Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-19
cid for conference controversy.

In presidential campaigns, the Dill
provides that no more than 100000
may be spent by any national COM
mittee. Not more than $4,000 may be
spent in trying to secure the nomina.
ton OF a candidate for the presidency,
and the vice presidency goes at half
price with a $4,000 limit. Also. no
committee may spend anything to Sc
cure the nomination of q candidate
without his knowledge and consent
So The candidate can not plead that his
good friends have been spending their
substance on him unbeknownst.N Va /
Candidates for the offices Of senator
and representative must content them
selves with spending the modest sums
OF 5000 and 1880 respectively on
their campaigns Personal expenses
and advertising are not included In
these sums however. The, candidate
Is charged with the responsibility OF
keeping disbursements within the
limit, and has to make detailed re-
port to the house for which he is run.
ming. Particularly stringent, and the
object Of some nnfavorable comment,
rs the provision that in case tho az.
gregate OF disbursements exceeds the
amount permitted under the act, with
the knowledge and consent OF the can.
rdidate. the aspirant IL guilty. OF a feE
ony ana liable to hne and imprison'
ment ~ ,'SN es --t ~ q, >s@ s
Having cut down the cash expendi.
lures to the necessities of campaign.
Ing, the bill proceeds to take swtpe
at election promises OF the personal
sort Every candidate has to make
a complete report stating every prom.
Use or pledge he has made to anybody,
contingent on the result Of the cleo.
ton. Candidates for senator or rep
resentative are, forbidden to promise
anybody a government job. or support
in securing one M.m .4, <.
In order that there shall be no doubt
in anybody's mind as to just what cam
paign money may be spent for, the bill
lists nine items which are the only
ones on which cash may be expended.
They include only the necessities Of q
campaign life, such AZ travelling ex.
penses, advertising and rent.
Debate on the bill In the senate
grew warm once or twice. The gen
eral tendency OF our higher legislators
was to state that while such q measure
was almost or quite unnecessary In
their respective states, there were 9th
er states where it might do great
deal of good As Mr.. Vardaman point.
ed out, the suspicious entertained
about other mems states were perhaps
in themselves an indication OF the
necessity for legislation.
There seems to be considerable
lnanimity Of opinion to the effect that
corrupt practices act of some sort
would be good thing, and that the
present legislation governing the ex-
penditures Of money in campaigns Is
inadequate. The house bill, which was
passed by that body by large major
ity, was rather more simple than the
senate bill in it's outlines, though Its
provisions are much to the same ef-
feet. It seems probable that confer
ence committee OF the two houses
would be able to arrive at an amended
measure satisfactory to both without
much difficulty. One Of the chief fun
damental differences between the two
bills is the fact that.the house bill does
not limit the amount OF an individual
contribution. NJ . ~
Senator Owen, has been making q
hard fight for. the passage Of the bill
at this session. II IL the sort Of a
measure thateis hard for any legisla-
tor to oppose in and for itself without
putting himself in rather an awkward
position. There Is little doubt that a
bill substantially along these lines will
be passed either at this session or the
next, and campaigning will be some
thing Of a changed scen &c in conse.
quence.