Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-10
Money In Elections.

There is a common disposition on the
part Of partisans of one candidate to
emphasize that the other candidate is
using money. etc. Quite a lot Of this
is being heard in connection with the
campaign for the presidential nomina-
ton.
The plain truth of the matter is that
it is absolutely impossible to conduct a
presidential campaign, a gubernatorial
campaign or any other campaign of
importance without the use Of more or
less money. The man who does not
spend some money in presidential
campaign, especially, is simply wasting
his time.
But it is very we'll to remember that
in a campaign Of this kind the real
question is not so much a matter OF
the amount of money as of the source
of the money and the purpose for which
it is contributed.
In view Of all the authentic testi-
mony that has developed along this
line during a number Of years past, no
intelligent man will try to deny that
large sums of money were used in the
election of Mckinley, Roosevelt, Taft
and other presidents, and to suggest or
believe that candidate could be elect
ed without money is absurd.
In the Mckinley Bryan campaign
many hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
were contributed by the people Of the
country. Much of it came as the hon
est earnings of private, patriotic citi-
zens on both sides: but the bulk Of it,
especially the Mckinley money, came
from large business interests that fear
ed the probable unfavorable results of
the election of Mr.. Bryan.
The Bryan money came mainly from
the rank and file Of the voters, who
contributed of their dollars in the fur
therance Of what they believed would
be the best interests of the country,
but their contributions amounted in
the aggregate to nothing like the con-
tributions made by the large manufac-
turing and speculative interests in be-
half Of Mr.. Mckinley.
Roosevelt, following Mckinley, also
had the advantage Of large contribu-
tions from the same interests, and 1t
will be remembered that Judge Parker
proved very conclusively the sinister
source of some of the heaviest Roose-
welt contributions.
It is fact that Bryan had almost, If
not quite as much money as was need
ed for his campaign Of four years ago
but he did not use anything like as
much money as was used by and in be-
half of Taft.
The source Of the Taft fund was
mainly the big business, rich per-
sonal friends, and ambitious individ-
uals of wealth who sought to elevate
themselves by alignment with the
winner. Bryan got very little money
from the big business; but the bulk of
the contributions to his campaign came
from Democratic sympathizers OF
means who contributed from various
motives-some because they believed in
Bryan and others because they hoped
to help themselves. Then in addition,
the Bryan fund was further augmented
by the greatest aggregate of dollar con-
tributions that has ever been known in
American politics.
AS to the sources Of the funds that
are being used in behalf of the claims
of Wilson, Clark, Underwood and Har-
mon, we can only speculate. We do
not know for certain; but there is no
question of the fact that all Of them
are getting money from somewhere,
and whatever the source of the money
there is some kind of a motive behind
every dollar that has been contributed.