attorney, director or officer on its
behalf. to make any political contribution, and
every such corporation is required TO file
sworn statement that it has not so contrib
uted Failure TO file the statement or making
a false statement is q misdemeanor, for which
a domestic corporations charter shall be re-
voked, a foreign corporations permission to
do business in the state be withdrawn, and
for which any offending officer shall be ineligi-
bic to hold office or employment in domes-
tic corporation for five years. Candidates for
judicial office are forbidden TO contribute to
party funds, but may in the management Of
their own campaigns expend money for pur-
poses specified by the bill as legitimate. All
party organizations and corporations formed
for political purposes must make detailed re-
ports.
Another bill proposes 10 add a new article
to the Election law prescribing q procedure
to enable citizens to obtain a judicial inquiry
into the correctness and completeness of cleo
ton statements. Under It any citizen by fling
a bond of $3.50 might complain TO a Supreme
Court justice or county judge that statement
required by law had not been made or was
false or incomplete. Then the court would have
TO make inquisition, and no person could re-
fuse 10 testify the ground that he might
himself be prosecuted, but no person other than
those proceeded against would be subjected to
any penalty on account Of any transaction
concerning which testimony was taken, nor
could testimony taken be used IN any criminal
proceeding If the court found a failure to file
a statement or declared a statement TO be false
or incomplete without intent TO defeat the stat
ute, IL would order the filing of a true state
ment and payment Of costs. Failure to obey
such an order, or a finding that a statement
was wilfuIy false or incomplete, would subject
the offender TO fine.
These bills seem well calculated to restrict
campaign expenditures and force an account
ing by political parties and others which will
really reveal something In addition to these
another new section OF the Election law is pro-
posed concerning procedure TO obtain n judi
cial inquiry into the existence Of corrupt prac
tees Further study Of this bill only confirms
us in the Judgment we some time ago ex-
pressed, that the plan is not merely radical, but
dangerous 1t allows any citizen under bond
Of $3.50 to start inquistion ike that into
the fling Of a report and nobody can refuse to
testify II it were shown TO the satisfaction of
a judge that corrupt practices-that is, any ex-
penditure not specially authorized by law
were resorted to in behalf of one political
party the court would order that party's votes