The Mena weekly star., 1907-04-18
WANT \ PUBLICITY LAW
Special Meeting of the National Or ganization Held in New
 York Tuesday.
BRYAN AND GOMpERs lMoNe SPEAKERS
Prominent Democrats From Many Different States Throughout the Country Present as Members Meeting Presided Over by Perry Belmont.

New York, April 1.-The adoption of an effective national publicity law which would require the publi cation of the contributions b national and congressional com mittees, as we'll as the expenditures of these committees was the question discussed Tuesday at special meeting of the National Publicity Law organization at the victoria hotel. Perry Belmont, the president of the association, was the chairman and the guests included William J. Bryan and Samuel Com pers. president of the American Fed eration of labor. Many states were represented by the members who were present. Among the latter were Former Senator William E. Chandler of New Hampshire; Dr. E. l.. Jones, chairman of State Democratic commit tee of Maine; Alexander Troup, mem Der of the National Democratic com mittee from Connecticut: w. H. Mar tin. National Democratic committee man from Arkansas; Former Govern. or Tyler of Virginia; George Fred Williams, and Josiah Quincy of Bos ton; John Brisben Walker and Abra ham Straus of New York, and John INV. Tomlinson of Alabama.
 MT. Belmont, in his opening re- marks, after pointing out that the publicity law of the state of New York was brought about Dy the com blned efforts of organized labor democrats and republicans, and that X this law already had proved pencil Ecial, urged united and non-partisam Eeffort to secure national law. The E bill before the last congress compell- Hing publication of contributions fand expenditures had been energetl Really supported by the minority <members of the committee having the <measure in charge but the bill even &tualIy reported was so drastic that 1t Twas almost impossible of enactment Mn Mir. Belmont's opinion the bin Hailed becaused 1t interfered too much Ewfth states rignrs, an rurcrfcfc"o" (which the democrats could not cord fially support. MT. Belmont made an appeal for a practical law that would be in operation in the national elections of next year.
 William J. Bryan, was introduced as man who had given powerful aid to the publicity movement. In brief speech Mir. Bryan told what ne thought the national publicity law should be. He said that all contribu- tions above the minimum should be made public before the elections, both by the committee receiving it and Dy the person or corporation making it. Failure to comply with this, he s'ni, should be punished as penal offense The publicity movement. he de clared, rests upon the principle that politics should be honest. but he de clared there could be no honest poll tics when any interest could purchase before election promise that cci' ain things shall be done after elec'ion and wien this promise Is concealed rom
 the voters.
 Mir. Bryan said that the evil or campaign contributions was no. con fined to any one party and quoted
 evidence given before congressional
 committees to prove his statement
 Ten days in advance of the election
 he said. supplemental statement
 should be filed giving the contribu-
 tions up to that time and 1t should
 be made unlawful to receive any con
 tributions after it was too late to
 publish them. The surest way Of a'-
 lowing the people to have the kind oi
 government they want, he said. is 70
 regulate campaign contributions.
 Samuel Gompers. who next spoke
 said that corporations made their
 campaign contributions for specific
 purposes and continuation of that
 policy meant continued corporation
 domination of the parties.