The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-06

may spend more than $1O for each one thousand voters of his party who voted in the last preceding election l for the candidate of the same party for the same office.
 This is all the expense that any can- didate may lawfully contract to secure a nomination.
 After a nomination has been seour- ed the candidate may lawfully spend fled to vote for the office for which he is a candidate.
 Measured by this law (not then pass ed) MT. Goodwin, the late Republican candidate for governor might have ex- pended upon his nomination about $74o. He might have expended upon his election about $s,00o
 l In fact he expended some s4OoOO l that was reported
 A candidate within the City of Bridgeport, running before his party's D 4 v entire electorate. will, this year, be entitled to expend s6O upon his non1- nation, in the primary elections. If he is nominated he will be en- titled to expend further sum of s27o. Or in that neighborhood.
 Candidates for Senator will be fur l ther restricted. by the fact that the vote in a senatorial district is smaller
 than the vote in the city at large.
 Thus has the custom of buying pulp lie office been seriously discouraged
 Thus has the convenient custom of milking rich men all but perfshed. It is probably true that this new statute will not at first be entirely obeyed. There probably are million aires willing to take a chance D There may be politicians willing to participate in the chance taking. espe- cially if it promises smart pickings.
 Perhaps it wifi be necessary to send rich man or two to jail before the corrupt practices act becomes entire l ly effective.
 But the immediate result of the sta> tute cannot but be wholesome. Few rich men really desire to buy office. They are persuaded into an invest ment of which their conscienees do not really approve. or being induced to accept a nomination, are afterward 1 induced to spend much money to in crease their chance of election. The majority of rich men will scarcely desire to fool with a law that has so many and so strong teeth in it as the new corrupt practices act, especially when the way to de- lection and punishment is so easy. I For in the offense of spending more than the law permits the rich man who gives the money will stand alone There will be no accomplices. He will have no companion in guilt. The marApko whom he gives the fel- onious cash will not be presumed to know that the candidate who. feloni- ously gives it is disobeying the law. The giver is therefore unprotected from the treachery of his most trust ed associates. who may "squeal'' up- on their patron without Jeopardy to 1 themselves.
 l The danger that a rich office seeker will donate his own money through other persons is also slight because the operation of breaking the law in this way is exceedingly dangerous.
 The snew law provides for an in- quiry into any alleged corruption in an election, by very simple proce- dure.
 The law also provides that any man who makes contribution in any but the name of the actual giver is a criminal | With inquiry easy almost to the point of certainty few men with rep utatons to lose. and liberty to keep, will take a chance"
 The outlook is excellent in Connec- ticut for unpurchased elections. The politicians who have found the purses of the rich with political ambitions open to them must find other means of revenue If the worst happens, some of them may have to go to work.
 That's an awful thought