Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-05-26
EMERY AND CORRUPT PRAC'
TICES ACT

T1CES ACI
It appears that those papers which I
have been banging away at Mr.. En-
cry on the corrupt practices act have
drawn fire where they had not ex-
pected. He has been quoted as say
ing that the act makes 1t crime
to employ political advertising, but
says he never made such statement.
He does not deny, however, the draft
ing, introducing and advocacy of the
present act, which has caused so much
comment, but says that he had not
in mind then, 1902, political adver-
Using as it is now known, and the in
depreciation of the act is for the
court Then Mr. Emery comes back
with statement which forces the
question of the expenditure of large
sums of money in political campaigns
in Vermont into the open, and makes
it live issue in this campaign.
Mr.. Emery says that if he is elect
ed governor he will make an effort
to have enacted a real corrupt prac-
tees act in this state One which
shall place limit upon expenditures
and make it possible for a poor man
as well as rich one to go into pol
itics in this state. Here Mr.. Emery
has touched upon a most vital ques-
tion
Shall we go on sanctioning the ex-
penditure of thousands upon thou
sands of dollars in campaign to be-
come governor of this little common
wealth, when the salary of the chief
executive is but $4,000 per year?
Shall we drift on and on with laws
which make it possible only for men
OF large means to become governor
OF this state? Shall we face cam
pa1gn after campaign where money is
a first and foremost factor in elect
ing public officers? Shall we con-
tlnue to allow men of means to boast
OF proposed expenditures to get the
Office and let those boasts go unchal-
Hanged?
If the voters of Vermont are salts
ned with the usual regime of the past
administrations where money has
played so important part in cam
palgns and administrations, let them
elect Hardness, Babbitt or Agan
These men have large means and are
spending, have threatened to spent
or are about to spend much money tt
be elected governor, as their pre-
decessors have done. Why is this?
Mr.. Emery proposes to conduct hi!
campaign upon a modest plan, imi
campaign expenditures to a small
man of ability, integrity and &C
the people-the common everyda,
quaintance with the state, in the gov
ernor's chamber.
Mr.. Emery has rightly and proper
ly forced into the campaign the issu
of money expenditure in seekin
office. With the issue he will Wi
thousands of voters who are tired O
money in politics. Clement acknow
lodges the expenditure of over S11.OO
IN his campaign two years ago. Nc
Collough spent large sums in his cam
paign, Meade and Prouty ran expen
sive campaigns.
The Fletcher and Page senator
ial campaigns were costly and tn
man who stands up and says he wi
make such campaigns unlawful b
statute and has the courage of hi
convictions wins the respect and cor
fidence of large following.
Mr.. Emery has struck a keynei
issue in this campaign One thu
overshadows the Eighteenth amen,
ment, the Volstead act and other des
issues which his opponents are tr.
ing to force into the campaig
When large expenditures of mon,
by men of wealth make it impossib
for the poor man to enter politi
with anything like an equal oppo
tunity, and the law allows that m;
of wealth TO make his wealth a gre
political force, then has the very fou
dation corner of our Americans
been shaken.
Money in Vermont political ca,