The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-13

| congress to correct it, We find moth
ing done for the protection Of the
public. Why? Ny honorable OppOn-
ent has, by his confession, relieved
me of the necessitoy of furnishing
proof; he admits the condition and
| he cannot avoid the logical cOncius-
| ion that must be drawn from the ad-
mission There is no doubt whatever
| that a large majority of the voters of
| the republican party recognize the de-
| plOrable situation which Mr. Taft de-
| scTibes: they recognize that the mass
| es have had but little influence upon
| legislation or upon the administration
of the government. and they are be-
ginning to understand the cause For
| a generation, the republican party has
drawn it's campaign funds from t.
| beneficiaries of special legislation.
Privileges have been pledged and
granted in return for money contrib
uted TO debauch elections. What can
be expected when official authority is
turned over to the representatives of
those who first furnish the sinews of
war and then REIN urSe themselves
out OF the pockets of the taxpayers?
Fasting in Wilderness Necessary
So long as the republican party re-
mains in power, it is poweTleSs to re-
generate itself 1t can not attack
wrong-doing in high places without
disgracing many of its prominent
members, and il, therefore, uses OPT
ates instead of the surgeons knife.
It's malefactOTS COnStrue each Tepubli-
can victory as an endorsement Of their
conduct and threaten the party with
defeat if they are interfeTed with Not
until that party passes through a Pc
Rod of fasting in the wilderness will
the republican leaders learn to study
public questions frCS1 the standpoint
of the masses Just as with individ-
uals, the cares of this world and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the
truth so, in politics, when party
leaders serve far away from home
and are not in constant contact with
the voters, continued party success
blinds their eyes to the needs of the
people and makes them deaf to the
cry of distress.
Publicity as to Campaign Contribu-
tions.-An effort has been made to
secure legislation requiring publicity
as to capaign contributions and ex-
penditures; but the republican lead
ers, even in the face of an indignant
public, refused to consent to a law
which would compel honesty in cleo
tons. When the matter was brought
up in the recent republican national
convention, the plank was repudiated
by vote of $50 to "a. Here, too, Mr..
Taft has been driven to apologize for
his convention and to declare hun
self in favor Of a publicity law; and
yet, If you will read what he says
upon this subject, you will find that
his promise falls far short of the re-.
quirementS of the situation. He says:
IF 1 am elected president, | shall
urge upon congress, with every hope
of success, that a law be passed re-
quiring the filing, in federal office,
of a statement of the contributions
received by committees and c9ndj-
dates in elections for members of COZ
gress, and in such other elections AS
are constitutionally within the control
of congress-"
/ shall not EN- barrass him by ask
ing him upon what he bases his hone
of success; it is certainly not on any
encouragement he has received from |
leaders 1t is sufficient to |
say that if his hopes were realized
if, in spite of the adverse action Of |
his convention, he should succeed IN |
securing the enactment of the very
law he favOTs. il would give but partial |
relief He has read the democratic |
platform; not only his language, but /
his evident alarm. indicates that Ne |
has read ii carefully. He eyei had
before him. the action of the demo-
cratic national committee in interpret
ing and applying that platform: and |
yet, he fails to say that he favorS the |
publication of the contributions before |
the election. OF course. il satisfies a !
natural curiosity to find out how an |
election has been purchased, even |
when the knowledge comes too Iate |
TO be of service. hut why should the 1
people be kept in darkness until the |
election is past2 Why should the
locking Of the door he DELAYED until 1
the horse is gomez
An Election a Public Affair.-An /
election is public affair. The peO-
pie. exercising the right to select their
officials and TO decide upon the pol
icies to be pursued. proceed to their /
several polling places on election dav
and register their will What excuse /
can be given for secrecy as to the in
huenCeS a. work. II a man, pocUni-
ariiy interested in concentrating the /
control Of the railroads in one manage
ment- subscrIbes a large sum TO aid
IN carrying the election. why should /
his part in the campaign be conceal
ed until he has put the officials under
obligation TO him? If a trust magnatc
contributes 100000 to elect political
friends to OfTlCe. with a view to pre-
venting hostile legislation. why should
that fact be concealed until his friends
are securely seated in their official
POSITIONS
This is not new question It is a
question which has been aCitated-a /
question which the republican leaders
rulIy understands question which
the republican candidate has studied.
and Yet he refuses to declare him self
in favor OF the legislation absolutely