Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-11-27
PUBLICIT HAS. HAD MARKED
 RESULTS
BIG REFORM ORGANIZATION BETS OUT IN ADDRESS RESULTS
 ACCOMPLISHED.
New Laws Governing Contributions to Political Campaigns Have Already Gone Far Towards Preventing Wrong full Assistance from Corporations.

and adopted the following address con. corning the publication of the campaign contributions and expenditures of the two national political parties.
 "The movement inaugurated by the National Publicity Law Organization at the close of the presidential cleo of 1904, while not yet successful in se- curing legislation by congress, has been instrumental in establishing the initial test of publicity of campaign contribu- tions and expenditures in national elee- tions. The Democratic National Com m.tee has followed the provisions of the proposed legislation in congress for publication before and after election. The Republican National Committee has voluntarily placed itself under the New York statute, which provides that
 eff any person K xor committee fails to file statement or account as above required or files statement which does not conform to the forego ing requirements xx the supreme court or any justice thereof, may compel by order in proceedings for contempt, such person or committee 10 flo sufficient l statement or account xxx. Applica- tion for an order, as prescribed herein may be made by the attorney general, district attorney, a candidate voted for at the election in respect to which the allegations in such petition may relate, or by any five qualified voters who vot cd at such meeting.
 "All election laws and regulations are subject to evasions or violations, in. tention and unintentional, but seldom has first experience under a new stat ute Or regulation resulted in such pub lie benefit or been so indicative of ul- timatc success. cheek has been put upon the large secret contributions of lcorporations and individuals with the understanding that political debts are thus incurred by; party organizations. Stockholders and policy-holders no long. CT helplessly witness the expenditure of corporate funds for political purposes. | Corporations and candidates are protect ed against exactions that were constant ly increasing. The enormous and un. necessary campaign expenditures in re- cent years, affording opportunity and encouragement to corruption, have been | materially diminished. It is now the ac- cepted opinion that contribution to political committee has no right to sec recy. The false conception that in re- spect to political contributions the indi- vidual has the right. to. use his money as be sees fit no longer exists in disre- gard of long established restrictions upr on the use of money in elections. 1t is now admitted that campaign fund pub licity is not an unnecessary Interference with alleged individual rights, and that | publicity is essential in determining the propriety of motives prompting polit- ! ical contributions The difference in principle is now fully recognized, dis tinguishing subscriptions to charitable and other organizations having limited relations to the public welfare from those made to political organizations entrusted with important public func- tions, and the powers of political cam | paign committees thus come within the purview of governmental supervision. The publicity of campaign contributions and expenditures, the purpose and effect of which is to influence the elector in the exercise of public function is therefore regarded as sn effective rem edy and an indisputable public right. | Campaign money is now acknowledged to be public money.
 FSecrecy of the ballot is based upon the necessity of protecting the voter from the coercion or inducement of -iT~ proper influences. Campaign fund pub licity is required as equally essential 1 and strikes directly at the existence of such influences. This is the fundamen
 tai principle from which the National Publicity Law Organization and it's New York State branch have contended in promoting the enactment of a state law and in compelling the attention of congress to the necessity of federal leg islation. At no stage of this movement has there been any open opposition in Washington. Even the controlling DOW CTS of the House of Representatives, not desiring legislation before the presiden- tial campaign, brought about the pass age of bill containing all the pro visions advocated by our organization for publication before and after elction, but by arbitrarily attaching force bill to that measure during the closing days of the last session of congress, rem dcred it impossible of enactment at that time. All the presidential capdi- dates in the last election, republican and democratic governors just elected, some of whom have been included'in tho mem- bership of our organization since its formation, Governor Hughes of New York, Governor Johnson of Minnesota, Governor-eleet Harmon of Ohio, and Gov ernor-elect Marshall of Indiana, have de- clared themselves in favor of National and State Publicity laws. The organi- zation has reason to believe that it will continue to have the active cooperation . of such men and it will steadfastly pro mote, so far as it can through it's state branches, the enactment of publicity laws in states where they do not at pres