Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-20
PUBLICITY BILL IS URGED
National Organization Addresses an
Open Letter to Congress.
ASKED TO AVOID COMPLICATIONS
Considered Better 20 Press Simple
Measure over which There IL
NO Party strife Than TO
Fail ms Last Year.

WASHINGTON. April 1s.-Congress is
urged TO action on legislation requiring the
publicity OF campaign funds in a petition
which will be prese nted to the senate to-
morrow by Senator Culberson Of Texas
and to the house of representatives by
Representative Mccall Of Massachusetts.
The petition Is signed by committee of
the national publicity organization and is
accompanied by letters from numerous
members of the organization. The action
was decided upon at meeting held Thurs
day at the residence of Perry Belmont, the
president of the organization. The petit
tiou reads:
The national publicity bill organization
respectfully urges congress TO enact AT the
present session a suitable law for the pub
licity, both before and after election, of
campaign contributions made to national
committees to be used in Influencing the
approaching election of November 3, 1903.
The organization Is constrained to make
this appeal at this time without urging con-
gressionsl legislation requiring publicity
contributions made 10 state committees or
state. The association has limited the scope
of its efforts to securing publicity OF con-
tributions made TO national committees and
congressional committees formed to In
fluence in more than one state elections
where members of the national house of
representatives are to be chosen, and TO
promote by all appropriate means state
Legislation designed to accomplish in every
state the same purpose of publicity
IL is thought that the wisest method of
preventing election corruption through
money contributions would not be through
national laws alone, nor through state laws
alone, but through both methods, each CO.
operating and not conflicting with the other
and both making the best and most effec-
tive system.
No Doubt of Authority.
1,l,fa xuot,l,Fs eartra harmonious cO-nnera-
tion of both the national and state iegis-
latures, and would avoid any discussion Of
troublesome constitutional questions. There
cannot he any doubt of the power OF con-
gress to do what we propose, nor any
doubt about the power OF the state to pro-
Xide the additional regulations desired. An
act of congress carefully farmed might
prove to be a model law for the states TO
allow.
that at this late day in the present session
1t Will be impossible to accomplish the
passage by congress of anything more than
a publicity law applicable to national COM
mittees and congressional committees oper-
aung in more tnan one state. The differ
ences In the last congress between those
who sought to do this and those who sought
to do more proved fatal to any legislation
whatever. II is TO aid in preventing another
such fatality that the association makes its
The National. Publicity Bill organization
is non-partisan and hopes that the efforts
to secure the beneficial laws so much
needed win not become involved In the con-
troversies of political parties. But II is i'm
possible TO overlook the IaCt mat the pies
ent minority party Will impose upon the
majority party the weighty responsibility
for the failure Of any iasislatinn. " such
failure shall ensue. To avoid such de-
plorabe political issue, should not the
members of both parties unite in postponing
all propositions on which there may be
sincere division of sentiment and in pass
ing through congress without further delay
a bill upon which all cordially agree.
Accompanying this petition are letters
from members OF the Publicity organization
showing that their views are in accord with
those herein stated.