The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-10
THE APPROACHING ELECTION.

by the Republican national commit tee as the place in which to hold the nominating national conven ion, and the meeting this week of the Demo- cratic national committee to select its meeting place, suggest that in it's pre- liminary aspect the campaign has been begun. From now on we shall have to listen to the street corner gossip and watch for information as 1t oozes from the inner circle. The ner- ry-go-round will have started by an- other week and then the rest of us can sit in the neighborhood benches and take the gilded show in.
 At the present moment 1t Is conca l. ed that the Republican situation is probably in the hands and under the. control of President Roosevelt and his friends; that they will in the final solution name the man who IS to att tempt to succeed him in the White House. The Democratic situation is believed with equal confidence ts be in the hands and under the control of William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, and his friends; that it rests with them to say who shall lead tue hat ting host. There are many things upon which President Roosevelt and MT. Bryan are in accord and of parti- cular moment at this time is their at- titude towards the use of money in the campaign. The President mas ad- vised federal corrupt practices act which shall limit the sums candidates for federal office may contribute and which shall forbid monster contribu- tions from questionable or selfish sources. He would go even farther and have the federal government as- sume the expense, or the greater share of the expense occasioned by the ciec- tion in order to anticipate corruption at the polls. Mir. Bryan is equally insistent upon an honest campaign and is ready to assist in the passage Iof law which shall do all that the President wants done and in addition make campaign contributions public both before, during and after the campaign. He has even suggested that he would be willing to run with out national committee or 6 party fund, trusting everything to the pub lie conscience.
 In other words, if these two strenu- ous young men have their way, the campaigning next year will be fought on short money rations. It is an ad- mirable position for them to take but in the absence of legislation it will re- main doubtful if they can succeed in their desires unless the two national chairmen agree publicly to the limited use of money. That is to say that they cannot under present conditions achieve all they hope to achieve in the limited use of money. And yet un- Jess they lose control of the sitlati )n, the one from the Republican poiat of view and the other from the Demo- cratic point of view, there will be less money for the committees to expend than has been the case in a dozen years. Their influence has been con- stantly used to restrict campaign con- tributions and expenditures. Some of the States of the Union have expressly forbidden corporations to contribute The State of Connecticut has made 1t difficult to use money illegitimate1y and has made it embarrassing for men to give to party funds whose bus lness connections might make the act of giving suspicious and damaging. The publication of the fact for exam pie, that any one of the mammoth public service corporations of the country, or huge company pro- tected by the tariff unduly, had given freely to either party fund would mean political disaster. Very likely both President Roosevelt and MT. Bryan understand this danger and are trimming their sails accordingly, though we have not the slightest doubt that each is in earnest in his opposition to huge political funds.
 If 1t turns out to be true that the two political parties enter the cam paign year hence with a leau purse it will be good thing. The use of money in American campaigns has become a scandal and the sooner steps are taken to get rid of the practice the better for all concerned. For the part played by President Roosevelt and MT. Bryan in the campaign Of education they are entitled to the gratitude of their fellow citizens. It is @ greater thing to force an honest election than it is to hold the highest office within the gift of the people.