Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-07-22
A POLITICAL PARTY AFRAID.

the Republican party admits that it is
afraid of the truth. What objection
can there be to finding out what the
railroads are actually worth? If they
are over-capitalized, the country ought
to know it; if they are not over
capitalized, the railroads them
selves ought to be glad to have
the fact announced. So long as the
truth is concealed. there will be ex-
aggeration on both sides-those who
lean to the side of the railroads de-
nying that there is over-capitalization,
and those who demand rate reduction
insisting that the over-capitalization
is considerable We ought to know
the truth. But the Republican party
shows by the action which the con-
vention took that it is
Afraid of the Truth.
The timidity of the Republican lead
ers was even more emphasized in the
vot. of $50 to 94-9 to rejecting
the plank providing for publicity as to
campaign contributions and expendi-
lures. They are even afraid of the
light, for publicity would throw light
upon politics. Elections are public
| affairs and they ought to be conduct
ed in a public way. Secrecy as to
campaign methods and as to the in
fiuences which affect elections is in
defenSible methods. If the demand
was for the publication of past con-
tributions and expenditures, the Re-
publican convention might have of
made and money expended without
expectation of publicity could not be
made public without some embarrass-
| ment to those giving and receiving,
but such an excuse can not be offered
for law applying to future contribu-
tons and disbursements. 1t is not
necessary that small contributions
shall be made public, and to make
these public might subject the giver
to injustice if, for instance, the"giver
was an employe and opposed to his
employer The same argument that
is made in favor of the secret ballot
| could be made in favor of secrecy
as to small contributions, but this ar
gument will not apply to large con-
| trlbutions. If man gives largely,
the public has a right to know wheth-
er the gift measures a general inter-
est in the public, or is part of an i'm
piled contract whereby a return is
to be secured in legislation or in i'm
munity. No corporation of any kind
| should be allowed to contribute to a
campaign fund, for corporations are
not organized for political purposes,
and individual contributions above a
| reasonable minimum should be open
| to inspection in order that the voters
may be made acquainted with the in
| fiuences which are at work in the
campaign. Why did the Republican
convention turn down this plank by
such an overwhelming vote when the
| president had asked for publicity leg
| islation and the Republican candidate
for president had put himself on
record in favor of such legislation?
And how fortunate it is that Mr..
| Tafts letter to Senator Burrows was
brought to the attention of the pub
lie, If it had not appeared before
the convention, it would have been
difficult to find after the convention.
There can be but one explanation of
the action of the Republican conven-
ton, namely, that it is the intention
of those in charge of the Republican
party to secure campaign funds from
sources which they dare not disclose.
They are
Afraid of the Light.
But a still more remarkable mani
festation of fear is to be found in
the vote of S66 to 114-7 to by
which they turned down the PROPOSE
ton to elect United States senators
by direct vote of the people. What
does this mean? Simply that the Re-
publican leaders distrust popular
government. We elect our congress-
man by the people; we elect our gov.
ernors and state officers by the peo-
pie; We elect our president and vice
president by the people. If the
electors have ne discret:on-and
no elector would dare to vote
contrary to the sentiment Of
those who elected him-why are the
people denied the right to select sena-
tors by direct vote? There is one
reason, and only one-the United
States senate to-day is the bulwark
of predatory wealth; favor-seeking
corporations have made it a deposit
tory of their power and they close
the door to reform. Every remedial
law must have the sanction of the
senate as well as the approval of the
house and the president. So long as
the exploiting interests can control
the senate, they can hold the people
at bay, and this is why the Republi.
can convention insolently thwarted the
purpose of those Republicans who
sympathize with the desire of the PEG.
pie in their demand for relief from
present conditions. Surely the rank
and file of the Republican party will
express their indignation at this open
and obvious distrust of the people
The Republican party has added to its
many sins this objectionable one, that
it is