The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-04-14
SHOULD REVEAL SOURCE

- = z, =
Nation On Pre- Convention
Presidential Contest u
Nv SENATOR WILLIAM n. 5oRAH
(written Exclusive for TheH6ismarek
Tribune)
Washington, April 14.-The thing
which | desire most, to- secure rs
publicity with reference to campaign
expenditures. The mere question Of
technical punishment is, incidental. IN
my judgment. The great primal poll
cy is that OF publicity.
II the people are fully aware u
who mans supporters are and now
much they are subscribing, their juds-
ment of approval or condemnation
AS expressed in his election or de-
feat will be a sufficient protection.
The Michigan election shows very
jplainly that we can trust the people
to deal effectively with those who ac
cent vast sums of money for their
campaign and decline to make 1t
known who the contributors are. On
the other hand, it is equally clear
that if they are made known and are
Objectionable by reason OF their IN
terest or the amount they contribute
the popular judgment will be SUI
ficient method OF correcting the evil.
/ am going, therefore, to urge as
speedily as possible the bill to the
extent at least Of providing for ab-
solute publicity upon the part OF al
candidates of the amount expended
and hope to have that provided for
by the first of June SO all who enter
the conventions will have made, thei
statements.
Whether that can be done or no
time will tell, but we will endeavor to
push Il through by that time.
Indeed, 1t really ought not tto pc
necessary to. have law REQUIRING
publicity for presidential pre- convehs s
tiUp campaigns. Such campaigns are
peculiarly personal and It would seem
that a candidate seeking that high
Office upon the first suggestion from
the public would be glad to tell who n
his contributors are and the amount
Of the coRtributio Ions ! +. . 4t
II q candidate is expending large
sums OF money from those who have
special interests to look after and
whose special interests may be af
fectea by the incoming adminfstra-,
ton. naturally he will seek to consult
them. But on the other hand, if they,
are contributions such, as may be
legitimately made and in amounts con-
forming to deCency, he will have not
the slightest objection to revealing
them. .
To refuse to reveal them is in my
Judgment the most conclusive evil
dence that the situation when re-
vealed would not be tolerated by the
public. h
This Campaign Beats Them Al For
PreJconventionS Spending
We have had expenditures of money
in this country upon large scale
But we have never had anything like
the expenditures Of money that is be
ing made in this pre-convention cam
paign. Any citizen in any state where
the campaign Is going on could be
witness to this fact. He might not
be able to know just how much or
where it is coming from, but he can
see upon every hand the evidence
of a perfect riot in money spending,
newspaper ads, billb0ards from one
end of the state to the other. head
quarters and paid workers even on
as large scale as the closing days
of the election itself.
haven't any doubt that the amount
of money expended prior, to the Re-
publican convention will easily
amount to FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
This does not include the shameless
effort in some of the southern states
to control the situation through the
promise OF patronage. 4.
If dozen men Of vast wealth can
finance a nomination for the presi,
dency and make success of it the
same thing can be done with refer
ence to senator's and representatives,
and republican institutions have brok-
en- down utterly.
By such processes, that is, by the
sheer use of money, a few men can
control the government. shape its
laws, it's institutions and finally domi
nate its course.
Indeed, that is the very object OF
putting such unconscionable amounts
into the campaign for particular can.
didates. It is to enable themselves
to sit in council and either directly
or indirectly control the affairs OF the
nation. Men do not put up hundreds
of thousands Of dollars and even mil
lions in an aimless way and for nc
purpose.
They have their plan and the plaI
is either that certain laws are no,
to pass. certain, administrative poll
cies are not to be pursued or tha
certain others are. There is no u.s.
of apologizing or sidestepping the
real question involved, and that rea
question is, who is going to contro
the government, a few men of grea
wealth or the people of the United
= States.
The profiteers have made too muc'
money out of this war to be willin.
to separate themselves from govern
ment protection for the next few
years.
System viii Win u Leaders Yield
Regardless OF Characters
/ do not care what a mans charac
ter and standing may be in a pei
sonal way, if he yields himself to tn
system the system will have its wa,
when matters of vital concern to tn