New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1912-07-10
Corrupt Practices lei h Effect
LsgdIzes BbssIsm.
MANAGER NOW 4 NECESSITY
Alone Given Right to Maintain Head
quarters, Employ Help and In
- cur Other Expenses.
Especial Correspondence.)'

Especial Correspondence.)
st. Paul, July 9.-You fellows who
have been crying out against the boss;
you whose every effort has been d.
rected at curtailing the activities OF
this pestiferous cuss; you who fought
for a primary law and later saw 1t ex'
tended so as to take In the state at
large, what would you say II told
you that the latest In progressive leg
islation for Minnesota practically le~
galizes bossism? It does, and further.
more it makes bOEsism recognized
profession If you want to run for
Office under the latest thing in pr1ma.
ries and not go counter to the most
drastic corrupt practices act yet
known, you must have manager or
a personal campaign committee. 1t
is impossible to avoid the aft1iction
and it applies to the humblest office
on the list as we'll as the best the
state has to offer. This little joker in
the law was discovered the other day
and while the state legal department
would not give its official sanction to
the extent Of an opinion Secretary OF
State Schmahl thought enough OF 1t to
order a large number OF blanks for
the use of candidates in making afti-
davits of campaign managers or per
sonal committees as required by the
law. The niger in the woodpile is
found in sections 16 and II Of the
corrupt practices act relating to what
constitutes a legal expenditure. Can
didates may spend money for travel
ing expenses, postage and telegraph;
rent halls for public speaking, pay
speakers and even hire musicians.
Several other minor expenditures are
permitted, but there is nothing re-
garding the maintenance OF headQuar-
tiers, clerical help or the various other
things generally recognized as need.
ful and perfectly legitimate In connec-
ton with the average campaign. Do
ing other than what the new law pro-
vides, and especially that relating to
campaign expenditures, constitutes a
criminal offense and it is here where
the managerial game comes in Under
section II political managers or per-
sonal committees are recognized and
strange to relate expenditures that
man as a candidate cannot incur are
permitted in the case of his manager,
il he has any. He or committee can
maintain political headquarters. he
may employ clerical help, have stenog.
raphers and incur other expenses de-
MED the individual candidate, SO you
see il you are a candidate and want to
play safe you simply have to have a
manager l may not have made the
new order of things perfectly plain.
but If you are in doubt just read the
law.
Campaign expense accounts, with
w. E. Lee, S. Y. Gordon and L. c.
Spooner as the names attached to the
affldavits filed, were features Of the
political happenings at the state CAPT
tol. All three are candidates for the
Republican nomination for governor,
The expense accounts as filed were
the first efforts toward compliance
with the new corrupt practices act,
Mr.. Lee acknowledged to a personal
expenditure of $40 odd, Mr.. Spooner
about half that amount and 8. Y. Cor
don a trile over 5000. Each gave the
names of those composing his cam
paign committee The law specifies
minute details in the fling Of expense
lists, which must be made once a
month, but it must be said that the
accounts filed were not any too exact
in that respect The absence OF the
proper blanks was given as excuse.
b ]. + +
The third party movement is now
on, but as l pointed out in previous
letter there is no unusual scramble or
the part of the politicians to gel
aboard. It is hardly possible that the
movement will get beyond the nation
al stage. Hugh +. Halbert is push
ing the Roosevelt cause in the Fourth
district and has perfected an organiza
ton, but it alone has the boards IN
boom way. Lieutenant Governor Cor
don gave evidence of where he stoo<
the early part of the week by accom-
panying the filing of his candidac!
with a statement in which he repeat
Cd his previous stand on the presiden
tial question. He gave it out cold tina
he was not for Mr.. Taft and he denie'
the right of any one to question nj
Republicanism because of that fact
q. T. Young, who is expected to Ill
this week, went Mr.. Gordon one bel
ter. He practically came out with wei
wishes for Woodrow Wilson, the Dem
ocratic nominee, making the point tina
the New Jersey man offered sofutfo
Of the problem for those who coul
not stomach the alleged high handle
action of the Chicago convention. IN
third party movement did not appea
70 him. 1t would avail honest progress
aives nothing, he said.
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