New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-20
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FUNDS.

One OF the many important subjects with
which Congress will have to deal at this ses-
sion is the regulation of the financial acuVl-
ties of national and Congressional political
committees Agitation for the passage of a
publicity law is gaining strength, and leading
advocates of this proposed reform met the
other day in Washington and organized Ma
tional Publicity Bill League. Measures embody-
ing the leag ue's views have been introduced IN
both branches of Congress-in the Senate by
Mr. Patterson of Colorado and in the House
of Representatives by Mr.. Mccall, OF Massa-
chusetts The movement is absolutely non-par-
tisan in character among the organizers or the
league being Republicans like ex-senator VIII
lam E. Chandler, Representative Mccall. Gen
eral James II. Wilson, of Delaware; Attorney
General Mayer and Charles A. Gardiner, of this
state and Democrats like Governor Swanson
of Virginia. Charles 4. Hamlin, Of Massachu-
sets; Alexander Troup, Of Connecticut; Hannis
Taylor Representative Towne and Norman II.
Mack Of New York. The Independent element
in politics is represented by Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation Of Labor.
and President Schurman of Cornell Univer-
sity. Pressure on Congress for amendatory leg
islation will therefore subserve no shrewd de-
sire to make political capital. On the con-
trary, 1t will reflect a wholesome and patriotic
determination to end abuses now recognized
as intolerable
The Tribune has long been record
advocate Of reforms in campaign management.
1t has called attention many times to the
sheer waste of money which has characterized
the national canvasses of recent years. The
fashion had been set of raising excessive sums
and maintaining a costly organization. and the
two great parties seemed to vie with each
other In finding new outlets for useless expendi-
ture The four months of each Presidential
canvass became a harvest time for the politi-
cal spellbinder and promoter, and a new gold
brick industry was called into being-that of
organizing clubs launching subsdizable news
papers and inventing schemes primarily for
tapping the party till and secondarily for win
ming votes for the party candidates. 1t is prob
ably within reason to say that of the funds
raised by the two parties In more than one
campaign fully so per cent spent with
no other effect than that of gladdening the
hearts and fattening the bank accounts Of an
army Of workers summoned unnecessarily into
existence.
The old methods of campaigning are in fact,
obsolete. Strategy and secrecy have lost their
value in politics. The odtime campaign text
book and the distortng party leafet have
been tossed to the ash heap. The voters can
not be tricked and hoodwinked; they must be
won by frankness and openness. The back
stairs conspirator and the inventor of campaign
roorbacks and fOrgeries find their occupation
gone. Candidates for the Presidency must stand
to-day on their personalities and the records of
their parties, The traditional role of our ma
donal committees has been sensibly diminished,
and there is excuse for the perpetuation Of
a system which permits these committees to
disburse. without check scrutiny, enormous
and virtually superf1uous campaign funds. If
Congress compels every national political COM
mittee TO open its books, II will at once re-
store a sounder balance in politics and kill
humbug industry which it is time TO extirpate.