Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-19
A Pure Election Law
BY Frederic Y. Haskin

~ Washington, D. c., Sept. IS. In the
record Of the last few days OF the
session OF the historic sixty-fourth con-
gress, among the measures that were
valiantly pushed to the fore again and
again by their sponsors when press OF
business and shortness Of time threat
ened to crowd them of the calendar
a measure with title half column
long viii 90 down to posterity AZ one
OF the chief. For purposes OF every
day nomenclature this bill 10 known
around the capitol as Corrupt Prac-
tees" and its object and mission is
to do away with all faint OF corruption
in elections. II this bill becomes law
or when 1t becomes law, as its support
ers prefer to state. Il will put our cleo.
tions on : now basis Of financial pun
licity. s..sS.
There are really two corrupt prac-
tees bills, one OF which drawn and IN
troduced by Mr.. Rucker Of Missouri
passed the house some time ago. me
senate bill, which is the one occupy
ing the center bftthe stage at the mo-
ment was introduced by Senator owen
Of Oklahoma. When the house Dill
came To the senate, the, committee TO
which Il was referred struck out all
Of It, and substituted the Owen bill as
sweeping amendment, so that While
it Is being said that the bill which
passed the house Is up before the SEN
ate, 1t Is really quite another meas
ure. Should the senate pass It, II VIII
have to 20 back to the house again.
and apparently there will be warm dis
cussion before the conference decides
what the bill shall eventually look like
4 The Owen bill provides that In or
der to get in the game of national poll
tics YOU must do it according to rule.
II you are going to spend any money
in a way that will influence the result
Of an election, directly or indirectly
you must organize into political com
mittee. Any organization OF five or
more members, except corporations or
ganized for profit, may constitute IL
self political committee by drawing
up resolution to that effect and send
ing a copy of it to the chief clerk OF
the house of representatives: me
committee has to come out In the open
in this resolution. and state fully ana
in detail the candidate or candidates 1t
is going to try and help elect. Thus
prompted by the jealous committee,
the chief clerk will come back. at them
with a formal certificate constituting
them recognized political committee,
and they are free to 60 ahead and
within the limits set down
by other sections of the bill. Z, ~
II a man of political tastes happens
to be also unsociable and non-gregar-
ious by nature, he Ia not forced to affi-
late with any committee In order to
work. He can go ahead and work by
himself, but he becomes In effect a
committee Of one. He Ia bound, as
the committee Is bound, to report all
the money he spends and just how he
spends 1t, should, his expenditure ex-
coed $50. - If he wants to confine him.
self to $49.99 he is at liberty to pro-
coed without supervision.
The troubles of the committee only
begin with, the obtaining Of the. certt.
ficate, however. Armed with that,
they can set 10 work. but they must
keep strict account of everything they
spend. They must have treasurer,
and the treasurer must keep, a bank
account. He must, keep complete
record of receipts and expenditures.
He must carefully save all his receipts.
II any other member of the committee
collects anything he must forthwith
report said collection to the treasurer,
who makes a record Of it. His record
must show how much each contributor
contributes, and where he lives. When
the records are complete they are 10
be sent to Washington and preserved.
omen to the inspection Of anyone who
cares to read. The name and address
of each person who gives more than
800 is set down individually. If your
contribution Is more modest, you are
Jumped ignominio with the rest OF
the pikers. But the contributions and
the contributors are made matter
of public record. 1a~v~. s.....
Section nine OF the bill contains the
most radical innovation Of all, as some
critics see it. This section heartlessly
provides that no man, be he who he
may, shall contribute more than $4,000
toward campaign to influence the re.
suit of any election. The original house
bill did not set any limit on the
amount one man might contribute; and
it has been pointed out that $4,000 ts
less to some men than SIS to others,
md that rich and public spirited cit!-
zen may want to contribute $4,000 to-
ward the expenses of particular cam
paign, and thereby relieve some of his
poorer follow citizens Of carrying the
burden; vet his motives and methods
may be inrpeccable However, there
is Section Nine, doubtless fruitful
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