The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1908-07-07

= i.
In rejecting ;bsa vote,ofs17 toes
nearly l5tos the plank groviding for
the ply sicalseai1lA tor Of railroads. the
RSpubE can party adnnits q bat ills
aHfald96ftha ,itIifhr, WHAT objection
sss5n 4; here be- t6 finding ant what the
"a Cal ar 8 q i5siiy WortHG If4hey
arebge re asiita tigta, theiScvhntry ought
to ka i fts;.if 81 lie not over-eapi-
.9akzed. HE AL hefrselves ought
ID Asasz laasspfhaFe thefact annodnrsd.
S:as lorgFas tss tre-h is c9nGealed. there
W.Kye exassefation 0aboth sides
those who lean to the sfde of the;rail-
roads denying that there is over+eapi-
talization, and those who demand rate
Yrerucrfon insisting that the. overseapi-
taiizati0n is considerable. We oughtsto
know the truth. But the Republican
party shows by the action whieh.the
convention took that it is 3afraid Of the
truth. ~ e. ,Essta 81 +xes@
The timidify of the ublIcan head
ersss even more am phasIzed in the
vaefeEof 0ts aato lzrAlec ting the
plank areyIdiag labIieity as to
campaign contrib and expeadi-
Iheg are afraid ofthe
4igalt. for Wesald throw9ight
Eieeffons are pubic
ttifsaf Fss and they ought to be condncted
Eana public WasY Secrecy as to4earn-
kpaign methods and as to the influences
which affect elections is indefenSfhie.
If the demand was for the publication
of past hutions ind expenditures,
the Republican. convention. might Fhaye
offered as an excuse that contributions
naadeand money expended wIthopt,ex-
peetasion of publicity could not sbe
made public without some embaTfass-
t1seiltt Ito those giving and receiging.
'b1t such an excuse can NOT :besoff ered
fer q law applying to future ccntribu-
ton and disbursements. It is not
necessary that small contributions shall
q e made. publ e. !. and to- make these
public might subject the giVer to :injus-
tice if, for instance, the giver was an
employee and opposed to his employer.
The same argument that is made in
favor ofssecret ballot gould be made in
Favor Of score cy az TO small contribu-
lions, BSitsfhis argument will notably
90 argeronfributions. If a man, gives
large Ii. g he publicshass right toknow
whether the gift measures a general
interest in the public. or is partsof an
implied contract whereby a retnrn.isl
to be secured in legislation QxinIn-
munitv. No corporation of ahyEkind
Should be? allowed to contribute4foial
campaign fund for$eorporations are
net organized above reasonable mini
mum should DE open: to inspec sienin
order that the voters may be made ac-
quainted witffgthe influences WHICH are
al. work sin The campaign. Why did
the Republican con yention turnsdown
this plank by such an overwhelming
vote i.sHhen~the president had asked for
pub icitys LEGISLATION and the Repubii-
can candidate for President had put
himself on record in favor oftsueh
legislation? And how fortunate. it:
that@sMr sTaft,s letter to Senator Bur
rows was brought to the attention Of
the pp hlica IF Iit=had mot appeared be-
fore thee onv ensfon,a. it would, have
been difficult to find after the conyen-
ton. There can be but one explanation
of the action of the Republican conven-
ton. namely, that it is; the intention of
those in charge of the Republican
party to- SECURE campaign funds from
sources which they dare not disclose.
: They are afraid of the light. sa&.
I But still more remarkable manifes-
tation of fcar.is to be found in the vote
of 500 to 114-7 to 1-by which they
turn <down, the proposition to- elect
United States Senator's by directvote
of the people. What does this mean?
Simply that the Republican leaders
distrnst popular government. Weselect
our Bongressmen by the people We
,,sz<-.1.H
elect our governors and State officers
by the people: we elect our President
and Vice President by the people,. III
the electersshaye no discretion-and no
eiecfor would dare TO vote contrary to
the sentiment of those who elected him
why are the people denied the right
to select Senators by direct vote?
There is one reason, and only oneAthe
United States. Senate today is the buI-I
wark of predatory weaIths favor-seela-
ing corporations have made tia deposit
tory of their power and they close the