Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-07-21
PUBLICITY BILL
PASSES SENATE
Expenditures of Candidates Sc
verely Limited.
TEN CENTS FOR EACH VOTER
NO Candidate to Be Allowed to Elk.
pend More Than That Sum-
Legislation Also Applies to
the Primaries.

Washington. With practically
unanimous vote the senate passed the
most drastic campaign publicity lucas
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 basis, the senate constructed a
proposed law with the following impor-
tant features:
mo candidate for the senate or
house shall spend in the election more
than sum equal to ten cents for each
voter in his district or state.
No senatorial candidate shall spend
a 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-
pendttures.
. 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
f1uencing the election of any member
of state legislature.
The bill will be the subject of prob
ably prolonged conference between the
two houses. 1t originated in the
house as 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 all pri-
mary election expenses and all pledges
Of political jobs or favors Some OBJ
lection to this was 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, Senators Bacon,
Bailey, Bankhead, Johnston, Bryan,
Overman and Taylor voting against it.
The more rigid portion of the bill,
l1n1jfjrO hn ho
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 CT approximately
$107 900, and to other large sums
spent by senatorial candidates He
finally offered an amendment putting
the total expenditure of any candidate
at a 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 New
ada 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 candidate; but
at the suggestion of Senator Owen of
Oklahoma this was increased to &c.
900 for the senatorial candidate and
$4,000 for the house candidate.