The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-05-25
CORPORATIONS IN POLITICS.

indianapolis News: The senate
commitetee ON privileges and cleo
lions has reported a bill the effect of
which, if it becomes a law, viii be to
limit very greatly the influence of
corporations in politics, and also the
size of campaign funds. The bill
was introduced more than two
months ago by Senator Tillman.
But it has been much strengthened,
and is now before the senate in it's
amended form. Under it no ma
tional bank and no corporations Or
ganized by authority of any act of
congress will be allowed to make any
Contributors whatever to panty
campaign funds. The bill further
makes it unlawful for any corporation
to contribute at any election at
which presidential electors r,presen-
~tatives in congress or candidates for
a legislature which is to choose a
United States senator are to be voted
for. l5e penalty for a violation--of
the statute is a fine OF not more llen
S.. 200 on the corporation and one Of
not more than 81, ZOO on each officer
and director.
The bill is so good that it is hard
to believe that it can pass. For it's
effect will practically be to get cor
porations out OF politics. OF course,
it does not, and can not, apply to
mere local elections. 1T Will still
be possible for public service corpora
tions to buy elections and corrupt
CITY governments. But no corpora
ton a contribute to the carrying
OF elections involving candidates for
the presi dency, the senate. or the
house OF representatives. And no
national bank or federal CORPORA
tion a help finance any campaign
whatsoever. BY thus diminishing
the power and influence of corpora
tions we shall increase and strengthen
the power and influence of the peo-
pie, which is what we should all
want. With an honest enforcement
OF such a law as this we Shall see a
great shrinkage in campaign funds,
and consequently more honest cleo
lions. And men in office will be
more courageous and independent
tEan they now ale, for there will be
less temptation to be subservient TO
the "interes.s,' which are now so
powerful in politics. With all sena-
tors and representatives freed from
all financial obligations to corpora
tions, and with the parties them
selves thus emanclpated, the practi-
cal purchase of legislation would
come to an end. Thus we should
get more honest elections and a
more honest government.
And the example set by the fed
eral government in enacting such a
bill would be weighty with several
states. A standard would be estab-
lished to which they would feel they
ought to conform. People would
see that, if 1T were wrong to allow
corporations to contribute to the
election of a president. it is quite
as wrong to allow them to coptri-
butte to a governor or a mayor.
And the final results would be the
elimination of corporate influence as
far as it is derived from campaign
contributions made by them. If
neither party in this city, for ln-
stance, could get one cent from the
street car company, the gas company,
the water company, or the railroads,
there would be many questions that
we should not need to consider at
all. We sincerely trust that the
amended 1'illman bill may pass. 1t
is encouraging that it should be IA
vorably reported by the committee.
ALI the patriotic influences in the
country should now be enlisted in its
III hehalf