The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-13


contributed to debauch elections. What
can be expected when official authority
is turned over to the representatives OF
tntse who first furnish the sinews OF war
and then reimburse themselves out of the
pockets of the taxpayers?
Fasting in Wilderness Necessary.
So long as the Republican party remains
in power it is powerless to regenerate IL
self. 1t cannot attack wrongdoing in high
places without disgracing many of Its
prominent members, and it, therefore. uses
opiates instead of the surgeons knife
Its malefactors construe each Republi-
can victory an endorsement of their
conduct and threaten the party with de-
feat il they are interfered with Not
until that party passes through PERIOD
of fasting in the wilderness will the Re-
publican leaders learn TO study public
questions from the standpoint OF the
masses. Just as with individuals, tine
cares of this world and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the TRUTH, so in poll
tics. when party leaders serve far away
from home and are not in constant con-
tact with the voters, continued party sue
cess blinds their eyes to the needs OF
the peOpIe ana makes them deaf to the
cry of distress.
Publicity as to Campaign Contribu-
tions.
An effort has been made to secure leg
islation requiring publicity as to cam
calQn Contributions ana expenditures Dut
the Republican leaders, even in the race
of an indignant public, refused to consent
| to law which would compel honesty IN
elections When the matter was brought
up in the recent Republican national con-
vcntion the plank was repudiated by a
vote of $50 to "a. Here, too, Mr.. TAFT
| has been driven to apologize for his con-
vention and to declare himself In favor
of a publicity law; and yet, If you VIII
| read what he says upon this subject. you
will find that his promise falls far snort
of the requirements of the situation. He
says:
IF an. elected president i shall urge
upon congress, with every hope of sue
cess, that law be passed requiring the
| filing in a federal office, of a statement
| of the contributions received by commit
| tees and candidates in elections for MEM
bers of congress. and in such other cleo
| lions as are constitutionally within the
control of congress-
/ shall not embarrass him by asking him
upon what he bases his hope of success !;
| it is certainly not on any announcement
| he has received from Republican leaders.
| 1t is sufficient TO say that II his hopes
were realized-if. in spite of the adverse
| action of his convention, ne should sue
coed in securing the enactment or the
very law which he favors 1t would give
| but partial relief He has read the DEM
ocratc platform; not only his language
| but his evident alarm. indicates that ne
| has read it carefully. He even had be-
| fore him the action of the Democratic
national committee in interpreting and ap-
plying that platform; and yet he fails 10
saw that he favors the publication of the
contributions before the election. OF
course it satisfies natural curiosity to
| find out how an election has been pur-
| chased, even when the knowledge comes
| too late to be of service. but why should
! the people be kept in darkness until the
| election is past? Why should the locking
of the door be delayed until the horse is
gone?