Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-17

William ]. Bryan was introduced as
a man who had given powerful aid to
the publicity movement. In Il brief
spe ech Mr.. Bryan told what he thought
a rational publicity Law should be. He
said that all contributions above the
minimum should be made public before
the elections both by the committee re-
cciving it ard by the person or COrpor-
alton making it. Failure to comply with
this, he said. should be punished as
penal offence. The publicity movement.
he declared. rests upon the principle
that politics should be honest, but ne
declared that there could be no honest
politics when any interest could pur-
chase before election promise that
certain things shall be done after cleo
ton and when this promise is con-
/ cealed from the voters Mr.. Bryan said
| that the evil Of campaign contributions
was rot confined to any one party The
surest way of allowing the peopl" to
have the kind of COVER ncnt they want
he said. is to regulate campaign con-
tributiong.
Samuel Gnmpcrs, who next spoke,
said that corporations made their cam
paign contributions for specific pur-
poses and that continuation of that
practice means continued corporation
domination of the parties.
Former Senator Chandler of New
Hampshire described what had been
ACCOMPLISHED at Washington in pub
LEFTY legislation.
Tho meeting was thrown into consider
able excitement by a resolution Offered
by Alexander T'roup of Connecticut winch
called uppn the chairman and SeCreta-
rios Of the Republican and Democratic
national committees of the last national
campaign t. make public all their re-
cript4 ana expenditures of the campaign,
This resolution was offered by MI. Troup
after he had quoted from a newspaper
dispatch from Washington in which It
was stated that he said President Roose-
volt wanted tn" campaign books opened
i'm the next nlticn2l canvass. - think
tho public wants thc books OF the u55t
campaign op,ncd." exclaimed Mr.. Troup,
VINO added that in 1904 the President had
Indignantly denied that large sums OF
money had been contributed to the Re
publican campaign fund.
At this moment Senator Chandler inter
ruptcd Mr.. Tioup. II think YOU are do
ing the President an injustice. Mr.
chandler int, rejected. II wish to appear
as his defender in this respect Then
Mr.. Chandler explained that what the
President had dcuicd was that campaigns
had been made on the strength OF prom
isr to do something. II accept the *
plaration." resumed Mr.. Troup. hut Mr.
Cortclyou knew differc ntly. He should
not have deceived the President. He
should have told him
Mr.. Troup then offered his resolution.
1t at first included only the Republican
national committee, but suggestion
from q member that this would pc z
partisan movement caused Mr.. Troup 10
change his resolve SO that it took in alSH
the Democratic national committee. This
change was accepted by many members
as being wisely reasonable.
Mr.. Troup wanted the resolution adopt
cd immediately but several spcake rs dep
recatcd hasty action. Eventually the
matter was referred to the executive
committee with the understanding that it
would make a report at some future
meeting Of the association to be called
by the president.
A statement that he intended to prose
cute all people who used large sums OF
money at the next election in his state,
was made by Governor Edwin Wartield
of Maryland.
The meeting adjourned after the dis
posal of Mr.. Troups resolution.