The Washington herald., 1912-08-25
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The POLIIlCAL SlIUAlION.
Now we are in the undertaking pc
Rod. The inside history of the cam
paign of 1904 is being disclosed for such
effect as it may have upon the present
contest.
Ancient history though it be, the PEN
rose -Archbold incident has timely in
terest Through the fog of accusation
and denial the fact is apparent that the
Standard Oil Trust contributed iber-
ally to the campaign fund for the cleo
ton of Mr.. Roosevelt in 1904, just as
Steel Trust magnates are to-day heavily
financing his effort to be again elected.
1t is probable, as Mr.. Roosevelt as
serts, that he took the precaution to
write Chairman Cortelyou not to accept
Standard Oil money, but it is also evil
dent that he was the beneficiary of the
contribution. Eight or ten years ago
the political managers did not hesitate
to accept the contributions of corpora
tons The fear of handling tainted
money" was not before their eyes.
1t is different now. Not only has
the publicity law made it impossible
for the campaign directors to accept
financial aid from questionable sources,
but there is a strong public sentiment
which is even more deterrent than the
statute In the great campaign of 1896
Senator Hanna did not hesitate to COL
lect literally millions of dollars in order
to accomplish the election of McKin-
ley To-day both the Republican and
Democratic parties are pleading for
popular subscriptions in order to meet
campaign expenses, and are carefully
avoiding the hitherto well-worn paths
which led TO the doors of the corpora
ton treasures.
The cost of campaign is enormous.
The. printing and distribution of litera-
ture, the employment of speakers and
the payment of their travelling expenses,
the maintenance of headquarters in New
York and Chicago, the necessity Of
reaching individual voters in all the
doubtful States-all these are legiti-
mate and honest methods of carrying.
an election, and yet, as can readily be
seen, they cannot be undertaken with
out great expenditure. 1t is no ex-
aggeration to say that as between two
political parties, one without money
and the other literally supplied with
funds, the latter will be successful sim
ply because it can conduct more eff
fective propaganda. Its organization
will be better, it will circulate its lit
erature more widely, it will be enabled
to create public sentiment in its favor.
A political organization without funds
is like corporation without capital
Its operations are restricted and work
which it would like to undertake and
which is essential to success must be
abandoned.
As matter of fact, very little money
is used nowadays for bribery and cor
ruption. Nearly all the States have
rigid corrupt practices acts which make
it dangerous to use money in dis
honest fashion. We have not yet reach
ed an ideal political situation wherein
purity absolutely prevails, but we are
tending toward cleaner condition Of
things. 1t is safe to say that the CAM
paigns this year will be managed with
less funds than any previous struggle,
and it would not be surprising to find
that the Progressive party is the best
equipped financially. Up to the present
time it has not been hampered, and the
plan of its campaign, if carried out to
its fullest extent, will require tremen-
dous expenditures. This is certainly one
of the anomalies of the present cam
paign. -..,
The first straws to show which way
the political wind is blowing will be
the State elections in Vermont and
Maine, which will occur September 8
and g, respectively.
The probability is that Vermont will
go Republican and that Maine will go
Democratic Conditions in Vermont
are sadly mixed. There are no less
than FIVE candidates for Governor, two
Republicans, two Democrats, and one
Progressive. 1t is possible, therefore,
that no candidate will get a majority,
and that the election will be thrown
into the Legislature. In Maine there
will be more direct test of strength
between the parties. In both States,
however, there will be bitter contest,
in which the National Committees will
take hand. Chairman Hilles has
promised TO send a full corps of speak
ers at once into Vermont and them