The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-04-06
Ely, Nevada, April 8. 1912.

~
To the Men and Women Of Nevada:
During the last regular session of the
State Legislature, Gin 1917 a bill was
introduced in the Senate known as
Senate Bill No ITO. generally called the
Corrupt Practice Act, the purpose OF
which was to prohibit corruption in
primary and general elections. and gen.
orally to purify politics. One of the
aims of the bill was to prohibit the ex-
penditure, by candidates for Office. of
large sums Of money. That such ex-
peuditures are an evil no one will deny.
Probably there are in Nevada to-day
many men who are still hampered with
portions of the debts contracted during
the campaign Of 1910. The practice
sometimes leads not only to d~efalcations,
which cause sorrow and modification
in the home) but to bribery and other
evils. Why is il that q greater number
of good men do not run for Office?
Largely because their inherent honesty
will not permit them to take anything
more thar the salary attached to the
office, and they do not feel that they can
afford to spend a large portion of that
salary to get the office. Take for in
stance, as an illustration, the Assembly.
The compensation for IN ordinary term
in the Assembly is 5000. Under the
present method of campaigning the ex-
pense is often as much. If a man is
elected he must put in his time for
nothing and pay out of his own pocket
his expenses while in attendance upon
the session OF the Legislature. Think
Of i'll
Now, only three classes of men can
afford the Office under these conditions.
() The rich man who cares nothing for
expenses; (2) the man who does not in
tend to spend n large sum Of money to
be elected. and CD the corrupt man
who figures on getting back what he
spends. and Q great deal more, through
bribery and other corrupt means. The
rich man is usually too busy looking
after his private interests to run for of.
fee. The man of moderate means who
will run for Office and not spend money
is rare, as the average man has pride
and does not wish to run for Office. feel
ing In advance that his failure to spend
money freely may give his opponent an
advantage. Allowing for a few excep-
tons, we have eliminated the men of the
first and second classes. This leaves the
man OF the third class-the corrupt,
rib e-taking man. This man of the
third class is the one our present system
forces upon us, as a lawmaker. entirely
too often. He is looking out for him.
self all the time. He does not consider
the people. whose servant he is. Do
we want him9 OF course not. Then
we must make such laws as will enable
the man of the second class to run for
office, feeling that he will have an even
chance of election. The Corrupt Prac.
tice Act Is the key to the situation.
What can be more desired than purity
in politics? Who is there who will
stand mp and say that he believes in
corruption in our elections? Not one.
There may be those who prefer such
conditions but they will not say so open.
ly. But the bill / mentioned was de.
feated in the Assembly. What wal the
reason for ii? The defeat Of that bill
may be attributed to the same cause to
which nearly every bad law can be
charged, that is, to the indifference and
lack of intelligent cooperation of the
people. / do not know the name of q
single man who voted against the bill
nor do ! wish to. ] will give them.
however, the credit of having been ami
mated by pure motives. but the bill as
it passed the Senate. ought to become a
law with some additional provisions.
The only way to get the desired law ia
by the intelligent cooperation of all who
believe in good government. 1t can be
obtained. 1t shall be. But there must
be organization to procure the election
to the Legislature Of those who will
pledge themselves to vote for such a
bill, and in the future, to punish those
who are elected pursuant to such a
pledge, and then betray the peoples
trust.
There lie a common practice among
candidates for Office which is radically
wrong. that is, the peddling of cigars
and liquors while campaigning. No
man who is worthy Of American citi-
zenship a be influenced by such
things. No other should be. Under