Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-16
PERRY BELMONT CHAIRMAN
He Points Out the Necessity for an
Immediate Law.
BRYAN ON SOME EXISTING EVILS
Movement Rests Upon the Principle
he Declares That Politics Should
Be Honest.

NEW YORK, April 16.-The adoption of
an effective national publicity law, which
would require the pubIica ton of contribu-
lions to national and congressional commit
tees, as well as the expenditures of these
committees, was the question discussed to-
DAY at special meeting of the National
PUBLICITY Law Organization at the Victoria
hotel. Perry Belmont. the president of the
ASSOCIATION was the chairman of the meet
ihg' ana the invited guests included William
j. Bryan and Samuel Gompers, president
OIL the American Federation of Labor. Many
states We're represented by the members
who attended the meeting
MT Belmont in his opening remarks
after pointing out that the publicity law
OF the state of New York was broug hit
ABOUT by the combined efforts of organized
IA Dor democrats and republicans and that
thls law already had proved beneficial,
urged united and nonpartisan effort to Sc
cure a national law. The bill before the
iast congress compelling a publication of
contributions and expenditures had been
theoretically supported by the minority
members of the committee having the
measure In charge. but the bill eventually
reported was so drastic that II was almost
lmposs Bile of enactment.
The State Rights Issue.
In Mr.. Belmont's opinion the bill failed
because it interfered too much with state
rights, an interference which the democrat Is
could not cordially support. Mr.. Belmont
made an appeal for practical law that
would be in operation in the national cleo
tons of next year.
Among those present were former Senator
William f. Chandler of New Hampshire:
DR.. E. L. Jones. chairman of state demo-
cratic committee of Maine: Alexander
Troup. member of the national democratic
committee from Connecticut: w. Fl. Mar
tin, national democratic committeeman
from Arkansas; former Gov. Hoge Tyler of
Virfnia. George Fred Williams and Josiah
Quincy of Boston. John Brisben Walker
and Abram Straus of New York, and John
w. Tomlinson of Alabama.
Mr.. Bryan's Address.
William ]. Bryan was introduced as a
m n Who had given powerful aid to the
publicity movement. In a brief speech Mr..
Bryan told what he thought the national
publicity law should be. He said that any
contribution above the minimum should be
made public before the elections both by
the committee receiving it and by the per-
son or corporation making it. Failure to
comply with this. he said should be pun
ished a penal offense.
The publicity movement. he declared.
rests upon the principle that politics should
be honest but he declared that there could
be no honest politics when any interest
could purchase before election a promise
that certain things shall be done after cleo
ton. and when this promise is concealed
from the voters.
Publicity the Thing.
Mr. Bryan said that the evil of campaign
contributions was not confined to any party
and quoted evidence given before congress
sional committees to prove his statement.
The only sure remedy. he averred. was
the publication of contributions before
election. Ten days in advance of the
election, he said, a supplemental state
ment should be filed giving the contri-
buttons up to that time and it should
be made unlawful to receive any con-
tributons after it was too late to pub
lish them. The surest way of allowing
the people to have the kind of govern
ment they want, he said, is to regulate
campaign contributions.
Samuel Gompers, who next spoke said
that corporations made their campaign
contributions for specific purposes and
that continuation of that practice
means continued corporation domination
of the parties.