Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-06-12

There was no demand by the voters

W Atbbt-f Rt'~ iSPANPShh'tiCh vi Nh1
Southern States in Congress, because
they have dlsfranchised an ignorant |
and corruptible vote for the purpose of
preventing negro domination. Win |
aud we'll wishe- OF progressive civilian |
ton declare the Republican party in
tended to reform political corruption |
by coupling the Publicity of campaign |
contribution project with negro suf- |
frage in the South?
Corruption in our elections is cry
ing evil and Publicity would mitigate
if not abolish it. 1t is possible that the
Democratic party woul1 have become
as corrupt as the exposures show Re-
publicans TO have been, if they had
been entrenehed with years of power
and opportunity. The report just pub
lished in the New York World, that
Mr.. Bryan's brother-in-law, Chairman
of the Nebraska Democratic State
Committee, was in New York solicit
ting Contributions In 1904 and succeed
ed in securing SIS, 600 donated by Mr..
L. +. Ryan, whom Mr.. Bryan con-
would hardly have happened if there
had been Publicity law.
No doubt Mr.. Bryan will be able to
show that the money was used for
legitimate campaign expenses; bat in
this case it is the source that Mr..
Bryan considers undesirable. This is
shown by the fact that MIR. Bryan de-
clares the amount will be returned TO
the donor. President Roosevelt, when
the source of Republican corruption
funds was exposed, vas said to be de-
termined that the funds filched from
the Life Insurance Companies, which
should have been sacred to the
widows and orphans of those who hold
policies i'll those ASSOCIATIONS s, should be
returned to them but his virtuous heart
was so modified that no restitution
was ever made. In fact President
Roosevelt himself soliced funds from
other tainted sources, which, at the re-
quest of the President, Mr.. Hartman
collected.
Judge Parker charged that such
funds had been collected, but President
Roosevelt denied it, and since the ex-
posture, Mr.. Roosevelt has never even
apologized to Judge Parker for placing
him in the Ananias class, much less
ord cred the return of the tainted money
to the Life Insurance Companies aud
10 Mr., Hartman. The publicity olll
is evidently needed 10 prevent such
scandals in future.
That level headed man, Governor
Johnson, of Minnesota, declares not
only for Publicity of campaign con
tributions, but that candidates for
nomination for President and eandi-
dates for other offices should publish
what they spend to achieve ambition.
If Secretary Taft and Mr.. Bryan would
endorse this suggestion of Governor
Johnson there would be no need for a
Publicity law, for Publicity weuld be-
| ~ NV NuStO.h3 anu PN'liC oplHloh
would enforce it,
GREAT indignation is being expressed
at that part of the speech of Secretary
Taft at the tomb of General Grant on
Memorial Day, which charged Grant
with too much fondness for whiskey.
Mr.. Taft tries to quiet his critics by
/ explaining that he wishes to empha
size Grants eventual Triumph over
tenn ptation, but his enemies retort
that he was not at Grants tomb on
Decoration Day to eXtort abstract
moralities from alleged facts but to eel
ebrate the military achievements of
the great General. 1t is probable this 1
Taft was throwing sop to the Prohib-
ltion sentiment, which has become so
intense that as candidate for Pres
ident he thought he could hardly
ignore it, But Mr.. Taft, like other
politicians before him, has discovered
that the prohibition issue is a two edged
sword and will wish he had let it
alone.
Robert Miller.