The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-31


PUBLICITY LAW?
Continued From First Page.)
~. Jones and Carter Glass, candidates
Tor the United States Senate. have not
nled their expense accounts within
the time limit required by tho now
national publicity law. This measure
stpuiates that every candidate for the
senate shall file. not more than M
teen nor less than ten days preceding
primary In which he Is u candidate
complete sworn statement OF all
amounts expended by him. his com
mittees and his friends
The penalty attached for wilful
failure to comply with this provision
is me of not more than $1,000. or
imprisonment for not more than on,
year. or both. In addition, some doubt
is expressed as TO whether or not
Vlolapor of this law would be per-
united 10 take the oath of Office
Recent Enrichment
MT Jones and Mr.. Glass hNye
saiieo 10 obey the law. they are tho
hrst fiolators The measure was sign
cd oy President Taft on August 10. Inn
mediately after its passage. which was
me result of conference between
me TWO houses of Congress.
Oh the other hand. Senators Thomas
:. Martin and Claude A. Swanson have
'ied their statements, which were
sent away from Richmond on Mon.
oaF OF this week. BY the terms of the
law itself 1t is provided that delivery
70 the United States registered maui
snail DO considered delivery 10 the
secretary of the Senate or the clerk
OF the House. depending upon the
position for which the candidate is an
aspirant.
Senator Swanson said last night that
ne had sent in his statement, COM
plying with the law which he help id
10 pass. Mr.. Jones. who was In tho
CITY, declined TO comment upon the
situation In any way. Senator Mar
tin and Mr.. Glass were absent. and
neither could be reached. Mr.. Swan
son said he did not care to give out
his statement at this time, preferring
TO walt for ruling on technical
point from the secretary OF the Senate
Leslie h. Martin. Senator Martins sec
rotary. said he had n receipt for the
latter's expense account. but had no
copy of It.
a provision OF this law is that the
expenses of candidate for the United
States Senate shall not exceed $4,000.
There is question as to whether in
this Instance this would apply to all
the money spent In the present cam
paign or only TO that part after the
law was signed by the President On
the point OF failure 10 hle the state
ment. however. there would seem 70
be no escape.
The bill in question was intended
as means OF notifying the public
prior to primaries and regular cleo
lions, OF the amounts sent by the
candidates soliciting votes In the
last Congress, which was Republican
a campaign publicity bill was enacted
but required expense accounts to be
hled after elections At the extra ses-
sion, the matter was taken UP in the
shape OF an amending bill On a
proposition to include primaries. Mr.
Jones and Mr.. Glass. with other Vir-
ginia congressman, voted no" under
the impression that such a provision
would carry with 1t measure OF Fed
eral supervision. The bill went to the
Senate. which inserted the primary
requirement, and in conference the
House concurred.
Secretary Bennett of tho Senate.
was absent from Washington yester-
day. and his clerks would not give
ments. n question also arose as TO
the method OF making them public.
and they were forwarded to Mr.. BEN
nett in New York, where he may give
them publicity to-day II seems that
the law did not specifically instruct
the secretary to Eivulge the contents
of the statement. However, Senator
Hepburn, OF tho Committee Of Priv
ileges and Elections. expressed the
opinion that all documents on file In
the Senate secretary's office. excepting
those relating TO executive sessions,
are open to the public. Clerk South
Trimble. OF the House. said he would
construe the law as giving him au-
thority TO make campaign expense
statements public. that being the pur-
pose for which the bill was passed
The provisions OF the law are re-
garded as drastic. 1t not only re-
quires candidate to state the amount
expended by him, but also stipulates
that campaign committees shall say
what they have expended in behalf OF
an aspirant. Further. the candidate
must state what amounts were con-
tributed in his behalf by his friends.
and what promises of appointments.
If any. have been made by him.