The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-28
Publicity of Campaign Contributions

Publicity of Campaign Contributions
| Another plank of the Democratic
| platform refers to the failure of the
| Republican convention to express an
I opinion in favor of the publicity of
| contributions received and expendit-
| ures made in elections. Here again
we contrast our opponents promises
with our own acts Great improve
| ment has taken place under Repub-
| lican auspices in respect to the collec-
| ton and expenditure of money for this
| purpose. The old and pernicious sys-
| tenn of levying a tax on the salaries of
government employees in order to pay
| the expenses of the party in control
| of the administration has been abol-
ished by statute. BY a law passed by
the Republican congress in 1907, con-
| tributions from corporations to in
| fiuence or pay the expenses connected
with the election of presidential cleo
tors or of members of congress is for
hidden under penalty.
A resident of New York has been
| selected as treasurer of the Repub-
lican national committee, who was
treasurer Of the Republican state
committee when Governor Hughes
was elected In New York, and who
made a complete statement within
twenty days after the election, as re-
quired by him by the New York law,
of the contributions received by him
and the expenditures made by him or
under his authority in connection with
that election. His residence and the
discharge of his duties in the state of
New York subject him to the law of
that state as to all receipts of the
treasury of the national committee
from whatever source and as to all its
disbursements. His returns will be
under the obligations and penalties of
the law, and a misStatement by him or
the filing of a false account will sub
ject him to prosecution for perjury
and violation of the statute. OF course,
under the federal law, he is not per-
mitted to receive any contributions
from corporations.
If I am elected president, / Ihal1
urge upon congress. with every hope
of success, that a law be passed re-
quiring a filing in federal office of a
statement of the contributions re-
ceived by committees and candidates
in elections of members of congress,
and in such other elections as are con-
stitutionally within the control of con-
gress. Meantime the Republican
party by the selection of a New York
treasurer has subjected all its re-
ceipts and expenditures to the COM
pulsory obligation of such a law.
Income Tax.
The Democratic platform demands
two constitutional amendments, one
providing for an income tax, and the
other for the election of senators by
the people. In my judgment, an
| amendment to the constitution for an
income tax is not necessary. 1 believe
that an income tax, when the pro-
tective system of customs and the in
ternal revenue tax shall not furnish
enough for government needs, can
| and should be devised which under
the decisions of the supreme court
will conform to the constitution.
Election of Senators.
With respect to the election of SEN
ators by the people, personally I am
inclined to favor it, but it is hardly a
party question. A resolution in its
favor has passed a Republican house
of representatives several times and
has been rejected in a Republican
senate by the votes of senator's from
the legislatures of many Republican
states. In number of states. both
Democratic and Republican, substan-
| TALLY such system now prevails.
Inaccuracy and Insincerity.
Our opponents denounce the Re-
| publican party for increasing the
number of offices $4,000. at a cost of
last year. Such denunciation is char
acteristic of the Democratic platform.
| 1t fails to specify in ary way what the
| Offices are. and leaves the inference
| tina, the increase was resisted by the
representatives of Democracy in con-
gress. AS a matter of fact. the net
number of offices increased was just
about half the pumber stated; the in
crease was due chiefly to the enlarge
ment of the navy. the construction OF
the Panama canal, the extension of
the rural free delivery, and to the new
Offices necessary in the enforcement Of
the pure food, meat inspection, rail-
road rate regulation, arid land re-
clamation, forest preservation and
| other measures which congress passed
with almost unanimous popular ap-
prevail The Democratic platform 50
| far from attacking any of this ,egis-
lation specifically approves much, and
condemns none Of it. and it. Is OF
course disingenuous to claim credit for
approving legislation and yet TO de-
nounce the expenditures necessary to
give it eeffect.
| Charge of Deficit.
| Again, it charges that a deficit of
sixty millions of dollars between the
receipts and expenditures during the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1908, &C.
| Cured. AS explained by the secretary
Of the treasury, at least half of this
deficit Is only an apparent one. The
| falling off in receipts was. of course,
| occasioned by the unusual panic, but
there is ample free money in the
| treasury to meet the difference, and
| the difference itself is not half of 1t
properly a deficit, because involved in
| 1t was the retirement of soma thirty
three millions Of the bonds Of the gov