The evening world., 1920-05-27
ONE Proctor GIFT
OF S5OO,OOO MADE
WILSON PRESIDENT
Continued From First Page.)

OF wealth into political campaigns is
an art In itself. and In every case the
patriotic opportunity" offered to the
man OF means is emphasized rather
than any suggestion of personal ad-
vantage in the form OF political office.
On the other hand 1t has been Gus
tomary for successful candidates to
the Presidency not to forget some Of
the weulthlest contributors to their
campaign funds. either in Ambassa-
dorships or Cabinet posts
The bold action OF Gov. I,owden of
Illinois in spending considerable
money to be nominated-but spend-
ing 1t out of his own pocket rather
than be under obligations to any in
dividual or group OF jndividuals-is
marked contrast to the method in
which the Wood campaign has been
conducted, though the General a. not
wealthy and was dependent entirely
upon the voluntary contributions of
interested friends. The General him
self doesn't solicit campaign contri-
buttons. Few candidates ever do. It's
when the men who get around a pro-
Spective candidate do the soliciting
for funds that tho embarrassing
promises are made.
WILSON HAD TROUBLE OVER
UNAUTHORIZED PROMISES.
Even President Wilson, after the
first campaign in 1912, learned that
some OF his managers had promised
Jobs and certain courses OF action of
which he had no knowledge, with the
result that the President-elect met
some bitter feeling inside his own
party at the outset, SOME OF the
grudges still remaining.
The whole effort OF the Investl-
eating Committee OF the Senate Is to
show that the various candidates for
the Presidency are being backed by
individuals or private interests who
Will have IA string on the next Presl-
dent of the United States. OF course.
there is no proof of that, even in the
case of the largest contributions, but
II Is within the power of a Con-
gresslonal committee to spread in
nuendoes just the same.
The Kenyon Investigating Commit
tee gets plenty of publicity. The re-
lporters attend en- masse. InsinuatinG
questions which might provoke many
a libel suit II asked outside OF Con-
gress by one invididual OF another
are given the widest currency. Both
lsdes suffer.
Men are subpoenaed without q
sclntilla OF evidence. Bernard M
Baruch was called purely on the basis
OF story published in the Hearst
papers to the effect that they hat
gotten Il million-dollar fund Col
Mr. McAdoo. II turns out that Mr.
Baruoh swears that he didn't con.
tribute a cent. On the other hant
the effort 70 besmirch Mitchell Palm
er by the Implication that he got con.
tributions from concerns which
evaded their income tax Obligation
and were later required to pay mill
ions of dollars in back taxes to tn,
Treasury Is In effect a criticism OF th,
Department of Justice, which woul,
, never have anything to do with in
come tax matters even though a con
cern were guilty of evasion.
, The administration OF the incom
| tax and indeed all prosecutions ar
conducted by the Treasury Depart
J ments law officers who are techni
/ cally on the Department OF Justice
roster The whole episode Is anothe
instance OF the way n Congressiona
committee can be handled for parti
san political purposes though Il
the present instance the effor
is entirely inspired by tn
, johnson followers in the Senate, an
, Is aimed not merely at Democrat
/ but at Republican rivals OF Senate
IJohnson.
Again and again, Congresslona
! committees have conducted inuuisi
! tions OF this kind without proVin
: anything especially but raising DO
litical smoke screens OF doubt an
. inslnuation. The present pre-con
I vention campaign has been a costlie
one than usual, but the expenditure
, have been distributed over NOR
candidates, and tho contests undt
the primary system are more respoT
sible for the situation than an
newly developed cuniaity or polite!
: corruption, Most of the money ha
!, lbeen spent IN publicity and advertll
Z Hing nn1,not n buylnR votes.