Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-29
CAMPAIGN FUNDS.

CAMPAIGN FUNDS.
The senate investigation into the es
pendttures Of candidates and their
in connection with the pre-
presidential campaign
have brought put some figures which,
in their aggregate. are calculated to
take away the breath of the average
citizen. Tens and hundreds of thou
sands are discussed in "a matter-of-
fact manner and the first impression
Is likely ito be that the whole campaign
has been a riot Of extravagance and
corruption.
General Wood puts the thing in q
way which gives it a different aspect,
and which emphasizes the fact that in
a country az large as ours II an in:en-
sive campaign is to be carried on by
or for any candidate. q lot of money
must be spent by somebody, even
without questionable methods Of any
kind. Estimating the total number of
voters in the country, including the
women who will presently be enfran-
chised, at 80, 0 200. it is pointed out
that it will cost 41.5oo,ooe merely to
send each of these voters n eircu-
lar. This is at the rate OF five cents
per circular. which is a very moderate
figure for the preparation and mail
ing Of "a carefully prepared piece Of
literature. OF course, not ev-
cry voter is c~ircularized, but to offset
this. a good many of them are circu-
larized several times, and the sending
of circulars is merely one item in a
long list Of perfectly proper and legit-
innate expenses. .
If the case Of candidate is to be
presented effectively to the voters
money must be spent on some such
scale. The funds must be raised in the
form of definite contributions to a
general fund; they must be raised by
many separate state organizations;
small local bodies may act informal
"; or there may be practically no
campaign fund whatever, the work
being done instead by volunteers who
pay all their VI expenses. But nc
matter which method is employed the
money must be produced by come
body, and it must be expended fol
printing. advertising, railroad fare
music, rem OF offices md auditori'
ums, and in a multitude of other way,
which ann by any stretch Of imAE:
inAtion he held to be either illegal o.
immoral. The cost Of getting the,peo.
pie Of the United States acquainted
with a candidate for president is enor
nous. no matter how the work j
carried: ON II 1t IL undertaken will
that definite object in view.
The presidential primary, - it il
operated, il 4 futile and sinconclusivt
thing. But great expenditures canno
be charged solely to the primary. L
there were no primary, there woul.
still be the effort to create sDntimen
in favor Of this or that candidate ant
II the purpose were to influence tn,
delegates through the creation Of pHb
Tic santiment, itAwosld still b neces
aary to spendS1aree SUNG to get tn
facts and the arguments to the people
No one fixes the notion of a can
didate spending large sums Of his ow,
money TO cur his own nomination
II that were the plan. none but yer.
wealthy men could compete, and tn
tmngAwould sAyor too much Of tn
purchase Of q nomipation by tho ma,
who could spend the most money. !
man OF moderate means cannot ph.
In this game unless others are wi1lin1
Ito advance the money for his publieit,
campaign. And, in the nature o
things, these contributions must be ii
relatively large SUNNI. The idea o
the admirers Of q candidate financin,
his pre-conventton campaign BY tn
payment Of some such sum Is a dolla;
each looks we'll. and has tho appear
ance Of real democracy. But nobod!
has Yet been able to work 1t, IL. indeed
anyone has attempted 1t,
Anyone who can Devise . werkabl.
scheme for aeq~uainting thu publ
with the qualities Of possible presi
dential candidates without the expen
dtture Of money j. undesirable
amounts will confG Z favor on tn
nation. A
L EM ~ ~ Efg