New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-14
NEARING ON PUBLICITY
Mr. Low URGES Bills
n.,..,,, BELMONT Also appears Before
Committee at albany.
lnr rs!.g-apA to ne TriSune.l

~ 1s-The Senate Judiciary Com
-. q hearing this afternoon on the
-. bills designed 10 prevent BRIBERY 8'
49, Us including the Belmont bill and those
-.,,,oss at The request Of the Associate" "
-, -o-rupt Practices at Elections Perry
100 smoke for MS bill, as Gid several repre-
D-.atives Of organized labor. who maln'allieD
-, che massage Of the measure would oIlns
nc e1ec,ions honest enough 10 let the LABOR
-. his place among the legislators
,r.yor Low William Church Osborne ana
r.sv Berricl1 spoke for the associations
bills oo,s
so,r Presidential and State campaigns SAID
a. pelront. have for many years impressed
- csr,najgn managers tho necessity OF ehI"-
,-.,irr co far as possible the element of secrecy
!. ,be contributes - and expenditure OF CAM
Il, r,onevs Campaign money should be pun
=, money The publicity btu ID adapted 70 me
,.,,.t sy-steu1 Of our State. There is proVis-
- Cav us enforcement, by enabling any ten
.,,,srs 70 institute a judicial inquiry 10 verify
!, -s+urn made by the treasurer Of the com
&C. Il also prohibits corporations from con-
.-s,r,irr have lust arrived from Washington
- can saw thst there is every prospect OF
80 massage Of q national lax requiring similar
.u.lioi-, on III. part o. the national and Con
r,ess committees.
e Navc- Low declared that much besides
,rb,.+v was necessary TO bring about clean
100 We hsve abandoned tbs idea that
,,,,rt pract.oes can Es stepped by penal pre-
,ss,ns. SIS Re Tho oriy way Is 10 make II
,,,rohtable fo- the cause which uses bribery.
He continued
N the opiniou Of those who have formed this
az
rbecl< 10 the growth az this bai practice ana 70
rake our elections in the future more nearly
what they ought 10 be These are. mrs. peter
law. and. second, some agency that VIII seizure
the enforcement Of such lava
The bills prepared by oLr association cover
every branch OF the subject political controu-
ions by corporations. publicity as 10 money col
lscted and spen. for election purposes ana a
rrooedure by which 10 establish as a matter OF
.ac whether bribery has been resoTted to IN an
election district al any election.
We propose that II shall be made unlawful Tor
G corporation either directly or indirectly.
through any officer or agent of any kind, 90 make
2 contribution for political purposes. II a cor
poration makes such n contribution as a cor
porate company We propose that its charter shall
be revoked II however. II Is the Unauthorized
ACT II an Official the official then is to be pun
shed We propose, also that the corporation
law shall be amended SO as 10 require corpora
lions in their annual statement 10 make an am
davit that no sucn contributions have been
made either directly indirectly.
Our hill permits contributions to be made at
pleasure but il Compels every one who eXpends
money for elections. directly, 10 give an account
both as 10 where the money comes from ana as
70 what is done with Il A mere contributor TO
& POLITICAL fund need make TO account: but the
man or the committee which receives the con-
uibution must account for IL and for the use
made OF il.
Our association is also firmly convinced that
this matter VIII not be dealt with radically I'M
less a law is also passed which viii permit
judicial inquiry 10 be made as to the fact OF
bribery. and which viii provide a suitable pun
ishment in the event Of bribery.
The statements filed with tho Secretary OF
State in 1905 account for S17SOo} most Of II
paid 10 committees" said William Church Os-
borne This was probably not 10 pec cent OF
the cost of that campaign. What became o. tEa
rest How much Of Il Was spent in the city Of
NeW-York? How N och OF il went TO buy votes
% the Hudson Valley ~ the sOuthen tier? The
proportion OF CanpFiEn funds knocked down IS
enormous No account. public or private. is
ever rendered, tbs lesser party workers simply
bleed The public IN MAN. cases
our bills allow any citizen, on fling bond,
10 bring an inquiry. examine witnesses. etc. and
~; association hopes use this provision freely
y IL becomes law. The limitation OF campaign
expenses is treated IN several ways; candidates
are limited 10 contributing fixed proportion of
.2elr cApeCteG salary. or q fixed sum is allowed
ioI every thousand voters or for a specific cam
lalgn. We feel that ia the absence Of the de-
tailed information which may be had frorl the
Working o. the publicity bill II is SAFER for the
present not % .iN an arbitrary limit or OK