The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-04-13
Believes Publicity Would Cure
Evil and Thinks Punishment
Would Be Unnecessary.
PEOPLE WOULD OBJECT
Great Corporations Should Not
Be Permitted to Finance Pre-
Convention Campaigns.
BY SENATOR VIM. e. BoRAH.

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| Washington April i2-The thing
which l desire most to secure is pub
licity with reference to campaign ex-
penditures. The mere question OF tech
nical punishment is incidental in my
| Judgment. The great primal policy is
| that of publicity.
| If the people are fully aware o.
who a mans supporters are and ho.,
much they are subscribing, their iuds
ment of approval or condemnation
expressed in his election or defeat Will
be a sufficient protection.
The Michigan election shows very
plainly that we can trust the people to
deal effectively with those who accept
vast sums of money for their cam
paign and decline to make it known
who the contributors are. ON the other
| hand, it is equally clear that If they
| are made known and are Objectionable
| by reason of their interest or The
amount they contribute the popular
| judgment will be a sufficient method
of correcting the evil
| am going. therefore. TO urge as
speedily as possible the bill to the ex-
tent at least of providing for absolute
publicity upon the part of all candi-
dates of the amount expended and hope
to have that provided for by the first of
will have made their statements
Whether that can be done or not
time will tell, but we will endeavor
10 push ii through by that time.
| Indeed. ii really ought not TO be nee
essary to have law requiring pub
licity for presidential convention
campaigns. Such campaigns are pecu-
| liarly personal and Il would seem that
| a candidate seeking that high office
[ upon the first suggestion from Tie
public would be glad to tell who his
contributors are and the amount or
| their contribution.
| sums of money from those who have
special interests to look after and
whose special interests may be affected
by the incoming administration, nat
urally he will seek to consult them.
But on the other hand. if they are con-
tributions such as may be legitimately
made ans in amounts conforming TO
deceney. he will have not the slightest
objection to revealing them.
The refuse TO reveal them is in my
judgment the most conclusive evidence
that the situation when revealed would
not be tolerated by the public.
We have had expenditures of money
in this country upon a large scale. But
expenditures OF money that is being
made in this pre- convention campaign.
Any cit ZEN in any state where cam
paign is going on could be witness ia
this fact. He might not be able TO
know Just how much or where ii is
coming from. but he can see upon
every hand evidence of perfect riot
in money spending. newspaper ads.
billboards from one end Of the state 10
another, headquarters and paid work
ers even on as large a scale as the clos
ing days of the election itself.
/ haven't any doubt that the amount
Of money expended prior TO the re-
publican convention will easily amount
all told to five million dollars. This
does not include the shameless effort
in some of the southern states to con-
troll the situation through the promise
OF patronage
If a dozen men of vast wealth can
finance a nomination for the presiden-
cy and make success Of it. the same
thing can be done with reference TO
senators and representatives. and re-
publican institutions have broken down
utterly.
By such processes. that is, by the
sheer use of money, a few men can
control the government. shape its laws
us iNSIituIlOHS anu iiHdliA upiItfHdIe lis
course.
Indeed that Is the very object Of
putting such uneonscionable amounts
into the campaign for particular candi-
dates. 1t is to enable themselves TO
sit in council and either directly or in
directly control the affairs of the ma
ton, Men do not put up hundreds Of
thousands of dollars and even millions
in an aimless way and for no purpose.
They have their plan and the plan Is
either that certain laws are not to pass,
certain administrative policies are not
to be pursued or that certain others
are. There is no use OF apologizing or
sidestepping the real question involved,
and that real question is. who is gcinss
to control the government. few men
Of great wealth or the people of the
| United States.
The profiteers have made 100 much
money out OF this war to be willing
| to separate themselves rom govern
ment protection for the next few
years.
| I do not care what mans charaeter
and standing may be in a perscnal
way. If he yields himself to the sys-
tenn the system will have its way wren
matters OF vital concern to the system
come up for consideration
Legislative and administrative pii-
| cies are not controlled as is sometimes
| thought by open purchase Of s1ne
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