Evening star., 1911-08-30
SENATORS ARE IMMUNE
UNDER PUBLICITY LAW
Need Not Publish Their State
ments of Primary Campaign
Expenses.

PRIMARY election expense statements
from Senator's Martin and Swanson of
Virginia. the first to be filed under the
new publicity law that went into effect
August 10. reached the office of Secre-
tary Bennett Of the Senate today. In
the absence of Secretary Bennett on
cials of his Office declined to make them
public.
|. Following this declination, a careful
examination of the new publicity law
resulted in the startling disclosure that
i'm the act presumed to be most drastic.
there is no requirement for publicity of
the individual statements filed by candi-
dates for the Senate or the House OF
Representatives.
Two Laws Compared.
The law requires the filing of individual
expense statements and pledges of APP
pointments. but 1t is apparently left TO
the discretion Of the secretary of the
Senate or the clerk OF the House. as the
case may be- to decide whether these
statements shall be given to the public.
The publicity law of 1910 requires that
the expenses of campaign committees
shall be a part OF a public record" in
the office of the clerk of the House. ana
The statements received today IRON
Senators Martin and Swanson will be
forwarded to Secretary Bennett IN New
York. What construction he will place
upon the new law is not known. 1t was
generally understood here during the
preparation of the new law. amending
the act of 1910. that the amendments
were designed to give actual publicity to
the individual expenses OF candidates
for the Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives.
The law requires that expenditures by
committees in the election of representa-
tives shall be part of the public record
of the House
Reports Delayed.
Two of the candidates in the Virginia
senatorial primaries to be held Septem-
ber have not yet reported their eN-
penses to the secretary Of the Senate and
apparently stand in violation of the law.
The requirement is that the first ex-
pense statement shall be filed not later
than ten days before the primary cleo
ton. Yesterday was the last day IN
which statements could be deposited In
the mail to comply with the law NC
reports had been received today from
Representative Glass and Representative
Jones, who are contestants In the VIZ
ginia race against the two senator's.
1t is expected here that secretary Ben
nett will take counsel with government
authorities before deciding whether he
will make public any of the expense
records required by the new law. Fail
ure to file statements within the re-
quired time before election, If done will
fully, carries with it the penalties of the
law Of 1910, namely. fine not exceed
ing $1,000 or imprisonment for not more
than one year or both.
Policy Of House Clerk.
South Trimble, clerk Of the House OF
Representatives. said he would construe
the law as permitting publicity OF indi-
vidual expense accounts il the case
should come before him.
The only member Of the Senate COM
mittee on privileges and elections, which
considered the recent campaign publicity
BILL today in town was Senator Hepburn.
Just as he was taking a train for Idaho
he was asked in regard to the dispute
over the publicity of primary and election
statements. He did not stop to read the
bill, but expressed an opinion that all
documents on file i'm the Offices Of the
Senate. except those relating to execu-
tive sessions, were open to the public
unless otherwise provided by law