The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-07-31
CORPORATION DONATIONS.

Mr.. l.. Mitchell, in the st. Joseph
Observers: The editorial In the Ga
zette of this city on last Sunday
was II sample of Republican cam
paign misrepresentation that has
characterized the party for decade.
For instance, IL states that Congress
passed law making 1t unlawful for
any corporation to donate to any
campaign fund in presidential cleo
tions. 1t says this law was passed
by Republican Congress and was
signed by Theodore Roosevelt, Il
Republican president. Now the
editor either asserts what he knows
to be untrue or is inexcusably ig-
norant of the facts in the case. The
law he refers to applies only to
national banks and other corpora
lions organized by acts Of Congress,
and does not apply to hundreds OF
trusts, combines and corporations
otherwise organized to fleece the
people; therefore, the false impress
sion he started out tn make was "A
mere assumption on his part and
intended to deceive the readers of
that sheet. The law he refers to as
of Republican production is farce
and mere subterfuge, and in itself
Is IA sample of the acts passed by
said Congress. | am sure the &. o.
7. is welcome to claim the honor.
No other party wants to father the
abOrtivc thing. For instance, one
Interested in any Of the law-for-
hidden corporations could, in bis
own name, donate any amount the
corporation might see fit to contri-
butte in his own individual right, and
not let the corporation he known in
the transaction and thus evade the
spirit Of the law.
Therefore, anyOnr can readily see
that such law Is sham and don't
deceive anyone except the very gull
liblc. There was n bill introduced
in the last Congress recommended
by this same Republican president
and advocated by every Democratic
member of Congress that would
have been efiectual had il been
passed, but it was defeated by vi
cious amendments tackled on tn ii
by Republican treachery. There
should be IA federal law making it IA
criminal ofTcnsc for any corpora
ton to give money tn campaign
fund In n national election through
any one connected with n corpora
ton. No one should be permitted
to donate to such a fund in any
great amount within ten days Of
election, and such donations should |
be accompanied with sworn state
ment specifying who donated and
for what purpose, and such state
ments should be given to the Assoc
ciated Press aud published by all
the daily papers in the country ut
least ten days before this election.
Then the people would learn what |
interests were supplying the cam
paign funds and what parties were
benefited by the funds.
We read that Mr.. Taft says that
the Republican party will receive
no donations from corporations and
that all donations will be made pub
lie after the election. Yes, they say
they will revise the tariff after the
election, and Cznr Cannon forced
Congress to postpone passing any
law for the relief of the people until
after the election. The dear people
will find out II they elect Taft and
the Republican ticket this fall that
after the election Will be like the
'darky's tomorrow lit will never
come under Republican regime.
The Republican party treats the
common people as though they were
a lot of short sightcd idiots, and
puts one in mind of the mcancst man
Dn record, who would give his little
BOY u dime to go tn bed without his
supper and when the hungry little
fellow was asleep he would steal the
lime to hire the boy again the next
night.