The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-02
PROPOSE Limit
OF $1,500,000
ON PARTY FUND
New Corrupt Practice Act
Offers Many Reforms of
Dractic Nature.

Washington, Jan. 2-Campaign con-
tributions to national political com
mittee are limited to one and one-half
cents per capita Of the total popula-
ton of the United States in the Re-
vised Corrupt Practices Bill completed
last night by a Senate Eelectlons sub
committee to be referred to the full
committee today and placed before
the Senate Wednesday.
Senators Reed, Walsh and Kenyon
drafted the bill in collaboration with
Senator Owen, and Senator Owen SAID
last night leaders of both parties HAD
agreed to expedite passage of a bill
along the lines proposed.
The per capita basis would at pres
ent limit total contribute c1s in a pres
idential campaign to approximately
81, 5OO, 600. No individual would be per-
mitted to contribute more than $1,000,
and contributions by corporations to
any campaign fund would be prohib-
tied.
Another important provision would
prohibit contributions to a national
committee within ten days of gen.
eral elections. Election betting and
advertising of betting odds would be
made felony. The bill provided that
ing or threatening to withdraw pat
ronage, advertising or otherwise, from
any publication for the purpose of in
fuencing it's attitude shall be guilty of
felony.
Political Advertising.
Newspapers or periodicals charging
for political advertising in excess Of
normal commercial advertising rates,
or refusing non-libellous political ad-
vertisements offered at such rates
when it opens its columns to other
political advertising, would be denied
the use of the mails for thirty days
The measure provides that no pub
LEGATION shall publish gratuitously any
political matter during a campaign ex-
cept that written by it's own employees,
unless the matter is signed by the
real name Of the author. and that
no political advertising matter in
tended to influence an election shall
be published unless marked as pal
advertising matter" with the name
of the candidate or committee present.
ing 1t attachedI >
State committees would be restrict
ed to 5 cents per capita up to the
first 10000 inhabitants, 8 cents up to
the second 100000 and cents per
capita over the first million. County
committees would be limited to 3
cents per capita for the first $4,000. 2
cents per capita in excess of $4,000
to 100000 and 1 cent above 100,-
900.
Limits for Congressman
Candidates for United States Sem
ator and Representatives.
would be limited to expenditures of
$4,000 each in States Of less than H.
100000 population, and not to ex-
coed 2 mills additional for each in
habitant in excess of 100000. Dis
trict candidates for the House of Re-
representatives. would be limited to $2,-
500 in all cases. Senatorial and
Congressional candidates, however,
would not be required to account for
personal expenses, which would in
clude travelling, hotel, postage, sta
tionery, telegraph and telephone
charges.
The bill would limit all personal
contributions to a Congressional or
Senatorial campaign to 500 and all
other individual political contribu-
tons to anything but recognized
political cOmmmlttee to $50. 1t
would be unlawful for a candidate to
make promises of appointment to po-
litica1 office.
Transmission of State political
funds from one State to another
would be limited to $1,000 for each
Senator and Representatives and
members of Congress would be pro-
hibited from soliciting campaign
funds.
| The purposes for which disburse-
nents of campaign funds may be
made, as tset forth by, >the bill in
clude travelling expenses of candi-
dates, speakers, member of political
committees and their assistants, fees
for entering candidates on the bal
lot. clerk hire. telephone, telegraph,
postage, freight and express charges,
printing and stationery office and
public advertising.