The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-02
Criticises Taft's Adoption of Roosevelt's Views.
PUBLICITY AFTER ELECTION
An Insult to the Intelligence of
 Voters.
The Nebraskan Says the People Have . Just Right to Know Who Contributes Money to the
 Campaign Funds.

every dislntereSteQ voter KNOWS that large contributions have. been used to secure mortgages upon officials. W. J. Bryan to night issued at Fairview. A | statement criticizing the adoption by W. H. Taft, his Republican opponent for President, of President Roosevelt's announced view on the subj ject of the publicity of campaign contributions. MT. Taft" says MT. Bryan. makes the same charge the President does--
 the astounding charge that the voters | are so liable to be misled' that the
 Knowledge Gas to the amounts and sources of campaign contributions) l must be kept from them."
 The Democratic nominee then adds.
 T insist that this is an insult to the intelligence of the voter, and 1t does little credit to MT. Taft's judg- his appeal"
 Following is the complete text of Mir. Bryan's statement:
 T am surprised to find that Mir. Taft indorses the Presidents views on the subject of publicity as to campaign contributions. but since he holds these views. I am glad that he makes them known now. We now have publicity before the election as to his opinion. even if he does not believe in pub licity of contributions until after the election. He fails to see the differ- ence between the publication of con- tribntions before election and the pub- iication of expenditures after election. The publication of expenditures Is re- quired to show whether corrupt meth ods have been employed in the election. and as the expenditures continue up to. the close of the polls, it would be impossible to make a complete pubii- cation until after the election. The publication of contributions ought tc be before election; the main reason l for the publication Of contributions | before election is to show the public ! the sources from which the eontribu- tions come in order that the public | may know which party predatory fn- l terests are supporting. Every one I who knows human nature. knows that I the element of gratitude must always l ba considered In human affairs. Every l disinteFested voter knows that large contributions have been used to se- cure mortgages upon officials. The pub iication of contributions s4srows great deal more light upon the influ- ence at work in politics than the pub lications Of expenditures. .forsthe pub- lication of contribuptions. shows to whom the party is indebted and to
 whom repayment Is likely to be made. ., To Prevent Bribery.
 "Mr Taft says that The proper object of a publicity law is to prevent the use of money for bribery and oth- CT improper purposes. in elections and
 to enable the law officers of the Gov ernment and the public 10 determine
 whether the contrib utions made were properly expended for legitimate pur- poses And he adds: The require ment that the names and amounts of the persons contributing should also be shown Is for the purpose of en- abling the public and the prosecuting officers of the Government to judge
 whether subsequent official action has been improperly affected in favor of the contributors by the successful can didate.'
 This. he says, canA all be accom- plished by publication after the elec- tion. He then proceeds to endorse the position taken by the President. declar- Ing that the chief objection to the publication of contributions before the election is that 1t makes 1t certain that In the heat of the controversy the motive of those who contribute to pay the legitimate expenditures of the campaign will be misconstrued, per verted and misrepresented,
 ''The candidate also, he insists, fin whose behalf the contributions are made, will be charged in the most un- fair way as being completely under the control of those who make the contributions.
 Here he makes the same charge that the President does, the astounding charge that the voters are So liable to be misled that the knowledge must be kept from them. I insist that 1t is an insult to the intelligence of tho voters, and 1t does little credit to Mfr. Taft's opinion of the men to whom he is making his appeal.
 President Roosevelt may have made his statement thoughtlessly. and on the impulse of the moment, but MT Taft brings the same indictment against the voters with deliberation, and after he has read a criticism of the Presidents views.
 Won't Bear Light.
 Tt is fair to charge, therefore. that Mir. Taft Is either expecting to receive contributions which would arouse sus- picion among an intelligent people, or contributions which. if known. would arouse an unjust suspicion among a people too ignorant to form a correct Judgment unon the facts. This is an evasion VI. h he can neither retract nor excuse. It can only be explained by consciousness that Republican campaign methods will not bear the light and that it would be dangerous to his party if the public knew be- fore the election whst he promises to make public after the election.
 His subsequent argument that thTN publication before election of the names and amounts would discourage those who desire to contribute to the legitimate purpose of the campaign by exposing them to the bitter dis- tribes of unfair attacks or slanderous condemnation of partisans in an cleo toral light, ought to have little weight when 1t is considered that. such pub lication will be efiaclous in dlscourag- ing thosa who now desire to contrib ute to illegitimate expenses and for the purpose of putting officials under obligations to them. While publlca- tions after the election may enable us TO judge whether subsequent of fcial action has been improperly af- fected In favor of the contributors by the successful candidate' this is of very small value compared with the benefit to be degived from the publi. cation of contributions before cleo. ton.
 The people have a right to form