The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-29
TO GIVE DEATH
BLOW B { TO BILL ] !.
Republicans Determined Not to
ALLOW Legislation Compelling
Publicity.
MONUMENT TO PocAHoNTAs
Maynard Raises Hornets Nest
About His Ears Senate and
Jamestown.

WASHINGTON, y. c., May 2s.-Thc
Republicans are determined that there
shall be no legislation this session cons.
selling. publicity In the matter of CAM
paign contributions. The Democrats are
eager for the enactment OF such Law,
and especially so In view of the dis.
closures concerning the contributions Of
insurance companies and other corpora
tons to the Republican campaign fund
in 1904.
The House Committee on the Election
Of President and Vice-Preeidcnt had be-
fore It early IN the session bill in
PRODUCED BY Representative Mccall OF
Massachusetts, Il Republican. providing
for publicity In the matter OF contribu-,
tons to campaign funds. The bill had
the approval OF the National Publicity
Bill Organization, OF which Mr.. Perry
Belmont, Of New York, former mcnl-
Der Of the House OF Representatives., and
Democrat. The connection of Mr.. Me-
Call, Republican, and Mr.. Belmont.
q Democrat, with the bill. gave assurance
that It was not partisan In character.
Many of the members OF the congress
sional campaign committees OF the two
4 parties had expressed themselves as be-
ing heartily In favor OF Mr.. McCalrs
bill.
1t is an established fact that Aot, a
single member OF the House Committee
was opposed to the principle Of the bill
when 1t was introduced.
& Republicans Shy.
The first hearing on the bill was largely
attended, and prominent Democrats, as
well as Republicans, advocated its pass
age. Bourke Cochran addressed the COM
mittee In its favor. SO did Mr.. Belmont
and so did ex-senator william E. Chand-
Ter, whose Republicanism is Of the sort
thai may be best described by the phrase
dyed In the WOOL
At subsequent meetings OF the commit
tee the Republicans developed most
i pronounced shyncss OF the question, while
the Democrats warmed up to the propo-
3 Bltion. 1t soon became difficult to get
2 a quorum Of the committed. owing to
The absence OF Republican, members. Ku-
mors OF the fault 81 character a OF tn,
y mccall bill became prevalent, and to
meet these Republican objections, Judge
13uckcr. OF Missouri member Of the
committee, drew BILL and 1t was re-
& 1crred to the Committee on the Elcc-
alon OF President and Vice President. This
4 bill contained the added provision that
contributions to campaign funds should
{ ", made public before as we'll as after
elections. There was considerable david.
ling over this bill. The COMMITTEES ord!-
narily one OF the most unimpor,ant OF
The standing committees OF the House,
& ranking with that to which are referred
b matters pertaining to ventilation and
acoustics, had. for the first time in years,
really important measure before It, but
II would not consider 1t. a
Chairman Obdurate.
Finally, 1t was announced by. the chair
4 man OF the committee, Representative
d Joseph II Gaines. Of est Virginia..
that he would Introduce a measure de-
i signed to accomplish the things which the
other publicity bills did not achieve. He
introduced his bill. lttook In everything
for which money might be used in an
4 election, involving Offices from the Presi-5
Gent down to election OF justices Of the
4 peace in State campaigns. The Demo-.
Gratis, In order to get some action by
The committee. agreed to vote to repor:
the Gaines bill. with the understanding
that they should have the right to offer
q substitute on the floor of the House..
& But Mr.. Gaines was obdurate. He would
not allow his own bill to be reported and
though he and his Republican, colleagues
on the committee have been importuned
+ necessarily by the Democrats to get some
sort OF bill beforeithe House. they have
refused until the present time.
1t was the refusal Of the committee
TO take any action whatever. that caused
Judge Rucker to bring its conduct to the
attention of the House. When the House
was sitting In committee Of the whole
on the consular and diplomatic approprla-s
ton biz. he made a lively speech on the
subject, in which he raked the Republic
cans Of the committee fore and aft. Mr..
Rucker was proceeding to give a IS
4 tory Of the repeated efforts to get the
Republicans to do something, even with
their own bill. when he was called to
q order for infringement Of the rule against
detailing matters which took place In the
committee room. But the Altssourlan
very cleverly evaded the ruling OF the,
chair by venturng to prophesy as to
how each member OF the committee would
vote II the bill shoutl ever come UP in
4 the House.
Poor Case.
n Chairman Gaines attempted to justify
+ The conduct of the committee, He ridi-
culed the Mccall and Rncker bills, but
made only passing reference to his own
measure, which he has all along refused
to allow the committee to report His
To- ,.l5