Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-08-20

evident alarm. indicates that be has
read Il carefully. He even had before
him the action Of the Democratic IA
tiona, committee IN interpreting and
applying that platform; and yet, he
fails to say that he favors the public.-
ton Of the contributions before the
election. OF course. il satisfies a nat
ural curiosity 10 find out how an cleo
ton has been purchased. even when
the knowledge comes too late to be OF
service but why should the people he
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 public affair. The
people. exercising the right to select
their officials and TO decide upon the
policies to he pursued, proceed TO their
several polling places on election day
and register their will. What excuse
can be given for secrecy as - the in
fuences at work? II man, pecun-
iarily interested In concentrating the
control Of the railroads in one manage
ment." suhscrbes large sum - aid in
carrying the election. why should hi,
part IN the campaign be concealed I'M
Ill he has put the officials under obi
CATION TO him: Ii trust magnate
contributes 100000 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 po'
sitionsf
This is not new question; it is
question which has been aCitated-a
question which the Republican leaders
fully understand-a question which the
ReNblcan candidate has studied, and
set he refuses to declare himself in IA
vor Of the legislation absolutely neces-
sary. namely legislation requiring pub
lication before the election.
Democratic Party Promises Publicity.
How can the people hope to rule, il
they are not able 70 leara until after
the election what the predatory inter
ests are doing: The Democratic party
meets the issue honestly and coura-
geously. 1t says:
We pledge the Democratic party to
the enactment Of law prohibiting any
corporation from contributing to
campaign fund. and any individual
from contributing an amount above a
reasonable maximum, and providing
for the publication, before election, Of
all such contributions above a reason
able minimum"
The Democratic national committee
Immediately proceeded To interpret and
apply this plank. announcing that no
contributions would be received from
corporations. that 40 Individual would
be allowed to contribute more than
$4,000, and that all contributions
above 500 would be made public be-
fore the election-thoSe received before
October 10 TO be made public on or
before that day. those received after
ward TO be made public on the day
when received, and no such contribu-
tons to be accepted within three days
Of the election. The expenditures are
to be published after election. Here
IS a plan which Is complete and effec-
tive.
Popular Election Of Senators.
Next to the corrupt use Of money
the present method of eecting United
States senators Is most responsible for
the obstruction of reforms. For one
! hundred years after the adoption of
/ the constitution, the demand for the
/ popular eleoiio ion Of senators. while find
/ ing increased expression, did not be-
| come dominant sentiment. \ con-
stitutional amendment had from time
to time been suggested and the matter
| had been more or less discussed IN n
few of the states. but the movement
1 had not reached a point where it mani
Tested itself through congressional ac-
ton. In the Fifty-second congress.
however, a resolution was reported
from a house committee proposing the
necessary constitutional amendment,
and this resolution passed the house
of representatives by a vote which
was practically unanimous. In the
Fifty-thrd congress a similar reSolu-
ion was reported to. and adopted by.
the house OF representatives. Both
he Fifty-second and Fifty-third CON
crosses We're Democratic. The Repub-
Leans gained control Of the house as
n result of the election Of 1894 and in
The Eifty-fourth congress the PROPOSE
tion died in committee. AS time went
on. however, the sentiment grew among
the people until II forced Il Republican
congress to follow the example set by
the Democrats. and then another and
another Republican congress acted IA
vorably. State after state has endorsed
his reform. until nearly two-thirds Of
the states have recorded themselves in
it's favor. The United States senate,
however. impudently and arro@antly
obstructs the passage Of the resolution,
Notwithstanding the fact that the vot-
crs Of the United States. by an over
whelming majority, demand it. And
this refusal Is the more significant
when it is remembered that a number
0f senators owe their election to great
corporate interests Three Democratic
national platformS-the platforms of
1900, 1904 and specifically call
for a change In the constitution which
| will nut the election Of senators In the