Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-14
LET EN- INyEsTIGAT

| of campaign expenditures is n
movement that will meet oppo-
sition among neither Republicans nor
Democrats. 1t is entirely safe TO say
| that neither of the national campaign
committees will be found involved in
| transactions in violation of any of the
laws of State or nation. While il is
not only probable, but practically GER
tain. that in both campaign manage
ments there was not only much ex-
travagance. but absolute wastefulness
of campaign funds. this is something
that happens in every campaign, the
extent of the waste being dependent
upon the political sagacity of the cam
paign managers.
Wherever corruption occurs in poll
tics II is connected with a local cam
paign. 1t is impracticable, for obvious
reasons, for a national committee to
engage in the corrupt use of money,
even IL it were so disposed. Its busi-
ness transactions pass through too
many hands for a national campaign
management to even attempt anything
lies in n local campaign, where the
man who is interested in the violation
of election laws deals directly with the
man who interferes with an honest
ballot Neither intimidation nor bribery
ever has its origin in a national cam
paign organization. 1t has frequently
been a feature of local political con-
tests.
1t is notorious that Tammany Hall,
the most famous and most efficient
political organization in the world.
cares not one rap for the presidential
election. Tammany Hall is chiefly in
terested in patronage, and all the pat
ronage the Federal administration has
in the city or state of New York would
not be drop in the bucket as COM
pared with the patronage attached to
the city and State administrations.
What Tammany Hall wants first is
control of the city of New York, with
its vast force of policemen, its street
cleaning department, its water system,
its contracts for street improvements,
its control over the army of other en-
ployes on the city payroll. 1t wants
control, II possible. of the State legis-
lature and the governorship. but it
cares even less for these than for con-
troll of the city itself.
What is true of Tammany Hall is
true of the local political organizations
in both political parties all over the
United States. Where there is no or
ganization on the Tammany Hall plan
there is frequently a local would-be
boss" who seeks to control local gov
ernment for mercenary purposes. He
wants the city council. or the sheriff's
office, or the prosecuting attorneys
Office for what he can make out of it
for himself In the effort TO secure
control OF these offices there is in some
instances corrupt use of money in cleo
tions. A few instances in which this
occurs receive much publicity when
discovered, leaving the impression that
corruption in elections is a common
occurrence.
The agitation in favor of an investi-
cation of the affairs of the two ma
tional committees is calculated to give
the impression that dishonesty is
prevailing feature OF national cam
paigns. whereas a moments reflection
will convince any thoughtful person
that there is no likelihood whatever of
any dishonest effort to control the re-
suit of the national campaign.
The investigation of the committees
may prove the campaign managers in
efficient and wasteful. but It will not
prove thcm dishonest.