Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-21
PUBLIt ~ LAW LIMPS
Many Failures to Exhibit Campaign
Funds in Nebraska.
DEMo-PoPs WORST OFFENDERS
Bryan's Followers Refuse to Observe
Their Leaders Preachment.
NOTABLE DELINoUENCIEs IN LIST
Returns Given from Practically Every
County in Nebraska.
ALL PARTIES ARE LAWBREAKERS
The Bee Has Gathered Information ~
to workings of Nebraska Cam-
.aa-r, nahns~atw AA
DELMoUENCIES IN LIST
ALL PARTIES ARE LAwBREAKER
The Bee Has Gathered Information NJ
to workings of Nebraska Cam-
paign Publicity Law I'm the
1908 Election.

to the Nebraska legislature last week Mr..
Bryan again touched upon this subject.
Nebraska is a state which has a law pro-
viding for publicity Of both campaign con-
tributlons and expenses. This law has been
on our statute books for nearly ten years
To what extent is this publicity law oper-
ative?
How far have the political parties in
Nebraska observed this law7
Have the democrats under Mr.. Bryans g
preachment been any more scrupulous TO
obey It than other parties?
To get the answers to these questions
The Bee has collected from the various
counties of Nebraska information an to the
filing of expense accounts by the treas
urers of the various political committees, as
required by law under penalty of arrest
and fine in n sum not less than $50 nor
more than $780,
Chapter % Of the laws OF 1899 was passed
for the express purpose of preventing cor
rupt practices at elections. and some of its
most significant provisions are aimed to
bring about publicity Of campaign contri-
buttons. Although this is one Of the strings
In his political harp upon which William
]. Bryan plays the strongest, yet in his
own democratic family, closely watched and
censored as he assumes to keep It, is found
the largest number of offenders. Under
the two heads, democratic and peoples
independent, comprising one political en-
tity, are found 1877 instances wherein his
treasurers have failed to comply with the
law directing publicity of campaign con-
tributlons within the state of Nebraska.
A majority of the republican treasurers
complied with the publicity law, although
forty-one republican treasurers failed to get
in line with the law. No socialist treas
urer has filed any report. either; but the
members of that party claim that they
do only individual work and have no regu-
larly organized campaign machinery. Yet
Il is doubtful IL they fall outside the law
any more than the others.
what the Law Requires.
Section IA of chapter %. aforesaid. pro-
vides in effect, that every two or more
persons who shall be elected. appointed,
chosen or associated, for the purpose,
wholly or in part, OF directing the raising.
collecting or disbursement of money, or
who shall cooperate in such work, where
the purpose is to defeat or further the
nomination or election of any person or
persons to public office by popular vote,
shall be deemed a political committee
within the meaning of this act"
Section Is Of the act provides that every
political committee shall appoint and con-
stantly maintain a treasurer" to receive,
keep and disburse all moneys collected.
Unless such treasurer is appointed and
maintained, It is violation of the act to
collect or disburse money for any such pur-
pose, either by the committee or any OF its
members; and all money must pass through
the treasurers hands.
Every such treasurer must keep a book
giving full account of all transactions, as
must every individual receiving or disburs-
ing more than $40. unless he receives 1t
from the treasurer.
Section IS uses the mandatory word
"shall' in providing that every such treas
urer file within twenty days after each
and every election, caucus. convention or
primary election with the county clerk.
"a full. true and detailed account and
statement, subscribed and sworn to by him,
setting forth each and every sum OF money
received and disbursed by him for any OF
the objects or purposes of this act"
Section 21 provides that failure. neglect or
refusal shall make the treasurer guilty Of a
misdemeanor and provides that. on con-
viction. he shall be fined not less than $50
or more than $500. to go to the school fund.
There Is further provision that II the
treasurer fail to file the statement required
by law any five resident freeholders may
request him to file such statement, and II
within five days he does not comply with
the demand he shall be guilty OF a misde-
meanor. and on conviction ''shall be i'm
prisoned for not less than two nor more
than six months"
Only Two POpuIist Reports.
In only two counties in the state have
reports been filed by treasurers OF the
popullst wing OF the Bryan forces. An
expenditure OF $2T is admitted In Frontier
county and S1o6s5 in Polk county. In
Boone. Dawson, Hamilton, Howard, Saline,
Nuckolls, Saunders, Seward and Webster,
the treasurers Of the so-called peoples
independent party resorted to the subter-
fuge Of reporting that all their collecting
and disbursing was done through the demo-
cratic committee. In Polk county the DEM
ocratic treasurer whipped the devil around
the stump in the like fashion.
Counties wherein no report was filed by
democratic treasurers are Antelope, Banner
Blaine. Box Butte, Boyd. Burt. Chase,
Cheyenne. Cunning. Custer. Dakota, Dawes,
Deuel.. Dixon, Duhdy. F'urnas. Gosper,
Grant. Greeley, Harlan. Hayes. Hitchcock,
Holt Hooker. johnson. Keaney. Kimbsll.
Knox. Logan. Loup. Madison. Mcpherson,
Perkins. Phelps. Pierce. Platte. Red Willow
Rock. sarpy. Scott's Bluff. Sheridan. Sioux,
Thomas. Valley, Wayne. Wheeler and York
1t win be noticed there are some. strong
democratic bailiwicks In this list Governor
shallenberger's home county OF Harlan is
derelict, and so is Edgar Howard's beloved
Platte; and likewise York, where the great
banquet was held with Bryan and Towne as
stars, and whence II was trumpeted through
the press that much money was raised on
the enthusiasm of tremendous event
Custer. with a democratic senator and two
democratic house members. Is not favored
with q report from either treasurer OF the
allied funds.
Is a a Conspiracy of siIenesf
Counties where republican tFeasurers have
failed to honor the law are Antslope. Ban