The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-17
WANTS CAMPAIGN
BOOKS OPENED
Resolution Made At Meeting
for Publicity Law
CALLED BY PERRY BELMONT
John w. TomInson, Samuel Gompers,
Troup, General WarfleId and
Others Urge Passage of
Publicity Law.
CALLED BY PERRY BELMONT

New York April 16.--A- resolution in
tended to secure the publication of the
contributions made to the republican and
democratic committees at the last ma
tional canvass was offered today at a
special meeting of the National Publicity
Law organization. 1t was entirely unex-
pected and caused the members to en-
gage in a lively discussion.
The meeting had been called by Perry
Belmont to further the movement for
an effective national publicity law, which
would require a public record of CAM
pagn contributions and expenditures. The
resolution, which was offered by Alex
ander Troup of Connecticut, member
OIL the democratic national committee, re-
quested the chairman. and treasurer of
the two great parties who served at the
last national campaign to make public
comparative statement as to how the
campaign funds were raised The atti-
tude of President Roosevelt on cam
paign contributions was brought into the
discussion by Mr.. Troups insistence that
the President should favor throwing open
the books of the last campaign, as we'll
as those of the coming national con-
test Mr.. Troup's attempt to secure i'm
mediate action on his resolution failed,
and the memorial was referred to the
executive committee which will report
later to the organization.
Bryan Principal Speaker.
W. ]. Bryan, the principal speaker at
today's meeting, urged the passage Of a
law by Congress providing for a pub
lie declaration, both by the donor and
the recipient, of all campaign offerings.
He wanted all violations of this law pun
ishable as criminal oftenses. By this
means alone. he held, could the secret
| contributions given for a sinister purpose
be stamped out. Other speakers were
Samuel Gompers, president OF the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, John w. Tom
linson of Birmingham and Gov. Edwin
Warfield of Maryland
Plans were formed for renewing efforts
at the next Congress for a publicity law
of national scope
Mr.. Belmont in his opening remarks
after pointing out that the publicity law
of the state of New York was brought
about by the combined efforts of or
ganized labor, democrats and republicans
and this law had already proved beneficial
secure a national law. The bill before the
las. Congress compelling a publication
of contributions and expenditures had
been energetically supported by the mi
nority members of the committee having
the measure In charge, but the bill event
ually reported was drastic that it was
almost impossible of enactment In Mr.
Belmont's opinion the bill failed because
it interfered too much with states rights,
an interference which the democrats could
not cordially support. Mr.. Belmont made
an appeal for a practical law that would
be in operation in the national elections
of next year.
Among those present were former Sem
ator William Il. Chandler of New Hamp-
shire, DR.. f. l.. Jones, chairman of the
state democratic executive committee of
Maine; Alexander Troup, member of the
national democratic committee from Con-
necticut w. II. Martin, national demo-
cratic committeeman from Arkansas;
former Governor Hoge Tyler of Virginia,
George Fred Williams and Josiah Quincy
of Boston, John Brsbin Walker and Alb
raham Straus of New York and John w.
Tomlinson of Alabama
Bryan's Aid.
William j. Bryan was introduced as
man who had given powerful aid to the
publicity movement. In a brief speech
Mr.. Bryan told what he thought the ma
tonal publicity law should be- He said
that all contributions above the minimum
should be made public before the cleo
tions both by the committee receiving
1T and by the person or corporation maxi
ing 1t Failure to comply with this he
said. should be punished as a penal Of
fense. The publicity movement, he de-
clared, rests on the principle that poll
tics should be honest, but he declared
that there could be no honest politics
II
election a promise that certain things
shall be done after election, and when
this promise is concealed from the voters.
Mr.. Bryan said that the evil of cam
paign contributions was not confined to
any one party, and quoted evidence given
before congressional committees 10 prove
his statement The only sure remedy
he averred, was the publication of contr-
buttons for election Ten days in adj
vance OF the election. he said. supple
nent statement should be filed giving
the contributions up TO that time. and II
should be made unla to receive any
contributions after it was too late to
publish them The surest way of allow
ing the people to have the kind of gov
ernment they want. he said, is to regu-
late campaign contributions.
Samuel Gompers. who next spoke. said
that corporations made their campaign
contributions for specific purposes, and a
continuation OF lndl pOiicy means con-
tnued corporation domination of the par
ties.
Senator Chandler.
Former Senator Chandler of New
Hampshire described what had been ac-
complished at, Washington in publicity
legislation. and Governor Edwin Warfield
of Maryland spoke. The meeting was
thrown into considerable excitement by
resolution offered by Alexander Troup
of Connecticut, which called upon the
chairmen and secretaries of the repub-
lican and democratic national commit
tees to make public all their receipts and
expenditures of the last campaign. This
resolution was offered by Mr.. Troup
after he had quoted from newspaper dis
patch from Washington In which it was
stated that President Roosevelt wanted
the campaign books opened in the new
national canvass.
II think the public wants the books of
the last campaign opened" exclaimed
Mr.. Troup, who added that in 1904 the
President had Indignantly denied that