The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-15
JACKSON NEARLY WON.
His Amendment to Campaign Public
ity Bill Finally Sidetracked.

Washington, April 15.-The Demo-
cratic party met its first serious trouble
in the house of representatives Friday
afternoon. At the. close of a session
marked by insurgency in the Demo-
cratic ranks, by reason of which the
Republicans narrowly missed scoring
a triumph, the house passed the Ruck-
er bill for publicity of campaign con-
tributions before elections.
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 lmpor-
tant Republican amendment by jack
the individual receipts and expenses of
candidates for congress, would have
been retained in the bill which it final
ly passed.
AS it was, the amendment was
adopted over the protest of the Demo-
cratic leaders, by the support of 81
Democrats who voted with the solid
Republican strength. Resort TO par
liamentary move enabled the Demo-
Gratis later to get rid of the amend
ment, but % of their number refused
to change thier attitude, and stuck
with the Republicans in opposing the
Democratic majority.
The Rucker bill passed finally by
unanimous vote, but only after
stormy scene. The amendment offer
ed by Representative Jackson, new
Republican member from Kansas, re-
quired all candidates for congress to
file statements of the source and use
of their individual campaign funds, IN
both the primary and general election.
The amendment met instant sup
port from the Republican side and en-
countered the opposition of the DEM.
ocratic leaders. Mr.. Rucker (Mo.)
chairman of the committee in charge
of the bill, asserted that it would so
change the form of the law that it
might endanger tbs final passage.
This did not deter So Democrats
from supporting the Jackson amend
ment They, with the solid Republic
can forces, gave the amendment a ma
jority that resulted in it's adoption, 172
to 1871; and the announcement of the
vote was followed by storm of ap-
p1ause from the Republican side.
There was a hurried conference of
Democratic leaders and Mr.. Rucker
moved to recommit the bill, with it's
new amendment, to the elections COM
mittee. with instructions to send the
bill back to the house without the
Jackson amendment.
This parliamentary move to squeeze
the amendment out of the bill brought
about a split in the ranks of the Dem
ocrats who had favored the Jackson
amendment. Twenty-eight of them
stood by their former action and voted
against the motion to recommit the
bill, but the Democratic leaders mus
tered enough votes to carry their point,
157 to 149; and the bill technically was
sent back to the committee.
Mr.. Rucker gathered the members of
the committee around him and without
leaving the floor, they instructed him
to report the bill again without the
jackson amendment. He at once did so
and this motion carried, 1874 to 139. The
bill, in it's original form, then passed
the house without dissenting vote.
The Rucker bill as finally passed,
makes more stringent the campaign
publicity law of 1910. That law re-
quires publicity of funds after cleo
ton. The Rucker bill will require pub
licity of funds by the campaign com
mittee 10 days previous to election and
the fling of supplemental statements
every three days thereafter until cleo
ton day.