The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-25
PUSHING 1T TO EXTREMES.

In these days Of publication of poll
tics, Of reform in partisan methods,
and OF checks upon the use of money
for political purposes, there Is no tell"
inc To what extent legislation may be
pushed.
But it really is surprising to see that
the Senate Of the United States has
passed, without delay or debate, the
bill introduced by Senator Clapp OF
Minnesota, to prevent the sending Oh
campaign contributions from one state
to another. Prima facie, prohibition
like this would be impossible in a
Presidential campaign, 1t is accord
ingly explained that it is not intended
to interfere with the "proper' con-
duct Of Presidential and National CAM
paigns by National committees, but to
suppress the activities Of such organi-
cations as the National Association of
Manufacturers, the American Fedora
ton OF Labor, and others which do not
come under the provisions Of the Cam
paign Expense Publicity Law.
Tho purpose Of the law, as explained,
is TO put down the secret financing of
political campaigns, whereby tho or
ganzations mentioned are alleged to
"have made themselves particularly
offensive in action contrary to the
spirit Of the National Publicity Law
and the Corrupt Practice Acts Of the
several States.' Accordingly, it is ex-
planned, If these organizations desire
to contribute money in aid of any elec,
tion or TO bring about the defeat of any
candidate, they muct do so openly and
send their contributions to committees
which make public reports and are re-
quired to account for their receipts and
expenditures.
That is, the law is designed to pre-.
vent any person or organization from
making secret contributions to cam
paign funds, and the excuse upon which
this sort of legislation is proposed in
Congress, is by virtue of the interstate
commerce law which gives Congress
power over interstate commerce. 1t
was developed in the Shlzer trial that
there were immense sums of money con-
tributed secretly, direct to Mr.. Sulzer,
and that he was not expected by the
contributors to give any account of
these contributions. This Congressional
statute, Of course, would not reach
case like that, because that campaign
was strictly State campaign. and con.
fined to New York. But 1t would pre-
hn
secretly to any other State or contrib
uting it for the benefit of a candidate
outside Of New York.
It Is surprise that the Senate should
pass such bill as this, and it is hard
ly to be expected that the House of
Representatives will concur in it. For,
it is the undoubted right of any man
to contribute money without giving
any account whatever of it; if he sees
fit to send money to q candidate whom
he admires or is friendly with in any
State in the Union, he has q perfect
right to do it. A law like this would
put somebody practically in supervis-
ion Of every man s expenditures, so as
to see whether he had spent any money
in politics. and would SO hamper the
elections and political freedom as to
amount 10 oppression. There have been
under the pretense of liberating the
people from political tyranny many
propositions advanced, and good many
laws passed, which in fact hamper the
voters as they never have been ham
pered before; but no laws have been
enacted that go to the length of that
proposed by Senator Clapp and fool.
ishly passed without consideration by
the Senate OF the United States.