The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-04
Spend S25,OOO,OOO TO
Elect a President
By DAVID LAwREyCH
(CopyriQht BY Tho InselliHenoer.)

WASHINGTON. June ;--Twcnty five
miiiioh dollars - tn" estimate OF the
amount OF money that probably Will b"
spent by All poNucai parties IN order
20 rlrc; ihr ucNt president "C III" United
states This Ngur"---copSid-r" an un-
dcrC~t.mat" az that-tmbr;t"'S every
class OF eNptnditur" not only IN tn"
mat. Onal but In The stat" committees.
Tie writer - assured ny thu I".r~"n>
who are likely % bc IN on the tiuam'''u~
"f the national campaign when tn" con-
dates that in al, probability the national
committees themselves Will not Sp' 'Ei
more than few million dollars cash.
Indeed. II Is pur~uOuahl" whether IN"
Democrats or H,ruhh"anS VIII show on
their official records more than. $1."n",-
Ru; throuSuou, ,ne Union in tn"
states L IS fully expected that many
millions OF dollars will be spent and
there - 10 real way 1" get NJ the fa'tS
because the federal government has no
jurisdiction over state elections. IL IL
making the canvass Tor stat" "h:E.r
national ticket and for congressional
candidates.
Lavish Expenditures
TIE truth il that the present iuNrsti-
cation OF expenditures IN the primary
campaign IS making the seasoned hnah-
,')rrS of political campaigns smile.
mere half million dollars - nothing
compared TO the big sums that Will BE-
spent In these Identical states and per-
maps for one OF IN" idewticdI candidates
when once the two CUuN Mentions nave
named their men.
Preparations ar" being mad" Tor tue
most lavish expenditures IN the history
II American political campaigns. The
rnNcStl ga tlon thus far shows WAL ihrEr
sums OF money ar" Sp"Ht tnr publicity
and advertising hut. that fabulous -
mounts are put IN the hands al party
workers" some states hay" laws which
,,Fi n
pdignS. Hut In" aN'tE OF thr more
p"puloCS states where the hS ciCrt"r"l
Votes come from CnAhics the ppUt!''ah
To lay his plans So that ne does n"'
come under thr jurisdiction OF The teu'
raj government.
Probe 20 Continue
Rut If any body Supposcs THAI all th;S
: going To happen without som" spec
;acular Intervention such a. came IN
the primary campaigns. h" - very much
mistaken. The Senate commute" may
not have mad. up IT'S mind aS 10 what
Z will do durinE the summer. but IL
seems certain that dS soon as u" con-
vcutiopS haNU chosen their men. ana an
rXira session Of congress IS called thcrc
Mil be pressure to Conttnuc the inNrS-
tfgation. Some Republicans have said
that IL would furnish splendid "pPpr-
tunIty TO investigate The Dcmocratc
nominee inaSmuCh as too much pupicItH
has already been given the itnanciaI ct-
IurSS OF the various RcpubHIan iSpr-
ants for the presidential nomination
HUT J.; - hardly likely that The Demo
crHtS, wau are III possession ~ anothtr
Investigating hranch Of the government.
would let the matter rest there. II
attorney Genera! lalmcr Is nor the
Democratic nominee or II ne resigns 10
make the campaign and another atlor-
ney general is appointed. the chances
are that the Democrats Will do 4 IlttIe
investigating too. --S-ssN o..
May Use Soft Pedal
What appears doubtful at the present
moment is whether the. two old llnc
parties will have tacit truce 10 drop
investigating and spend all they can
tn elect their respective candidates, or
whether they will continue 10 night each
ether through the publicity and tnstnu;.-
ions OF campaign Investigations IN
which case the chances OF douni"-
barrclcd investigation conducted BY LRc
senate Committee on the one hand ana
the Department OF Justice q the other
nand can b" said TO be good. Much
will depend uron tho Cho.cc or cach
friends OF Senator johnson ar" d!Sap-
i.ojut,d and think money beat them.
they will insist on pursuing thS tr%H
no matter what effect Il has on Rcpub-
lean chances. ON tho other hand. Chair
man Hays and others hay" repeatedly
s,;ntrd at large sums of money gathered
hv the Democrats for the coming cam
palgn and the opportunity VIII not be
;ost TO keep the controversy in the pub
lic prints. in the hope OF influencing
the electorate neat autumn. The lnNcs-
tgationS may dheCk expenditures for H.
legitimate or doubtful purposes but the
nigh cost OF campaigning Is fully real
Zcd at both DcmoCratl" and Rspubl'-
IAN headquarters so that no matter how
Conservative the leaders may try to Dc.
hey probably Will find in the end that
Ill combined Will have spent more TO
,.lcct Il president OF the United states
u 1920 than in any other year in the
history OF American politics.