The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-10
FINANCING 1 oAMpA1GN.

LOWdluS tlAe ClOSS Ol Lll6 ldSl PASS- idential campaign Judge Alton B. Parker, the candidate of the Demo- cratic party, in tail-end car speech at the city of Merden. asserted vig- orously that the big corporations of the country were financing the Re- publican campaign. The charge was quickly sent over the wires and in few hours was strenuously denied by MT. Roosevelt, who said it was un- qualifedly false. The New York World has now printed a partial list of the contributions which foots up over quarter of a million ald it is seen that Judge Parker knew just what he was talking about.
 Among the contributors are found ruch familiar names as Edward H. Hartman, H. Mex. Twombly, repre- Benting the Vanderbilt interests, Chauncey NJ. Depew, James Hazen Hyde, the Equitable Life Insurance company, J. Pierpont Morgan, George w. Perkins, representing the New York Life, II. II. Rogers, Will liam Rockefeller, John D. Archbold and several others. From one point of view there is no reason why these men of many millions should not give to party funds in proportion to their wealth just as poor men give in pro- portion to their possessions. It is con- ceivabe that they are filled with the fires of patriotism, but it is not con- ceivable that having given with such magnincence their contributions should be concealed In fact it is the concealn1ent of the interest of these contributors in the campaign that has made all of the trouble If the books of the Republican party had been open to public inspection and these names were found in them there might still have been some comment of an adverse character but it could never have given to the caustlc charge made by Judge Parker the signih- canoe which was at once attached to it even after Mir. Roosevelt's indig- nant denial Because the books were closed and kept closed the feeling now that the disclosure has come is one of suspicion as to the motives of the glvers and the motives of the campaign managers in accepting the money.
 There are two motives which move men to give money to party cam paign fund. One is the motive pro- voked by love of party and practi- cal realization of the need there al- ways is of money to make the pollti- cal mare go. In this class, too. will be found contributors who seek in event of victory some of the many spells of the victory. The second mo- tive for giving is not so respectable, but 1t has In mind the advantage to be derived from the victorious party. It was either Jay Gould or Mir. Have meyer of the Sugar trust who stated on the witness stand that in Repub- lican districts he gave with the en- thusiasm of Republican and In Dem ocratic districts with the enthusiasm of a Democrat Not everybody will assign to these contributors to the last Republican campaign fund the sim pie patriotic motive. Most people will believe, whether justlhably so or not, that they gave in order to be consult ed in event of unfavorable legislation being considered by Congress and the executive department, not necessarily protected against all legislation un- suited to their purpose, but conferred with before confronted by such legls- lation. In other words the same old
 human element enters into the study
 of the transaction to confuse ones
 faith in the altruistic character of the
 bargain, if 1t may be called by thai
 name, Men do give to their party fol
 the love of the party and never asl favors afterwards, but did these men At any rate 1t is just such transac. tions as this which has whetted tho demand for laws limiting the amoun
 of money political party may receive
 and spend. Some day perhaps thu government will see the futility of at ltempting to break and harness the in dependent money devil in politics ant
 itself finance every campaign, abso
 lutely forbidding parties to use money 1 of their own except under the mos , open conditions of publicity.