Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-11


80, published an editorial headed by
Their Acts, which related to the pub
Lefty 'of campaign contributions. In
that article it said
The democratic copsssIstee has gone
SO far as TO state mat it would refuse
all contributions over $4,000 and has
promised SC 6 make public, before cleo
ton, the names of alt the contributors.
There can be no objection to such
course, but if the democratic mem bers
of congress had really desired such
procedure, they would have voted for,
instead of against House bill No. 2Oll2
This bill, better known as the Mccall
bill, was passed by the house on May
IL, 1908, upon q strictly party vote,
every democrat voting against il and
every republican voting for it. 1t was
then taken TO the senate, read twice,
ard referred TO the committee on
Privileges and Elections, from which
reported and passed. at the coming
session"
The article came to the notice of J..
W. Murphy, member of congress from
the Third Congressional District of
Wisconsin, who atonce wrote a letter
TO the Record Herald in reference to
the matter, requesting that it be given
publication. Up to date the letter has
not been published by that paper, so it
has been sent in to the PILOT and is
given below and should be read by
every fair minded citizen
EDITOR WAUsAU RECORD HERALD:
My attention has been called to an
editorial in the Wausau Record Herald
of July Both, which attempts to show
that the democratic party in congress
opposed bill for the publicity of cam
paign contributions.
BY sappressing the facts as to what
that bill contained the writer discloses
a belief in the ignorance of his party
followers which is far from fiattering to
their intelligence, but which clearly
shows his own belief that the public can
be gulled by any misstatement and mis-.
representation which appears under the
| editorial sanction of partisan publishers
In that article the writer uses this Ian.
guage "This bill, better known as the
Mccall bill, was passed by the House,
on May IL, upon strictly party vote,
every democrat voting against it and
every repu blican voting for it. 1t was
then taken to the Senate, read twice
and referred to the committee on Privi
| liges and Elections, from which com.
mittee it will probably be favorably
reported and passed at the next SEES
sion." Now what are the factsg
The bill which was passed on May
18th by the House, was the Mccall bill
with provisions of the Crumpacker bill
attached providing for federal contro
of state elections even to state, terri
torial, municipal or primary elections
| And also contained provisions laying
the foundations for reducing represen
ton in congress in many of the states
thus putting into operation again the
provisions of the notorious Force bill
of other days. No opportunity fol
| amendment was allowed and the demo
Gratis refused to vote for this hypocrit
ical unfair and deceitful BILL 1t now
lies buried in the senate committee and
will never see the light again and thus
has the Mccall bill which was theynieh
mare of the republican managers
dreams been laid to rest by the repub
lican leaders
For the information of the writer as
to what the position of the democratic
party was with relation to the Mccall
Publicity bill, and that was arepublicar
measure, quote the language of Mr.
Crumyscker, of Indiana, in discussing
this measure: ''Our friends on the other
side of the isle, think to a man, have
announced and pledged their united
support repeatedly during the session
of Congress to the N Call Publicity bill
The amendments which | have pro
posed in connectiop with that bill gC
much farther" Mr. Williams, the dem
ocratic leader in the House, confirms
| bll1S OldtctnCnJ Ill VIC 1OltOWlu2 IAN
guage, you have added to the Mccall
bill, which we democrats want, thes,
provisions, beginning with section
eleven of the Crumpacker bill and con
tinuing on to the end of this Crum
packer bill, and you are doing it for tn,
purpose of the defeat of the Mccall bill
You know that nobody who believes il
American institutions would vote fo
section eleven of the Crumpacker bill
1t puts the execution of state laws il
the hands of the congress and courts o
the United States"
1t was well understood by the repub
lican leaders in congress that the demo
Gratis were ready at all times to supper
the Mccall bill if presented by itself
The republican managers were notified
of that fact over and over and it would
have only required the votes of thirty
republicans voting with the democrats
to pass it. Those republican leader.
feared that there were more than thai
number of republicans who would vote
| with the democrats to pass the Metal
bill if given the opportunity of voting
upon it and the speaker persistently
and stubbornly refused to give recog
milton to any member of the committee
having it in charge to call it up and
move its passage The true position OF
the leaders of the republican party on
this question can not be more clearly
stated than it was stated by Mr.. Rucker,
democrat of Missouri, in the course OF
that debate. Mir. Rucker said, mir.
Speaker, If anything were wanting to
demonstrate to every intelligent man
in the United States that the leaders
and the managers of the republican
party here on the floor are guilty of
hypocricy and deceit, and false pre-
tense, we have that demonstration here
| today. For two weeks, nav, for more