Evening star., 1908-01-30
PARTISAN USE OF MONEY
Duty of the Voter to Give for Cam
paign Expenses.
HEARING OF HOUSE COMMITTEE
Corruption in Elections Declared to
Be an Evil That Should
Be Remedied.

An elect ion is y public affair, ana par
ticipaton il politics is a civic duty Ali
arguments used in elections should be
used publicly. and all means employed To
secure the election Of or to defeat a candi-
date should be means which the one using
them would not be ashamed 10 have the
world know
This cpitomizcs the views % William j.
Bryan on the subject Of publicity of cam
paisn contributions as expressed today
be fore Ike House committee on election
of President and Vice President.
The meeting was called for the special
purpose of hearing Mr.. Bryan, and in
addition to the full membership, there
were present Perry Belmont and Samuel
Gompers and other labor leaders.
Mr.. Bryan declared that reforms come
only when abuses are recognized. Not
until there is an evil to be remedied." he
said, does one think upon remedy
Evil in American Politics.
The one thing to be -cmedied in Amer
lean politics, he continued, was the Use
of money to secure control of the govern
ment, the money being advanced by
those antagonstic to the public purse. >
said. 1t must b. because he has some
thing TO gain that he did not want the
world to know or that he dfStruStS the i'll
teliigence and patriotism of the people.
Mr. Bryan insisted that the most i'm
portant thing to he done was TO make
the campaign contribution known before
the election. He recognized that there
was an advantage in finding out after
the horse is stolen how the door was un
.oclled, but, he said. Il think il mucl
better to find out before the horse i:
stolen that theft is contemplated Iht
trouDle about the publication of eXpend
,ures after elections was that the knowl
edge came too late To be of any adVantd2'
TO the people in that campaign. 1t wa
very easy to change the committee ant
personnel OF the organizations, he Stlld
and then make scapegoats OF those wh'
had been in charge Of the elections.
Duty of Voter to Contribute.
Mr.. Bryan declared that there could b
no objection to any one making a cam
paign cont ribut;on IF that contribution
represents his patriotic interests in a pub
lie cause" He said it was the duty .
the people to contribute to the expens,
of disseminating campaign material bI
way of education.
1t had been charged he said, tha
Chairman corte.you had received contri
buttons from 6.aHS contributors as II.
he - id. 1t was matter IL deserve rec
ognition that so many p"op.c hdd con
tributed. Even if tnis were true n
argued. that they were very sim frdc
ton of the .pyt 600 voters for President
Roosevelt.
AS for the democratic party. Mr.. Bryal
said that in 1Sta, il had more contributor:
than in any previous campaign. MAnl
men would h.t $50 On the result uf AZ
election who would not contribute 50 Z
d campaign fund.
Influence of Contributors.
Mr. Bryan, however voiced his oppos
ton to the principle of allowing only |
few men TO provide campaign funds. Il
70 lows almost as a matter OF necessity,
ne said that these few men will hay,
an influence after The election entirely on
of proportion to their numbers ." 10 the
influence they ought 10 nave. In otneI
WoraS Saiu Mr. Bryan. "wi,h0ut any in
.1nt4on Of vi, ,lding to the entreat.es o
lnese men. Without any conscious sacri
nee OF the pu0llc Interest 10 the private
lain. these men who contribute idrgt
sums naturally and almost necessa nA
nave this influence because of the contr
Dution.
Mr. Bryan said he was glad President
Roosevelt had taken the matter UP. ''iie
..aS spoken SO pIanly on the subject o.
publicity OF campaign contributions. sac
NJ l..
mat am 4 democrat will not place Sus
,licion upon nv argument. Tor | think
nave the same interest in this matter thai
the President has cAprC s. 'd. iln d.
&larcd lie i!ad a Tar greater interest il
government AMI in public questions tEal
N personal concern about The success ri
IN Individual. and hc added Il Is.
sumo that President Roosevelt and those
who. like him hHNc spoken out in the re-
publican party. ave the same broad gen
ela interest that hdNt democrats VINO
nave spoken out
Chairman Gaines Interrupted with tht
remark that the difficulty Of the com
.nittee had been in agreeing upon plan
% accomplish the sired purpose.
Mr. Bryan replied that he recognized
the difficulty If getting law sufficient. !
comprehensive in its material puroGst
which would not invade thc sphere ot the
,tat ) but he believed one could b,
enacted along the lines Indicated
Pats 20 X" on Cochran.
forgive and forget, Tor liz unparalleled,
placed the brand OF democracy upon Rep
resantaiiHe William Bourkc Cochran o
New York than whom til r. was non.
who more bitterly opposed him i'll tn,
campaign uf lc.f.
NJ. Bryan was saying that the suhjec
OF publicity in contributions MAS n"j
PARTISAN ono. and that H. did not advo
cat" the passage of such law IN :
partisan spirit. lie referred IL the fac
tht: Mr.. Mccall had iniroduc one hi
upon tn. subject. and, said Mr.. Bryan
.'he is republican. Mr.. Cochran mas
offered another measure along simila,
lines. and he's u .mocrat. Mr.. Cock
ran sat beside the Slpe aker and apparent y
unconSciouSly nodded in approval.
NJ inbers Of the committee asked Mr.
Bryan various questions aS to his plan
for accompli$ hing the purposes sought
for and these were answered by Mr.
BRYAN to the effect that h. advocated
only the general principle involved. ano
thought the members of the committee
working in harmony on the subject. couC
construct Il measure which would be DrudC
enough to attain the ends sought auG
still he within constitutional limit itations
He left that matter entirely to the com
mittee, he said.
The members of the committee were
50 highly pleased with Mr.. Bryan'S re.
marks that they voted 10 ask To have
them printed for distribution.