The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-31
BRYAN HAS HAD
OBJECT LESSON
Makes an Argument Against
Use OF Money Given Secret
Iy in Presidential Elections.
HAD EXPERIENCE IN 1896
HOUSE. COMMITTEE GIVES A
HEARING.

| Washington, Jan. 3O-"An election is
public affair and participation in pol
itics is a civic duty. All arguments
used in elections should be used pub
licly. and all means employed to secure
! the election of or to defeat a candidate
should be means which the one using
them would not be ashamed TO have
the world know"
This epitomizes the views OF William
J. Bryan on the subject of publicity Of
campaign contributions as expressed
today before the house on election of
president and vice president. In addi-
| ton to the full membership there were
present Perry Belmont and Samuel
Gompers and other labor leaders.
Mr. Bryan declared that reforms only
came when abuses are recognized.
Use of Money the Worst Evil.
Not until there is an evil to be rem
edied" he said, does one think of a
remedy" The thing TO be remedied in
American politics, he continued, was
the use of money to secure control oft
the government. money being adj
vanced by those antagonistic to the
public welfare"
when a man resorts to secrecy" he
said, "it must be because he has some
thing to gain. that he does not want
the world to know. or that he distrusts
the intelligence or patriotism of the
people"
Mr. Bryan insisted that the most i'm
IL.
the campaign contribution known he
fore the election.
The trouble about the publication Of
expenditures after elections was that
the knowledge came too late to be Of
any advantage to the people in that
campaign.
Right to Contribute.
Mr.. Bryan declared that there could
be no objection to anyone making a
campaign contribution, eff that cOntTi-
button represents his patriotic interests
in a public cause" He said ii was the
duty of people to contribute TO the eX-
pense of disseminating campaign ma
terial by way of education.
1t had been charged. he said. that
Chairman COrtelyOu had received con-
tributions from 5000 contributors, 'as
it," he said, 1T was a matter TO deserve
contributed"
Even If this were true, he argued
that they were a very slim fraction Of
the several million voters for President
Roosevelt. AS for the Democratic par
ty. Mr.. Bryan said that in 1897 it had
more contributors than in any previ-
Gus campaign. Many men would bet
$500 on the result of an election who
would not contribute s. to a campaign
fund
Question of Influence.
Mr.. Bryan. however voiced his oppo-
sition to the principle of allowing only
a few men to provide campaign funds
1T follows almost as a matter Of ne
Cessfty." he said, chat these few men
will have an influence after the election
entirely out of proportion OF their
numbers or to the influence they ought
to have"
Mr.. Bryan said he was glad Presi- 5
dent Roosevelt had taken the matter
up. He has spoken so plainly on the
subject of publicity Of campaign con
tributions," said Mr.. Bryan that I
am sure that the fact that I am
Democrat viii not place suspicion upon
my argument, for I think ] have the
same interest i'm this matter that the
president has expressed
He declared he had a far greater in
terest in government ana public ques-
tons than in personal concern about
the success of an individual. and" he
added, 81 assume that President RoOse-
welt. and those who like him, have
spoken out in the Republican party,
have the same broad general interest
as have Democrats VINO have spoken
out"