Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-07-25
PASS PUBLICITY ACT
DRASTIC ELECTION REFORM
MEASURE is APPROVED BY
UNITED STATES SENATE.
LIMIT is PUT ON EXPENSES
No Candidate for Congress Can Spend
Over Ten Cents for Each Voter in
State-All Pledges Prohibited
Applies to Primaries.

Washington-With practical
most drastic campaign publicity meas
ure that was ever adopted by either
branch of the United States congress.
Using the prediction publicity bill
passed by the house of representatives
as a basis, the senate constructed a
proposed law with the following i'm
portant features.
mo candidate for the senate or
h use snail spend in the election more
than a sum equal to ten cents for each
voter in his district or state.
NO senatorial candidate shall spend
total of more than $4,000 in the
primary and general election; and no
candidate for the house shall spend
more than $4,000
Publicity must be given to all pri-
mary campaign contributions and ex-
penditures.
All general election expenses must
be made public before the election, be-
ginning fifteen days before election,
and making publication each six days
until election.
''All promises of political jobs must
be made public
The bill further makes 1t Illegal to
promise political places in order to Sc
cure election support or to aid in in
fiuencing the election of any member
of a state legislature
The bill will be the subject of prob
ably prolonged conference between the
two houses. 1t originated in the
house as a part of the Democratic
legislative program and was designed
to require the publication of expendi-
lures before election, which is not re-
CURED by the existing publicity law.
The Republicans in the house at
tempted to extend the bill to cover pri-
mary election expenses. In the senate
the primary election amendment. cou-
pied with more radical amendments,
were adopted with little opposition.
The senate amendments authorized
by the committee on privileges and
elections required publicity of ali pri-
mary election expenses and all pledges
Of political jobs or favors. Some OBJ
lection to this wa made on the basis
that primary elections were not within
the control of congress. The amend
ment was finally adopted, however, by
a vote of so to 7.
The more rigid portion of the bill,
limiting the amount the senatorial or
congressional candidate may spend in
any election and prohibiting the max
ing of all campaign pledges, was pro-
posed by Senator Reed of Missouri
and adopted only after long debate.
Senator Sutherland of Utah admitted
that the house conferees might force
elimination of this from the bill.
Senator Reed referred to the cam
paign expense statement filed by Sen
ator Stephenson of Wisconsin, show
ing expenditures of approximately
$107 900, and to other large sums
spent by senatorial candiuates He
finally offered an amendmeu putting
the total expenditure of any candidate
at sum not to exceed 10 cents per
head for the voters in the candidates
state.
Senator Borah said this would per-
nit a senatorial candidate in New
York to spend nearly 100000 in his
election, while the candidate in
Nevada could spend only about $1,000
The Reed amendment was defeated
once, but was renewed and adopted
At one time he had the limit of ex-
pense at $4,000 for a senate candidate
and $1,000 for a house can Iidate; but
at the suggestion of SeL~tor Owen of
Oklahoma this was increased to $10.-
900 for the senatorial candidate and
$4,000 for the house candidate.