South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-26

THAT REPUBLICAN BLUNDER.
The republicans made a mistake,
and then. in their anxiety 10 cover il
up, have made the second mistake Of
trying 10 justify the first
This is about the sum total Of the
oliver hotel affair put over a week
ago in the desperation OF the repub-
lican leaders TO make a respectable
showing in the entertainment OF their
candidates for United States senator
and congressman; that is the sum
total Of the affair plus the aftermath.
Granted that there was no thought
Of the corrupt practices act-or culp-
able intention TO violate it.
Granted that it was merely the re-
publican idea OF the best way,-and
due to their self-conceived weakness.
admittedly the only possible way of
getting a couple hundred people to-
gether TO hear the guests Of honor
expound the wornOut and dishOnored
republican sopnistry
out OF a semi-pity one might let
the incident pass on that score. but
when. apprised OF the provisions of
the law. an effort is made TO justify
the violation by reading the statute
out OF existence. the situation be-
comes more serious.
The mere fact that the law covers
meat" and provisions" as well as
drink" served as a political campaign
drawing card, scarcely justifies con-
struction--or miscOnstruction of the
statute,-Eo as 10 admit Of all three
in order to excuse a violation of the
meat" and provision" prOvisOs.
South Bend and all Indiana had
hoped that the day of the beer
guzzling' house party campaign had
gone. To get rid of it the legislature
OF the state passed a law, as it found
IL had TO. considerably broader than
the offense really aimed at in order
10 hit the offense itself. taking in the
entire range of corrupt practices. and
this is where such affairs as that at
the oliver got scorched.
The MiIler-Hick dinner. while not
a beer party, was "a synonym for it
within the meaning of the act. The
purpose of il was 10 get out a crowd
by promise of something OF more
physical substantially than the legiti-
mate feast OF reason and flow OF
soul; by an appeal TO the appetite as
well as 10 the intellect.
To say that there must be a definite
understanding as To how the
'guzzlers'' or "banqueters" viii vote.
in order 10 violate the law. is to set
aside the law entirely. that situation
being covered by the old law against
vote-buying, and which the corrup-
tionists had learned so we'll how 10
evade.
The corrupt practices act was passed
10 cover the spirit OF the old law,
which by not having the aforesaid.
definite understanding. it was So
easy to evade as 20 the letter Exhi-
billions OF good feuowship like that
at the oliver. and such as was for
nlerly shown at the beer parties.
calculated 30 reach mans heart
through his stomach rather than his
head. is exactly the sort OF corrupt
ing influence that the law would put
under the ban.
Seeing that Justices of the supreme
and appellate courts are 90 be elected
this year. one is almost bound To
wonder il the G. q. p. Interpretation
OF the corrupt practices law would
receive judicial sanction from the re-
publican candidates for the bench,
should they be elected and violation
or that statute be brought before
them. The application might even DE
made locally with regard 10 the
Judge OF the superior court though il
DE a court of inferior Jurisdiction. Is
the local republican effort 20 minimize
the scope OF this law forecast OF
what might happen 10 it with re-
publican judiciary in the state-in
that party's mad effort 20 resurrect
the old days when IL used 20 win its
elections by corrupting the ballot in
blocks Of ten. and by threats and in
timidation?
We hold no brief for the progress
sive party. Perhaps as the repubh-
. cans claim. ,he bun moose affair at
the y 81. g. A.. back in the spring.
was Of "a similar order To the Oliver
dinner. but g wasn't No campaign