The Democratic advocate., 1908-09-11
The Substantial Difference.

With the design of covering the
weak and exposed positions of the Re
publican party in regard to publicity
of campaign contributions, some of
it's organs are making much-ado about
the Democratic declaration on this
subject. While the Democratic plat
form errs in favoring the enactment
of a law to prohibit corporations
from contributing money to political
campaign, when such a law of Con-
gress is already in existence, the es-
sence of the declaration is in it's
pledge to publish all contributions
before the election" This is what
the Republican National Convention
refused deliberately to declare in its
platform. But Promoter Sheldon,
who has succeeded Cornelius N. Bliss
as holder of the Republican bag, says
that he will publish all campaign con-
tributions after the election"-that
is to say, after the corruption money
levied upon the managers and bene-
ficiaries of the predatory Trusts shall
have done it's work. The several
amounts of these gifts are to be care
fully withheld as a secret from the
people, who alone have vital inter-
est in the matter until publicity ceases
to serve any other purpose than
the qualification of curiosity. The
Democrats, on the contrary, intend
to publish all campaign contributions
when the information will be of value
to the public.
Therein lies the substantial differ
ence between the two parties on this
question of securing an honest cleo
ton. The Democrats are pledged to
an open, aboveboard campaign in
which nothing is withheld from the
people which they have right to
know. The Republican managers, on
the other hand, are resorting to Sc
crecy and hugger-mugger, while max
ing parade of their strong desire for
publicity. For example, the public
has a great concern in learning now
or before the election just how much
the wealthy beneficiaries of the Steel
Trust, the Lumber Trust, the Sugar
Trust and the rest of the tarln-Dut-
tressed combinations are contributing
to the Republican campaign FUNDS IN
order to perpetuate the privilege or
preying upon the American people
Promoter Sheldon says he will publish
the list of contributors when the cleo
tion is over and when publicity is OF
little or no public utility.
Yet The Outlook, in seeking to
cover the nakedness of the Republican
party in a great issue of public moral
ity lying at the heart of democratic
institutions, is led to say: In the
meantime all good citizens can take
pleasure in seeing these two great
parties competing for the honors In
a game of campaign publicity" what
kind of game of honors is that IN
which one of the two parties is play
ing his cards under the table? But
what better evidence OF the spirit
of the leaders of the Republican party
than the maneuver by which the he
publicans in the recent session OF
Congress defeated campaign publ
city This is what Senator LaFoliette
has denounced as trick and oes-
picable politics." A trick" and
"despicable politics" in the represen-
tatives of the Republican party is
what it remains in spite OF all SUD-
sequent attempts to throw over II
veil of decency If good citizens can
take pleasure" in the position OF the
Republican party on this issue they
are easily gratified.