The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-10-01
TAT rs POSITION
ON PUBLICITY OF
CONTRIBUTIONS
Accepts Bryan's Challenge to
to Stand Beside President
CHARGES AGAINST HUGHES
Rufutes Allegation Of Nebraskan That
New York Governor Is Allied
with Trusts and Corporations

Lincoln, Neb., Oct Accept
ing the challenge Of William J. Bryan
right in the home city of the Nebras-
kan William II. Taft has given out
a statement indorsing President Roo
seyelt's position on the policy Of cam
paign contributions. The statement
follows.
"Mr Bryan challenges me to take
the same position that President
Roosevelt takes with reference to
the time when publicity should be
publicity of both constitutions and
accept the challenge. take ex-
actly the same position that the
president takes. / have always been
in favor OF a law which will require
publicity of both contributions and
expenses Immediately after election.
Mr.. Bryan seems to favor the publ
cation of contributions before cleo
ton, but postponed the publication
of expenditures until after that time.
confess | see no reason why, If con
tributious are TO be published before
elections, expenditures should not also
be published / think that the char
acter of expenditures Is quite as inn
portant as the character and source
of the contributions.
II do not know of any election
law, either in this country or abroad,
which requires the publication of
contributions or expenditures before
the lection The law OF Nebraska
on this subject, only requires the
publication of contributions and ex-
penditures after the election. This
was the law which the democratic
managers in 1904 in Nebraska so
fiagrantly violated by failure to re-
turn the receipt of $4,000 from Mr..
Thomas f. Ryan. The most drastic
law in this country on the subject is
that of New York, which also makes
the time OF publication after cleo
ton.
The proper object of a publicity
law is to prevent the use of money
for bribery and other improper pur-
poses in elections and to enable the
law officers OF the government and
the public TO determine whether the
contributions made were properly
expended for legitimate purposes
The requirement that the names and
amounts of the persons contributing
should be also shown is for the pur-
pose of enabling the public and the
prosecuting officers of the govern
ment to Judge whether subsequent
official action has been improperly
affected in favor of the contributions
by the successful candidate. This
can all be accomplished by publica-
ton after the election.
There is no man in the country
who has demonstrated more complete
~ his entire freedom from corporate
control than Gov Hughes by his ad-
mmistration of state affairs and yet
| for partisan purposes and without the
! slightest evidence except the contri-
buttons, Mr.. Bryan refers to him as
being completely under trust iniu-
ence.
"A rigid law requiring the publica'
ton in detail of contributions and eX-
penditures within 10 days after the
election so that the public may know
where the money came FROM how
much was expended and for what II
was expended is all that public policy
requires. The publication of such con
tributions will make the successful
candidate most careful in deciding
questions in which contributors may
subsequently have a personal interest
in order 10 avoid any inference o
improper influence thereby.
THE known publicity to be giveI
to contributions after the election
will greatly reduce the probabilit!
that contribution will be made To-
the purpose of seeking privileges o.
favors at the hands of the candidate
and tends to secure purity of mo
tive in the making of such contribu
tons. Mr.. Bryan looks rather to tn,
publication of such contributions 70
platform purposes and reference
than to the main purpose of a publ
city law which is to secure the pull
lie against bribery in elections ant
the improper influence OF official ac
ton