The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1908-01-23
ratio papers both in Wallace and out

cratic papers both in Wallace and o,
Of 1t.
Az q matter Of fact this campaig
(. fund business promises to be a ser
: Gus question this year. Even in tn
absence Of any new laws ON the sui
tect It is pretty certain that the It'd
OF the treasury will be the lowest Il
recent experience. 1.-THE nominate
OF any adherent OF President Roose
ivelt's policies will be likely to pro
duce such famine in the republican
finances az the democrats have ex
perienced for the past dozen years.
says prominent New York demo
cratic organ.
The reason for an assertion of this
sort Is too obvious to need any fur.
Their comment, and in the face Of
that the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." brigade
assumes complexion that ap-
proaches the stage of dwelling idiocy
more closely than anything we have
yet observed.
Even II 1t were the case that the
trusts were willing to contribute
handsomely to republican cam
paign, they would now find some
legal difficulties in the way. In
spite Of all assertions to the contrary,
few Of these corporations were ever
fond of contributing lavishly from
their own pockets and the corporation
treasures from which they used to
draw for political purposes are now
closed by law.
But some abuses are still possible
and they can never be effectually
checked without publicity. Senator
Culberson OF Texas has introduced a
bill to meet this need by requiring
every recipient of contributions
toward presidential campaigns to Ale
a sworn statement showing the source
OF every gift received. The president
admitted in his message that such a
requirement would be desirable, but
expressed some apprehension lest 1t
might be "obeyed only by the honest
and disobeyed by the INSCRIPTIONS.
80 as to act only as penalty upon
honest mon" Republican committees
being as a rule honest and democratic
less fastidious. 1t is obvi-
GUS that such a state Of things
would put the party of moral ideas
1t 4 serious disadvantage. Moreover,
mo such law would hamper an I'M
man Of unlimited means
from buying his own way into Office"
To solve these difficulties, the presi-
dent suggested what he admitted to
be the very radical measure" of pay
ing the campaign expenses of the !,
great national parties out OF the pub
lie treasury, under congressional ap-
Apparently the socialists
md prohibitionists would still have
% depend upon the capitalists who
inance their campaigns at present.
Nobody seems to have suggested
he still more radical proposition O
citing. all the parties get along with
nut any campaign funds at all. For
nerly It was necessary for the party
committees to have money to print
md distribute ballots. but that neces-
ity has been superseded by the Au-
tralian ballot system. Torchlight
PROFESSIONS and fireworks used to be
'reedy sdevourers of currency. but
UGH things are going out Of fashion.
literature" in the form
i circulars and pamphlets, usually
'oes back to the paper mill by the
most direct route. The arguments
hat are really read and that actually
influence the voters are furnished by
he newspapers for nothing. A cost
ess campaign would be a novelty, but
might conceivably elect president ,
ust as effectively as one costing ten
aillion dollars.
LONG LIVE THE KING!