Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-09
THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS


The movement to secure federal
legislation compelling publicity of
campaign contributions began with
Colonel Rooseve.t's failure to meet
the charges made in the campaign of
1904 and eliminated today, with
his appearance before the senate COM
mittee, which is one of its legislative
developments.
Colonel Roosevelt, neither today nor
at any other time, has been able sue
cessfully to deny that his campaign
committee received contributions of
trusts and corporations. He declared
to the senate committee that such con-
tributions were considered proper at
the time. 1t never could have been
proper for the managers of corpora
tons to take without their consent to
be used for political purposes the
money belonging to stockholders and
policy holders. In 1904 and today his
defense has been the same, that he
catered into no pledges or promises
on account of such contributions.
The answer to that is that the part
nership and close alliances between
high tariff and other trust 'combina-
tions and the republican campaign
ahd legislative managers rendered
promises and pledges on his part as
their presidential candidate absolute
ly unnecessary. He has always been
a valuable and vote securing asset
of the trust interests so wei served
by him and his record as president
proves his dual relation to them
Facing both ways on every question
before the American people, upon the
subject of publicity of campaign con-
tributions, he has not succeeded in
evading the truth.
The original motive OF those who
have promoted this movement has
been TO free our party system, by the
effective means Of publicity, from the
domination OF the controlling mana
gers of trusts and corporations. Moth
ing more reactionary could be pro.
posed by a political party than the
plan of Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Per-
kins, who call themselves progress
sives, to reestablish on a firmer basis
than ever their political partnership
with the trusts. Those who have par
ticipated in the campaign publicity
movement have right to say that the
existing federal publicity law is the
most progressive OF recent political
achievements.
They are in duty bound to point out
the danger of defeat OF the purpose
Of such legislation, which would be
rendered Of no avail AGAINST the pr,,
posed consolidation OF the l.JrrrfcaI
and financial interests, ana the reac-
t!onary perpetuation of political and
financial alliances back OF Mr. Roose-
veit's continued efforts for public Of
fee.
At the inception Of the movements
and following close upon the agitation
which could not be ignored when he
became president, his first message 10
congress dealt with this subject in
such a manner that he felt justified in
quoting from that message. Those
words, however commendable, were at
no time followed by acts, and had he
ever during the whole period of his
administration done anything TO pro-
mote campaign publicity legislation,
the legislative committee Of the ma
tional publicity law association resid-
ing in Washington would have known
OF it The controlling influences of
his party III the senate and in the
house opposed campaign publicity leg
islation directly and indirectly during
all the years Of his administration an6
the republican national convention of
1905. IN which Colonel Roosevelt was
considered as having sufficient infu-
enee. votes dowa by an over-whelm-
ing ma the resolution proposed
I Tor ca publicity.