The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-05
SL LUSH FUND WILL PROBABLY RESULT IN MORE LEGISLATION
Party Men Seem Unanimous In View That Something Must Be Done" e"--South-
 ernerS Are Cautious
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau The Age Herald
 Snn naYidsnn RuiIdina


 Washington, September 4.-tspecial)- It was inevitable that the recent expos- ures respecting presidential campaign contributions would be followed by an insistence that the federal government take charge of the situation. At the present time, members of Congress wno are in Washington agree that something should be done" Republicans are openly in favor of federal supervision. Demo- crats, still opposing an over-centraliza- tion of government in Washington, de- mur, but admit the indefinite some thing must be done"
 No one denies that during recent years the tendency has been to put Washington in charge of every phase of life. There have been two amendments, the eigh- teenth and nineteenth, which have de- prived the several states of certain func- tions over which they formerly had jur- isdiction. The nineteenth, or equal suf- frage amendment, gives the government the right to interfere with the suffrage laws of the states. which the states, in ether years, regarded with the most acute jealousy.
 ONE BILL READY
 There is another amendment in course of preparation. This would require the direct election of Presidents the obht- eration of the electoral college It would result in free voting in all the states, or a loss by some of the states of the power which now they exercise in naming the chief executive of the nation. The ne- cessity of some law which would prevent the richer party buying the presidency would still further add to the power or the federal government, and commen- surately subtract from the power Of the several states
 Already. an effort has been made to tn paign expenditures. in national eiections' There is bill before Congress which would deny any party the right to spend more than s10,000 in any one Of the forty eight states of the union. This IS the limitation that is placed upon candidates for the Senate. But such candidates have found it with the greatest difficulty that they limited themselves to the fed eral restrictions, and the great Slajorlty of them have beat the law by ndlrect but nevertheless very effective means. A senatorial candidate has no power to pre- vent a friendly organization spending money in his behalf and without ms knowledge. And with the enactment oi | the law which now pends, nothing couio prevent Wall street quietly spending si'- 100000 for it's favorite candidate or the future. provided such candidate IS not aware of such expenditure.
 ITS PASSAGE LIKELY
 Nevertheless. it will very likely hapren that present agitation will result III 'iie enactment next session by congress oi a law limiting the amount or money which a presidential candloate may ~ lv spend Representative Scott ferrls oi oklahoma. who recently defeated Senator Gore in his effort to return to the senate for another term, thinks such law nee essary. Senator King of Utah, who mas returned to Washington from campalsil tour of eastern states admlts that soihe- thing should be done"
 "IJovever" he added, 'in endeavoring to cure an i'll. we may acquire evils we little dream of The tendency IS towards centralization of all government III Washington Perhaps. when too ia'e' the states will awake to realization thal they should have retained some or ,he mower which they had in the beglnnihs' and which now they seem so wiling 10 yurrender to the federal government we who have always thought Jefferson rish. and Hamilton wrong, are, by our acton, about to admit that Hamilton was rish' and Jefferson wrong.
 THE SOUTH ALARMED
 But Senator King is opposed to the re. publicans or any other party ouy ms .,e nresidencv He will stand for sane leels- iation making such possibility imposslpie' But like other democrats. he hopes Con eress will be able to make haste sio"y, Naturally. the south is more concerheo than any other section. Southern states men. it is needless to deny, are restless under the constant fear of federal payo' ats .t southern ballot boxes. In the nres.nt era when the tendency is towards centralization. they anticipate a new ferce bill. Especially is their rear aro,,sed in the possibility that Senator Lodge, author of the old force bill, Will anpear next December flushed with re- publican victory, and prepared 10 carr psa,,o. aga;nst a section which he has always inwardly despised.
 For that reason, southerners hesitate to ..nction reforms which otherwise they would espouse, Like King. they would make haste slowly.