The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-15
WHIP APPLIED
IN THE HOUSE
Insurgency in Democratic
Ranks Over Bill for Publicity
of Campaign Contributions.
REPUBLICANS SUCCEED
IN AMENDING MEASURE
Amendment Eliminated by Par
liamentary Move, After
Which Bill Passes.

WASHINGTON. April 14.-The Demo
cratic party met its first serious trouble
in the house OF representatives today.
AT the close of session marked by in
surgency In the Democratic ranks, by
! reason OF which the Republicans narrow
ly missed scoring a triumph. the house
passed the Rucker bin for publicity Of
campaign contributions before elections.
The fight arose over the extent To which
publicity should be applied. But for the
vigorous and continued OF the Dem
ocratic whip. important Republican
amendment extending publicity 10 the In
dirdual receipts and expenses OF candi ,
dates for congress would have remained
In the bill%when IL finally passed. AS IL
was. the amendment was adopted over
the protest OF the Democratic leaders by
the support of ffty-two Democrats who
voted with the solid Republican strength;
Resort TO a parliamentary move enabled
the Democrats later TO get rid OF the
amendment. but wenty-eight OF their
number refused to change their attitude
and stuck with the Republicans in op-
posing the Democratic majority.
The RucEer bin passed by a unani-
nous vote, hut only after a stormy scene.
The amendment offered by Representative
Kansas. required all candidates for con-
gress To file statements of the source
and Of their individual campaign
funds. I'm both the primary and general
election.
Leaders Oppose Change.
The amend mcnt met instant support
from the Republican side and encoun-
tered the opposition OF the Democratic
leaders. Mr.. Ruckcr OF Missouri, chair
man OF the committee in charge of the
bill, asserted that VI would so change
The form of the law that ii might en-
danger It's final passage.
This did not deter fifty-two Democrats
from supporting the Jackson amendment.
rI,a-- Yl,, ,1i1 ,,,hl
gave the amendment a majority that re-
suited In its adoption, iI2 10 l3l, and the
announcement OF the vote was followed
by a storm OF applause from the Repueli-
can side.
There was a hurried conference OF
Democratic leaders and Mr.. Rucker moved
to recommit the bill. with its new amend
ment,- to The elections committee. with
Instructions To send the bin back to the
house without the Jackson amendment.
The parliamentary move 10 squeeze the
amendment out Of the bill brought about
split In the ranks of the Democrats
who had favored the Jackson amendment
Twenty eight OF them stood by their for
mer action and voted against the motion
10 recommit the bin. but the Democratic
leaders mustered enough votes to carry
their point l57 TO 149 and the bin tech
nlcally was sent back to the committee,
Amendment sidetracked.
Mr. Rucker gathered the members Of
the committee around him and without
leaving the moor tney instructed MN 10
report the bill again without the Jack
son amendment
He at once did so and this motion car
ried 16t 10 l59 The bill, i'll its original
form. then passed the house without n
dissenting vote.
The Ru"ker bill. as finally passed.
makes more stringent the campaign pub
iclty law passed In 1910. That law re-
qujres publicity of funds after election.
The RuCkcr bll Will require publicity of
funds by the campaign committe. ten
days before election and the filing of sup
Elemental statements every three days
thereafter until election.
The Rucker bill limited publicity Of
campaign expenditures to sums OF Sloo
or over but Mr. Rucker accepted an
amendment of Mr.. kopp. Republican. of
Wisconsin. requiring the publicity of all
payments in sums OF $40 or over for
campaign purposes
Throughout the debate Perry Belmont
president OF the National Publicity Law
association and former member of the
house. occupied seat on the floor.