Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-30

HfLrnM legislature of a law proVld-
lfy H ing that the campaign funds
IM of the future in that state
shaal be supplied by the state
kz treasury, and placing heavy
-5a33 R- penalties on those who con-
tribute or use other funds, Is but the
latest step in crusade for the purity
of the ballot that found its first legal
expression in the New York state cor
rupt practices act of 1890. 1t is sig
nificant that the new Colorado law fol-
lows closely the recommendations of
President Roosevelt in one of his mes
sages to congress. 1t provides that the
state treasurer shall take from the
treasury a sum equal to 25 cents for
every vote cast in the preceding elec-
ton, and shalT give 1t to the chairmen
of the political parties of the state, In
proportion to the number of votes cast
by each at the preceding election. These
state chairmen are to give bonds for
the proper expenditure of the money
and a strict accounting is required.
They must send one-half of their re-
spective allotments to the county chair
men of their parties According tor the
present population of Colorado the to-
tai amount furnished to all parties will
be about s65,000.
1t is confidently expected by Colorado
people that this new election reform
will amply justify itself. The provis-
ion that no corporation doing business
or having interests in the state shall
contribute a cent to campaign expenses
is expected to do particular good. The
law will, say its friends, effectually
stop the use of Doodle, and will prevent
situations where one leading party has
a 'tbaf'l . and the other Is as poor as
church mouse Some think s65,OOO is
rather a small amount upon which to
conduct all sides Of q modern political
eampaign in a state like Colorado, but
the friends of the law think it will be
enough to subserve every legitimate
purpose. The money for meeting these
expenses will be collected by the state,
iii w1fole or in Part, from the candidates
per cent of the first years salary of the
Office to which they aspire will be col-
lected. p '
Colorado hopes by this law to blaze
the way for similar statutes in other
states. It is realized that the sugges-
tfons of President Roosevelt could
never be carried out by congress, itias-
much as the national government has
no such power, but they hope to lead
election reform in that direction by
giving a wholesome example Of the
practical workings of such a measure.
OF course, Mr.. Roosevelt knew when
he was recommending such measure
to congress that it never could be
passed, but he was probably far-seeing
enough to realize that action such as
that taken by Colorado would result
from it.
Nearly every state in the Union now
has a more or less stringent corrupt
practices act. AS before stated New
York led by its act of 1890. This law
was but the result of a crusade for
pure elections that was more than ma
ton wide. The English parliament in
1883 enacted a law which provided that
the expenses of. candidates for election
should not exceed $3.50 in districts with
1000 voters or less, and not more than
$500 for each additional thousand vot-
ers. The bribery that previously had
been resorted to in the election of
members Of parliament was RESPONSE
Bile for the English agitation and the
law that followed.
The first real election reform in the
United States antedates the New York
corrupt practices act by one year. In
1889 Massachusetts imported the Aus
tralian, or secret, ballot into America
and incorporated 1t into the state cleo
tion laws So popular did it prove that
by the time of the second Cleveland
Harrison campaign in 1892 thirty-hve
states had adopted it. 1t is probable
that no other law ever was placed upon
the statute books Of as many states in
the same length Of time Today the
secret ballot is used everywhere.
,.--.
Publicity of campaign contributions
followed the Australian ballot and the
corrupt practices acts, and there are
now fourteen states which insist on
having peep into the fipancial end
of election management. Texas and
Colorado have perhaps the most ef-
feetive laws. In most states either the
candidates or their managers are
obliged to submit under oath a state
ment of expenditures, but only in Texas
and Colorado do both have to do so,
thus preventing all doding Of the issue.
The manner of publicity varies in the
different states In some of them a