The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-09-09
Camptign Slush Funds Are Doomed

revelations of the Kenyon committee
in preconvention days, followed b.:
the sensational charges that colossa
"slush funds" are now being raised
by both big parties, mark the spectac'
ular windup of political system
henceforth doomed, senators and con.
gressmen here today stated with grin,
mods of the head
Ono ofe the first laws to be passed
ty the new Congress, whether that
Congress be controlled by Democrats
or Republicans, it was predicted al
most unanimously, will be law to
put federal elections under fedora
control, and to limit expenditures to
where there can be no possible sus-
picions of corrupt practices.
At the same time the warning was
uttered that politicians at fancy sal
aries, party headquarters with ex-
travagant rentals, vast retinues OF
salaried political lieutenants, and
other expensive appurtenances to the
present system, are soon to be rele'
gated to the limbo of things that usc'l
to be.
The suggestion made at Chicago
by former Chairman Homer S. Cum
mings, of the Democratic National
Committee, and chairman Will H.
Hays, of the Republican National
Committee, that reforms are very
necessary, found hearty concurrence
here.
"There should he a Limitation
placed on presidential campaign ex-
penditures in primaries, in precon-
vention work and in general elec-
tions," Congressman Edward c. Lit
tie, Republican, of Kansas, declared.
"For years I have urged such limita-
tons.
"The fact is, 90 per cent of the cleo
ton money raised and expended in
presidential campaigns is wasted.
"Tons of printed matter are gotten
out and not read. Only few are in
terested in this stuff. The many pay
no attention to it. 1t is waste OF
material, labor and transportation.
Money is squandered in eXtrava-
giant headquarters in hundred diff
ferent ways.
"The limitations placed on party
expenditures should apply to individ-
ual expenditures. A man with SIS ad-
vocating an idea or an issue can do
no harm. A man with a million dol
lars to push an idea, an issue, or an
individual, may prove corruptlonlst
and an unmitigated evil. 1t is case
of boy with popgun and man
with a 44-caliber revolver.
"Roth of the great political parties
should be made to get along with
less money than they have been col
lecting and spending. Expensive po-
litical machines have been built up
with hangers-on who make that their
sole means of livlihood.
"I am opposed to that system
There should be regulation by law. .
Congressman Scott Ferris, Demo
crat, of Oklahoma, was just as EN-
phatic.
at would be a wholesome thing,
he declared, "to curb such expendi-
lures by legislation in some practi'
cal way"
That a law giving federal author
tiles complete control over elections
would not pass the Senate and House
without debate, however, was clearly
indicated.
"I cannot help feeling a little
alarmed over what seems to me to
be a growing tendency to centrallze
our government more and more IN
Washington and take more and moro
of the individual states prerogatives
away from them," Senator William
H. King, Democrat, of Utah, said
Eve are gradually taking away
from the states the right to legislate
for themselves. We are forcing wom'
an suffrage on some states that dc
not want it and prohibition on other
states which object to prohibition AM
so on, thus centralizing government
here in Washington as Napoleon cen
tralized the government of France IN
Paris.
T do not question the right OF the
federal government to exercise con-
troll over general elections, but l dc
qustion the desirability Of so dong
Tor the above reason. Leave it to the
states.
T also observe another growing
tendency, which is that we try te
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