The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-04-21
IT PROVIDES PUBLICATION or
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
BEFORE ELECTION.
REPORTS EVERY 3 DAYS
Fight Is Over Amendment Hitting Can.
didates for congress.-lt Is
Adopted, but Democrats
Later Cut il Out.

Washington. ID. c. - The Demo
cratic party has met its first serious
trouble In the house of representa-
tives. At the close Of a session mark.
ed by insurgency in the Democratic
ranks, by reason Of which the Re.
publicans narrowly missed scoring a
triumph, the house passed the Rucker
bill for publicity of campaign contri-
buttons before election.
The fight arose over the extent to
which publicity should be applied.
But for the vigorous and continued
use Of the Democratic party whip an
important RepubliCan amendment ex-
tending publicity To the individual re-
ceipts and expenses Of candidates for
congress. would have been retained in
the bill when 1t finally passed.
As IL was. the amendment was
adopted over the protest of the Demo
cratic leaders by the support of % OF
the Democrats, who voted with the
solid Republican strength. Resort to
a parliamentary move enabled the
Democrats later To get rid of the
amendment: but Is of their number
refused to change their attitude and
stuck with the Republicans in opDos-
ing the Democratic majority.
The Rucker bill passed finally by
unanimous vote, but only after a
stormy scene. The amendment Of
fered by Representative Jackson, II
new Republican member from Kansas.
required all candidates for congress to
file statements of the source and use
OF their individual campaign funds in
both the primary and general elec.
tons.
4 Amendment Adopted.
The amendment met instant support
from the Republican side and encoun-
tered the opposition Of the Democratic
leaders. Mr.. RuCkcr of Missouri.
chairman of the committee in charge
of the bill, asserted that 1t would so
change the form Of the law that it
might endanger its final passage.
The Democrats who stood out
against the efforts of party leaders to
dispose OF the Jackson amendment
were: Akin and George, New York;
Alexander and Porland, Missouri; Blu
chanan and Store, Illinois; Bulkeley,
Sherwood and Whi'aCre, Ohio; Burke
and Konop, Wisconsin; Cox and Gray.
Indiana: Dupre. Estopinal, Puio, Rams
dell and Wyckliife. Louisiana: Good.
win. Arkansas: Iiamill. Townsend and
futile. New Jersey; Hardy, Texas;
Pepper, Iowa; Baker. California;
Sweet, Michigan; Thayer, Massachu.
sets, and Wilson. Pa.
The bill. as finally passed, makes
more stringent the campaign publicity
law passed in 1910. That Law requires
publicity of funds after election. The
Rucker amendment will require public.
ity of funds by the campaign commit.
tees te.- days previous to election, and
the filing of supplemental statements
every three days thereafter until cleo,
ton day.
The bill limited publicity of cam.
paign expenditures to sums of 500 or
over, but Mr.. Fucker accepted an
amendment of Mr.. Konop. Republican,
OF Wisconsin. requiring the publicity
OF all payments in sums OF $40 or over
for campaign purposes. Through the
debate Perry Belmont, president of the
National Publicity Law association and
former member of the house occu
pied a seat on the floor.