Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-02-13
FAvORs RICH AND DEMAGO0us

Section Thirty Two of the Primary
Law provides that no candidate can
pay another for any services, and no
person can receive pay "To perform
any services in the interest of any can
didate" for political office in the
state Of Iowa.
Now comes the attorney general with
an opinion In which he says that I" A
candidate for Office may legally and
properly employ clerks and stenog-
raphers, rent headquarters, pay for
halls in which to make speeches, hire
liverymen to drive him from place to
place and pay the railroads for trans
portation." He furthermore declares
that Such services are innocent and
the candidate or his friends for him,
may properly pay for the same, and
the persons who perform such services
may legally and properly receive pay
therefor" But, says Mr.. Byers; g 1t
would be unlawful for newspaper to
accept pay for an advertisement for q
candidate urging reasons for his nomi-
nation"
The Interpretation of this law by Mr.,
Byers clearly favors the rich man and
the demagogue. Now let US see; The
demagogue, who always promotes his
interests by the free and unlimited use
of his mouth, "Can pay for halls IN
which to make speeches. He can come
to Audubon and he or his friends can
pay for the use of Woodman Hall
where he can harangue the people by
the hour, and according to Mr.. Byers
such proceeding is entirely innocent.
But If a man who cannot hire hall
or cannot make q speech or does not
desire to do so should buy little ad-
vertising space in one of the newspa
pers to present reasons why he should
be nominated both he and the publish
er should be " Punished by fine OF
not more than three hundred dollars,
or by Imprisonment in the county Jail
not exceeding ninety days"
Again says the attorney general
" Nor can a candidate, nor any one
for him, lawfully cause newspapers
containing matter favorable to his can
didacy, to be sent by the publishers to
persons who are not regular subscrib-
ers and pay for same, and publishers
who would accept pay for papers so
sent would be subject to prosecution
under this section" La other words
the rich candidate can hire and pay
for headquarters, clerks, livery teams,
buy railroad tickets, travel up and
down the state, pay for halls In which
to make speeches, and such practices
and such expenses are entirely inno-
cent. But let the poor man who can
not afford to hire clerks and liveries,
and pay railroad fares, nor hire pub
lie halls, send dollar to u newspa
per for a little space to give reasons
for his nomination, such proceeding
Is all outrage duu CFliIe TOT WHICH
both the candidate and the printer
should be fined or imprisoned. TO
bring the matter right home. There
are now three old soldiers who have
announced themselves as candidates
for Office in this county. Now suppose
the editor should say something in
favor of the nomination OF any one OF
these candidates and he should come
in and hand us q quarter to send half
q dozen papers to some OF his friends
in this county who are, not regular
subscribers, both he and the editor
would be subject to prosecution with
q penalty of fine imprisonment. We
do not believe the law nor the legisla-
ture contemplated such thing and
wethink that the opinion of the attorney
general contains the biggest lot OF hog
wash that was ever dictated or type
written in that Office.