The sun., 1912-07-21
Money, Which Has Bought at Least One
Presidency, to Be of Smaller I'M
portance Than Ever Before

forwarding a scheme OF uplet 60 w,,irh
Col. Bryan has contributed le,ishly %;
words.
Perry Belmont has done more than auy
other man toward the reform achievement
which IL this year going into effect. #
It hadn Z been for him perhaps there would
be no reform at ali IN tho national scnsr
He started the movement going and has
kept It going.
In the campaign Of 1904 Perry Belmont
was u member of the New York State
Democratic committee. The county com
mitteemen Of Suffolk wanted some fund,
SIS .0OO-and came up to New York TO
get the money They were disappointed;
the committee was nearly broke. But
they went back home. passed a formal
resolution voicing their needs. spread II
on the record, published IT,.
THAT in the way this business should
he done." said Belmont: ut is the stright
and honorable way. All campaign sub
scriptions and then all campaign disburse-
ments should be public. not private"
| Thus came the inspiration. From that
day TO this Mr.. Belmont has had his
shoulder to the wheel of campaign pub
licity. pushing hard all the while. He
organized a committee. interested well
known men OF both parties. wrote. talked.
travelled. kept everlastingly at il. There
were dark days when things were not
coming easily. when indifference passed
by on the other side OF the road, when
cynicism sneered and tried to make a
Joke of it ALL when Republican opposition
blocked the way. But the head pusher
kept on pushing.
Gradually public opinion gathered force
behind him. Already most Of the States
had laws designed to protect the ballet
box and a few had adopted the publicity
principle. Now more and more of the
States took to the idea and requirement or
publication Of both subscriptions and
expenditures became quite general. At
last the Federal citadel yielded; Congress
passed q publicity law.
There is a prevalent opinion that the
movement to abolish the secret cam
paign fund was designed primarily 10
prevent corruption at tho polls. While
this ia of course ono of its incidental
effects, the purpose was deerer. To
guard the ballot is a police function. per-
tanning directly To the States Tie
national publicity movement sought
higher game. II wanted to strike AT tho
source of the evil. the fountain head which
was tainting not only individuals but
parties. public life. legislation. The
police could deal with the poor wretch
who sold his vote for the price Of rdir
of boots; only Federal law. demanded
and enforced by a nationwide publ"
conscience. could reckon with the sale "f
tariff schedules and other Government.
favors for campaign cash.
Our friends across the water. part -
larly the English. have . habit of liitl!;
their hands in holy horror at what ,h'y
call "the shocking corruption of polite
in the States" Now that America has
led the way in abolition OF secret party
: funds perhaps the Englishmen will 10
J even more shocked when they generally
discover. IL they ever do. that their country
has greater need Of such reform than the
} United States. In England. as in all
countries which have the ballot. there
} are corrupt practice laws designed to
prevent bribery at the polls. In fact.
| most of the State laws in America arc
modelled after the British enactments
: which are drastic and enforced with much
. severity.
, But the secret party fund exists in Eng-
land and is largely replenished By the
sale of Government favors. Americans
who have been recently in London and
who Ind means Of gathering inside ill
formation as to the party system there
7 were amazed at the revelations.
, Each OF the two great parties main
, tains a permanent fund and a perma-
/ nent organization. Whenever It becomes
necessary to "go to the country" the fund
!, is drawn upon. The funds are expended
, exactly as the secret service funds were
, expended In Walpole's time-in buying
votes Not in buying electors or bribing
members Of Parliament, but in furnish
, ing candidates for seats with the sinews
, of war. in seeing to It as far az possible
/ that none but friendly members arc
, elected. The successful candidates owe
allegiance, not to their constituents hut
but to the party organization which has
financed them.
. Tho English funds are said 10 be very
, large, running to many hundreds of
thousands of sterling. Generally speak
: ing the English people know little or
nothing about the existence or operation
OF tho system. and the leaders Of the two
, parties have a sort Of tactt understanding z
that neither is to inform upon the other.
Hilaire Belloc, himself several times
member Of Parliament. and vouchod
I for a. Trustworthy man, has recently
|. charged that tho funds are made up largely
|, Of subscriptions secured by tho salo OF
honors, peeragcs. baronetcies, knight
, hoods.
!. This traffic is notorious he says.
, Every one acquainted even in the slight
! est degree with the inside Of politics
!, knows there ia n market for pcerages.
, He could put his finger upon the very
= names OF men who have bought their
honors.
MIR l'elloc says eco, 900. nearly 500 coo,
Is the usual price OF pecrage. but that
a case is known Of Gl00Oo0 being paid
and that is going several laps ahead Of TIE
> sums paid by the campaign fund roair
, for diplomatic appointments in Mncri.,.
appointments which some OF us cu,'!.i
i also "put our fingers on" Our B.i;i' a
;, friends try to ease their consciercr ,
= with the fiction or excuse that while ihrr
sell "honors. mere ornamental Pc.
j, like knighthoods and baronetcies, t., =
do not thua lSDOsa of ofY1coS which H., a..