The Alaska citizen., 1911-01-09
Corrupt Practices Act.

adoption of a corrupt practices act. which rhe legislature had refused 10 enact, but which the people of tLe s.ate had adopted under the in itiative.
 he corrupt practices act was adopted und the initiative in 1903 hy popular vote of 5i,0i2 to 31 ,301 J. "r#.i 'E- 'ha' n can il0ate for office shall e1pend in his cam p....A Al l., uOlAAI.i-a more than Il per cen. of one year's compensation of inc oa.e 1T which he is clntita'c. p-oritet that no candi dat shall he restricted 10 less than $iaD.
 Publicity Pamphlet.
 The act provides. however. for the publication of pamphlet by the secretary of state for the informa- ton of the vo'ers. in which pam campaign may have published statement setting firth his quail fcariOns. the principles and poll Cics he advocates and fayors, or any other mater he may wish to submit in supp.rt cf his candidacy. Each candidate must pay for al least one page. the amount to be paid varying from S1oo for the high ct office t1 2lo for the minor off ces. Every candidate may secure the use of additional pages at SIHr per page. not exceeding three additional passs. Any person may u=e space in this pamphlet in oppo- sition -o any can jida'e. the matter submitted by him being first served upon the candidate and the space being paid for the same as in the Cas ot candidates. The matter sub miHcd in opposition to candidates must le signed bE the author. who is subject 10 the general laws re- earGirg sian3er and libel. lnfor- maG.n regarding state and con gressienal candidates is pr.nred in q pamphlet irSu. Ii by the sec> etary If Sfa'C. one copy being mailed to each rsgi-rcr,d voter in the state. Pamphlets rogariing county can dida.o5 are issued br the county cl rk and mailed to each voter in the CuuItE. These pamphlets must Lc mailed at least eight days before the primary election. The amount of nancy paid for space in the public pamphlet of information is not considc red in determining the amount each candidate has expend- cd in his campaign: that is, he is entitled t9 eEpend in his primary campaign r. ger cent. of one years compensation in addition to what he pays for space in the public pamphlet.
 Prior to the general election the committee mana0inp p officers Of any political party or organization may file with the sec retary of state portrait cuts of it's candidates and typewriter state- ments and arguments for the sue cess Cf it's principles and the cleo tiOn of is candidates and opposing CT attacking the principles and can diiates of all other parties. This same privilege applies to indepen- dent candidates. These statements pamphl and mailed to the regis than he tenth day before the gen eral election.
 Each party is limited to 24 pages and each ind pendent candidate to ? pages. each page in this pamphlet being charged for at the rate of s5o per page In the campaign pre- ceding inc general q ction ca, h candidate is limited in campaign expenditures to 1o per cent. of one years compensation
 For the purpose Of this act the contribution, expenditure. or labil- i.y Cf q descendant, ascendant, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, wife, par,n'r, employer em- ploye or felloW-0tiicial or fellow m plose of col operation is deemed to he that of the candidate himself. Any person ngt candidate spend ing m re than so in campaign must file an itcmized account of his expenditures in the office of the secretary or the county clerk and give Q ton- of he account 10 the candidate for whom or against whom Legitimate Use of Money Within
 Limit.
 While the corrupt practices act limits the candidate to the eXpendi- ture Of l5 per cent. of one years salary in his primary campaign and II per cent. of a years salary in the general campaign. in addition to what he pays for space in the pub licity pamphlet, yet the law does not prohibit any legitimate use of money within this limitatiCn The act makes it possible for man of moderate means 10 be candidate upon an equality with a man of Weal.n.
 Let Us take a concrete example as a m ans of Illustrating the oper- atiOn of OresOn's corrupt practices act. The salary of the governor is 5000 a year. A candidate for the nomination for governor may take a maximum of 1 pages in the pub licity pamphlet, and thus, at a cost of S400 be able to reach every reg istered voter of his party in the en- tire state. In addition to that $4OO he may spend S750, or 15 per cent. of one years salary, in any other manner he may choose, not in viO- lation of the corrupt practices act. A candidate may purchase space in the advertising columns of news paper, but in order that this paid advertising shall not be mistak n for news the law requires that all paid articles be marked as such.
 The law expressly provides that none of its provisions shall be con- strued as relating to the rendering of services by speakers, writers, publishers, or others for which no &compensation is asked or given, nor to prohibit expenditure by com mittees of political parties or or ganizations for public speakers,