The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-04-12
Barometer of Public Opinion
Tho Smn,InN Anglcr.

sports on The first day OF the week. Now tnat
the measure has been passed and signed, It rs
golfer and the track athlete have attained to
their state OF licensed happiness, the poor sun
day angler Is lcft completely out ot the lsts
There are a few persons, possibly, who Will con
slider this omission as taking from the edge OF
the blue law defeat For who so defiant OF
sunday restraints rs he who persists in ilndlnS
his sermons in the stones OF q good trout brook
Nevertheless the statute as today's IKE walton
will regard it, will hold "a laugh for the sacred
Goldfish on state house nill--Now York World
une. -
Limiting Campaign Funds.
There may DE many things to prevent the
enactment OF legislation by the congress OF the
United states to limit the expenditures which
candidates and friends OF candidates for the
presidency may legally cNpcnd In pre-conNcn-
tion and prediction activities. Just al present
there is being expressed, especially in the sen
ate insistcnt demand that some measure
definitely limiting such expenditures, and com
polling the fullest possible publicity AZ TO the
source of funds, shall he Immediately passed
The chief proponeut of the measure insists that
in the conduct OF state campaigns for the Sc
lection of delegates to the national conventions
excessive expenditures have been made by the
friends OF at least two more or less prominent
presidential candidates. Just what the definition
Of excessive" viii be found to be cannot. Of
course, be said state legislature In all, or most
OF the states have set what they have decided is
limit upon the legitimate expenditures which
may be made 10y or In behalf of candidates for
the various state offices.
There may be said to cNlst what seems to he
almost a general tendency to regard somewhat
lightly those penal statutes state and national,
which prescribe punishment for the commission
OF offenses which, in themselves have not been
looked upon as criminal even II reprehcnsible.
The laws limiting the expenditure OF money In
political campaigns not those laws which
have been ON the statute books almost from
time immcmorial prohibiting and penaliZing the
purchase OF votes and the bribing of election
officers. Such offenscs 1t should be remem-
hcrcd, come under the recognized classified ton
of crimes and misdemcanors. But almost since
the earliest days of the republic no doubt those
who have had money to spend in political cam
haN,
years, not only permitted, but encouraged, to
spend II freely. These funds have been used,
for the most part, perhaps, In pcrfcctng par
tsan state and local organizations, in street
paradcs, In hiring halls and speakers, and in the
thousand and one ways in which money could
he used formerly quite legitimatcly by the can
dtdates themselves or 10y their solcitous cham
pions, OF course IL cannot be claimed for "A
moment that fragrant abuses did not creep into
the unrestrained operation OF such "A system.
Even without openly violating the established
penal code as II has long existed, the candidate
who possessed unlimited funds, or to whom un-
limited funds were available, admittedly gained
great advantage over an adversary who was
without money or wealthy friends. The use or
non use or money In campaigns formerly de-
pended, at least In very large measure, upon
It's possession or availability, or the lack of IL
Its free and unlimited use in so-callrd lcg!ti-
mate efforts was not regarded as criminal until
the viewpoint of those who opposed IT, for ,'ne
reason or another, was expressed in penal stat
uteS, somewhat, AT least. az 1t might be declared
unlawful and punishable for a candidate to visit
barber shop moro than twice during a cam
btlgn or to possess more than one automobile
But tho enactment Of the law, sustained by the
court, has given society the right to frown upon
trcspasscrs and vioators.
As greatly as federal enactment along these
limos may he desired II may be that somewhat
serious obstacles may have to he overcome be-
fore the demanded reform is realized The man
ncr or selecting presidential electors IL provided
10y the constitution Of the United states and
these electors It has been held, are state rather
than national officers. Likewise. il is pre.
sumCd, the delegates of the different parties "a
the national conventions which nominate prcsi.
dental candidates would be held to have been
chosen In conformity with state rather than ma
uuu1l laws. some doubt has IL seems alread,
/ hecn expressed by senators and representative
IN congress as to the COustitutionality of n nos.
snlo federal enactment seeking to prescribe "A nd
/ regulate The manner Of conducting state Dri.
mary or general elections Those urging such
/ an enactment claim To possess information which
dlscloses the excessive use OF money I'm tho nros
ent pre-convention campaigns. Perhaps II 1,
their hope that the exploitation OF this inf forn,a
llon, IN the very way 1t Is being exploited. will
nave as great an effect az would tho passa GO ot
penaN2ng Federal statute, the legality or con.
sutuuonalty OF which might be questionable II
the real object of such a statute is as il is sun
posed to be In the case OF state regulations n
! "ompeI tu1l puhhclty as tn all Cnmpaicu eN
/ pendhures' including tho soursp OF funds ,n,d
/ their use, perhaps short and oxpcditinu.
| method has been found by tho proponents ot
| the senate measure OF giving 10 the DconIe ot
/ the country the information which the senator,
7 profess to believe should be made puhli, -
Christian Science Monitor.