The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-17
FAT COULD MOI
Be EASILY FRIED
Meeting of the National Pub
liCity Law Organization
in New York.
PERRY BELMONT IN CHAIR
VIEWS OF Mr.. BRYAN ON THE
SUBJECT.

New York, April 16.-The adoption OF
an effective national publicity law
which would require the publication of
| the contributions TO national and con-
gressional committees, as well as the
expenditures of these committees, was
the question discussed today at meet
ing of the national publicity law or
ganization at the Victoria hotel Perry
Belmont. the president of the associa-
ton, was the chairman, and the guests
included William ]. Bryan and Samuel
Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor. Many states were
represented by the members who were
present. Among them was former Sem
ator William f. Chandler of New
Hampshire; Alexander Troup, member
of the national Democratic committee
from Connecticut; w. H. Martin, ma
tiOnal Democratic committeeman from
Arkansas; George Fred Williams and
Josiah quincy of Boston, John Brisben
Walker and Abraham Straus of New
York and John W. TOmlinson of Ala
bama.
New York Publicity Law.
Mr.. Belmont. after pointing out that
the publicity law of the state of New
York was brought about by the COM
bined efforts of organized labor, Dem
ocrats and Republicans, and that this
law already had proved beneficial,
urged united effort to secure a national
law. The bill before the last congress
compelling a publication of contribu-
tions and expenditures had been ener-
getically supported by the minority
members of the committee having the
measure in charge, but the bill eventu-
ally reported was so drastic that it was
almost impossible of enactment. In
Mr.. Belmonts opinion, the bill failed
because it intsrfered too much with
states rights, an interference which
the Democrats could not cordially sup
port. Mr.. Belmont made an appeal for
a practical law that would be in Oper-
alton in the national elections of next
year.
Brief Talk by Bryan.
William ]. Bryan was introduced as
a man who had given powerful aid to
the publicity movement. In a brief
talk Mr.. Bryan told what he thought
the national publicity law should be.
He said that all contributions above the
minimum should be made public before
the elections. both by the committee
corporation making them. Failure to
comply with this should be punished
as 4 penal offense. The movement, he
declared, rests upon the principle that
politics should be honest. but he de-
clared there could he no honest politics
when any interest could purchase be-
fore election a promise that certain
things shall be done after election, and
when this promise is concealed from
the voters. Mr.. Bryan said the evil of
contributions was not con-
fined to any one party, and quoted evil
dence given before congressional COM
mittees to prove his statement. Ten
days in advance of the election, he said,
a supplemental statement should be
filed giving the contributions up to
that time, and it should be made un-
lawful to receive any contributions
after it was too late to publish them.
Samuel GOmpers, who. spoke next, |
said the corporations made their cam |
paign contributions for specific pur-
poses and continue ton of that policy |
meant continued corporation domina- |
ton of the parties.
Open the Books.