The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-01-02
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE CANNOT
SPEND MUCH MONEY.
Only Two Legitimate Items of Elk.
pense Are Permitted Under
New Primary Law.

Vhay NO Legitimate IlemS OF EX.
pense Are Permitted Under
New Primary Law.
Candidates for public Office who are
beginning to think of their plan of cam.
palgn are giving some thought and
burning some midnight oil studying
two bills enacted into law during the
last session of the legislature.
One of these, the primary election
law, provides thata candidate can not
hire anyone to work in his interest dur
ing the campaign. The other law re-
quires that every candidate must file
statement of his expenses giving full
information to whom and for what pur-
pose all money was paid and the central
committees expense law is one of the
most drastic that has been passed by
any state. 1t passed late in the session
Of the legislature and did not attract a
great deal of attention at the time.
What it lacked in attention then, how
ever, it is likely to receive now for be-
cause of it the coming campaign in this
state must be conducted on an entirely
different basis from the campaigns of
the past.
There are just two things that the
primary election law allows candidate
to do. They are:
First-Advertise through the news
papers announcing his candidacy.
Secondary persons for circulating
petitions for signatures.
The primary election law specifically
prohibits under penalty Of $500 or
imprisonment in tho county Jail for
ninety days any person offering to per-
form or performing any service in the
interests of candidate for a money
consideration or other thing of value
and prohibits any candidate paying or
giving or Offering to pay or give to any
person any money or thing Of tvalue in
return for services, except as noted
above for newspaper advertising or for
circulating petitions for signatures re-
quired on nomination papers.
The candidates expense law reaches
everything, state, district, county and
municipality. The language of the law
is every candidate for any Office to be
voted for at any primary, municipal or
general election" Here is what this
law does RI a candidate.
He must file detailed expense &C
count.
He is not immune from testimony.
Chairman of party committees must
file like statements.
Such statements are to be open to
public inspection.
Threats at or near the polls are pro,
hibited.
The penalty is $500 or Imprisonment
The statements Of candidates and Of
central committees must be filed with
in ten days after the primary or cleo
sion. In the case of the candidate he
must file within ten days after the pri
mary. If he is nominated he must file
another statement within ten days after
the election. The statement of the
central committee must be filed after
the election.
These statements must be "true
correct, detailed, sworn statement
showing each and all sums of money OF
other things of value discussed, ex
pended or promised directly or in
3 directly by him. and to the best of his
knowledge and belief by any other per
son or persons in his behalf for the pur
pose of aiding or securing his nomin
alton or election" Further, the Law
says: "Such statement shall show the
dates, amounts, and from whom suct
sums of money or other things of value
were received; and the dates, amounts
and shall include the assessment of any
person, committee or organization il
charge of the campaign Of such candi
date"
Thls is taken by politicians to near
that if a candidate promises an appoint
ment to anyone he must make note Of
it lin his statement. Appointment to 8
public position is certainly thing o.
value and the law requires that all be
reported.
The statements of state, district ant
county central committees must b.
made by the chairman of the commit
tees and the law provides that the,
shall contain all the information re
quired to be filed by candidates" and il
addition "shall state the amounts o.
balances remaining on hand" For tn,
central committees this means that thu
information as to who makes the con
tributions for the campaign shall b.
public property hereafter. The state
ment of the central committee mus
show the names Of the persons making