The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-08
DOLLAR FUND.- , IS PLANNED TO {
 AID PRESIDENT

New York, Aug. S--Wilbur w. 16arsh. treasurer of the Democratic national committee. who is to obtain the money for the Wilson campaign, hopes to induce at least 500,000 per- sons to help defray the expenses or electing the candidate.
 II believe the people are vitally in terested in the reelection of President Wilson, said MT. Marsh yesterday. ..If 50, I feel Justified in predicting that at least half million American citizens will be willing to give, accord ing to their means, to provide the necessary funds for the legitimate purposes of the campaign"
 The plan of Mir. Marsh. which has been put in operation. provides for the organization of Wilson finance com mfttee, each composed of seven mem bers, in 15,0O0 cities and towns in the United States. The letters in which the plan was first preached were sent out by MT. Marsh about a week ago. Yesterday the replies began to come in. Mr. Marsh said that in his morn ing mail yesterday there were 467 let ters, each announcing the creation of cash collecting organizations.
 The formation of these committees has received the sanction of President Wilson and at all the men who are active in the conduct of the Demo- cratic campaign. including Chairman Vance c. Mccormick of the Demo- cratic national committee, and Henry Morgenthau, chairman of the Cam paign Finance Comynittee.
 . :. uyoa limit fo fba ciza of ,fv- dividual contributions under the plan originated by MT. Marsh. But it was put in operation mainly to reach the thousands and thousands of Wilson supporters who are not able to give much. but who are willing and anx- ious to contribute according to their means. It was said yesterday that some arrangement of this kind had become essential if campaign fund ample enough to meet legitimate de- mands was. to be obtained because of President Wilson's aversion to ac- cepting campaign contributions from men identified with high finance'' or ''big business" In the campaign four years ago he directed that s10,000 contribution. from one of the leading men in the Harvester Trust should be returned.
 But the desire to become independ- ent of campaign contributions from lundesired sources was not the only reason for launching the Marsh plan. Mir. Marsh believed, he said, that by popularizing the fund and giving a large number of persons proprie- tary Interest fin the Wilson campaign, sentiment would be created which would be reflected in the vote on elec- tion day.
 Mir. Marsh was asked yesterday if he expected to make public his list of campaign contributions, as they came in. Under plan inaugurated by MT. Morgenthau. who was chairman of the finance committee in the Wilson campaign four years ago, this was done, and the Republicans were fore ed to follow suit. The question of whether campaign contributions should be made public in advance of the election was raised by William J. Bryan when he was a candidate for President for the third time in 1903. He ordered the Democratic campaign contributions published, and chal- lenged the Republicans to public their list, The Republicans in that year did not respond,
 ''Eo far as I am concerned" MT. Marsh said. T am willing to waive all rights to secrecy. The books here are open, and any one interested is well como to inspect them at any time."
 Under recent Federal law it is provided that in Presidential cam pAign snltst of all contributions re- csived must be published not later