The sun., 1912-07-21

that cash has little weight.
Now we have come to the now era
Of publicity. Of course there are old time
politicians who think the innovation
nothing but tommyrot. q futile effort
to break up what 70 them is the most
fascinating part Of the game. But there
Is evidence that large majority Of the
American people are we'll content with IL;
that they want the old game broken up,
and intend that it shall be. They regard
the new law as big white milestone set
by the side Of tho path UP which the nation
is slowly climbing to a higher level Of
political morality.
Some one once said nation never really
knows what It Ia doing. It knows only
after the thing ia done. This may be
true a. to whole lot Of the things now
going on or supposed to be going on in the
public mind. But II does not appear to
he at all true Of this campaign publicity
achievement. Further along the path
may be shrouded in gray mist into which
vision feebly penetrates and out Of which
strange sounds come. But up to the
point where we see the new milestone
standing the road In straight and clear.
The people who have come thus far and
planted the stone there know quite we'll
what they are about. The record Of the
movement shows that its promoters had
we'll defined. conscious purpose:
I. To break up the old copartnership
between the money changers and the
party bosses. between the makers o
millions and the hucksteiB OF votes
which was chiefly local evil thriving on
national campaigns.
2. To establish the principle that all
campaign funds raised and spent are
essentially public. not private trans
actions. and must therefore I've carried
on In the light OF day.
8. That while individuals have the
right to contribute as much money a. they
wish to political uses. it is the right OF the
public to know all about their contribu-
tions that through publicity they must
submit to "the judgment of mankind the
propriety Of their motives and actions.
All this has been virtually achieved.
and 10 q remarkable example OF the quick
powerful rise Of public opinion in this
country. for the whole movement in its
national aspect has had its rise. growth
and success in few years. or since the
Presidential campaign of 1904. Essen
TALLY it has been q non-partisan move
ment. In principle it was not designed &c
help any party or hurt any party. But
in the end it did become more or less q
party question. and the manner in which
it did SO will be OF interest to the his.
torians.
1t is a fact known Of all men that 70,
many years one OF the great nationa
parties has carried on fiourishing busi.
ness In the exchange of tariff legislation
for campaign cash. For Q long time
public opinion did not much concern itseli
about the matter. Hut when public
opinion did rise up and say the practice
was immoral and must stop every one
aoquiesced except some Of the old timer
, at Warrington. the men who can never
see Q change till II has run over them. thu
Bourbons and stand patters OF public life
They could stand tho sentimental par
Of the proposed reform. but loss of tn,
practical part. which interfored with
their old line OF business. was a littl,
too much. Hence tho mistake made
BY . part OF tho Republican organization
at Washington In opposing publicity
Most Of tho advanced Republicans sup
ported the measure. and to that VIM
OF the Republican party. as well as to tin
body OF the Democrats. must the credi
be given.
What strange bedfellows politics an,
reform do make! There is no doub
that abolition OF the secret campaign
fund is definite and practical part o
| thA ~hN1o aOhnv,na ~ s,,p1iet " 81
the land OF the rule of the plutocrat
and politicians We hear so much abou
in these piping days. One would nat
urally suppose that OF all tho shouting
in its favor the loudest would come from
the region OF Oyster Bay. Yct the friend
Of national publicity have publicly
charged that during all the tirne Col
Roosevelt was in the White House h
gave them no actual aid. though his hell
was often needed and sought. He dit
commend the idea in ono or two of hi
messages. but stopped there.
mir. Roosevelt as Chief Executive oc
cupied dual relation to the question
as he did to the allied questions Of tn
tariff and the trusts" IL tho languag
Of the head OF the publicity COMMITTEES
which may be taken as q polite way O
saying that as Archbishop of Ttipu MI
Roosevelt was for reform. but as chan
cellor OF the exchequer OF tho Republican
party It was bis duty to guard the wa
chest and the means OF replenishing 1t.
Now. In this year Of grace Mr. Rooss
volt 10 no longer burdened with that dua
responsibility. and a. FREQ man he ha
come out as hotly for the reform AZ an,
ono could wish. His New York Stat
manager has announced an intention
which must have made Mark Hanna
shade turn somersaults---to make publ
within forty eight hours afte r the check
come in the names OF all Subscribers
We have come along quito u way sine
the so-called scandal Of the 1904 campais1
since the Hartman letters. the insur
ance subscriptions and estigation. MI
Bliss burning the books and Mr.. Cortelyo
forgetting all names and figures.
Mr.. Taggart burned some books toe
and August Belmont indistinctly remem
ber giving something like a triHe @
$3.50 600 to the Parker campaign FUND
Col. Bryan denounces those dreadfl
enemies Of the republic, the Belmonts an
ltyans. possibly because thcy gave g
much in 1904 and 80 little in tho two cam
laigns before and the ono after it. G