The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-13

sion, relieved me of the necessity of fur nishing the proof; he admits the eondl- tion and he cannot avoid the logical con clusion that must be drawn from the admission. There is no doubt whatever that a large majority of the voters Of the republican party recognize that the masses have had but little influence upon legislation or upon the administration of the government and they are beginning to understand the cause. For a genera tion the republican party has drawn it's | campaign funds from the benefciaries of | special legislation. Privileges have been pledged and granted in return for money contributed 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 reimburse themselves out of the pockets of the taxpayers?
 Fasting In Wilderness Necessary.
 So long as the republican party re- mains in power, it is powerless to re- ] generate itself. It cannot attack wrong doing in high places without disgracing many of it's prominent members, and | it, therefore, uses opiates instead of the surgeons knife. It's malefactors construe each republican victory as an 1 indorsement of their conduct and i threaten the party with defeat if they
 
 party passes through a period of fast ing in the wilderness, will the repub lfcan leaders learn to study public questions from the standpoint of the | masses. Just as with individuals, "the cares of this world and the deceitful ness 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, con tinued 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 campaign contributions and expendI- 1 lures; but the republican leaders, even in the face of an indignant public, fused to consent to law which would compel honesty in elections. When the matter was brought up in the recent republican national convention, the plank was repudiated by a vote of SS0 to 94 Here, too, MT. Taft has been driven to apologize for his convention and to declare himself 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 requirements of the situa i tion. He says:
 If I am elected President, shall l urge upon Congress, with every hope of success that a law be passed re- quiring the filing, in a federal office, of statement of the contributions re- ceived by committees and candidates l in elections for members of Congress, i and in such other elections as are con stitutionally within the control of Con- gress."
 l shall not embarrass him by ask | ing him upon what he bases his hope of | success; it is certainly not on any en- | couragement he has received from re- publican leaders. It is sufficient to say that if his hopes were realized-if, in spite of the adverse action of his con 1 Vention, he should succeed in securing the enactment of the very law which he favors, it would give but partial I relief He has read the democratic platform; not only his language, but his evident alarm, indicates that he has read 1t carefully. He even had befors him the action of the democratic na- tional committee in interpreting and applying that platform; and yet. he fails to say that he favors the publica- tion of the contributions before the election. Of course. it satisfies a na- | tural curiosity to find out how an cleo tion has been purchased, even when the knowledge comes too late to be of service, but why hould the people be kept in darkness until the election Is past? Why should the locking of the door be delayed until the horse is gone?
 An Election Public Affair.
 An election is a public affair." The people, exercising the right to select their officials and to decide upon the policies to be pursued, proceed to their several polling places on election day and register their will What excuse can be given for secrecy as to the in | fluences at work? If man, pecuni- | arily 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 concealed until he has put the officials under ob- ligation to him? If a trust magnate contributes $100,000 to elect political friends to office. with 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 q question which has been agitated-a question which the republican leaders | fully understand-a question which tn Q republican candidate has studied, and yet he refuses to declare himself in | favor of the legislation absolutely nec- essary, namely, legislation requiring | publication before the election.
 Democratic Party Promises Publicity.
 How can the people hope to rule, If | they are not able to learn until after the election what the predatory inter- ests are doing? The democratic party meets the issue honestly and courage | ously. It says:
 | we pledge the democratic party to the enactment of a law prohibiting any cor poration from contributing to campaign fund, and any individual from contribut- | ing an amount above reasonable maxi mum, and providing for the publication, before election, of all such contributions above a reasonable minimum"
 The democratic national committee i'm mediately proceeded to interpret and ap- ply this plank, announcing that no con- tributions would be received from cor porations, that no individual would be allowed to contribute more than $10O00 and that all contributions above s100 would be made public before the election those received before October 15 to be made public on or before that day, those | received afterward to be made public on l the day when received and no such con- tributions to be accepted within three days of the election. The expenditures are to be published after the election. Here is a plan which is complete and | effective