Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-04-05
FOR CLEAN ELECTIONS
Ely, New. April 8, 1912.

To the men and women of Nevada:
During the last regular session
of the state legislature. lin 1910 a
bill was introduced in the Senate
known as State Bill No. 10.
generally called the Corrupt
Pratice Act, the purpose of which
was to prohibit corruption in
primary and general elections. and
generally to purify politics. One
Of the aims of the bill was 10
prohibit the expenditure, by candi.
dates for office of large sums of
money. That such expenditures
are an evil. no ore will deny.
Probably there are in Nevada to-
day many men who are still ham,
pered with portions of the debts
contracted during the campaign of
1910. The practice sometimes lead
not only to de~falcations, (Which
aus sorrow and modification in
the home) but to bribery and
other evils. Why is it that a
greater number of good men do not
run for office? Largely because
their inherent honesty will not
permit item to take anything more
than the salary attached to the
Office and they do MT feel that
they can afford to spend a large
portion of that salary to get the
Office. Take for instance, as an
illustration, the Assembly. The
compensation for an ordinary term
in the Assembly is 5000. Under
the present method of campaigning
the expense is often rs 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 it!
Now, only three classes of men
can afford the office under these
conditions. % The rich man
who cares nothing for expense:
(2) the man who does not intend to
spend a large sum of money to be
elected, and (3) the corrupt man
who 6gures on getting back what
he spends. and a great deal more,
through bribery and other corrupt
means. The rich man is usually
too busy looking after his private
interests to run for office. The
man of moderate means who will
run for office and not spend money
is rare as every man has pride and
does not wish to run for Office,
feeling in advance that his failure
to spend money freely may give
his opponent an advantage. Allow
ing for a few exceptions, we have
eliminated the men of the firt and
second classes. This leaves the
mar of the third class the cor
rupt, bribe-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 himself all the
time. He never considers the
people, whose servant he is. Do
we want him? or course D 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 Practice
Act is the key to the situation.
What can be more desired than
purity in politics? Who is there
who will stand up and say he be-
lieves in corruption in our cleo
ticns? Not one. There may be
those who prefer such conditions
but they will not say so openly
But the bill mentioned was de-
feated in the Assembly. Whatwas
the reason for &C.? The defeat Of
that bill may be attributed to the
same cause 10 which 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 a single man
who voted against that bill. nor do
] wish to. I will give them. how
ever. the credit of having been
animated by pure motives, but the