Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-04-02

which now confronts with its possibilities of
terrific consequences financial, social and moral,
the prodigious population of this city.
'Kill the profiteering, but do not cut off the
supply of new houses"
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
Senator Borah has presented q bill limiting
the expenditure of money in presidential cam
paigns to $4,000 in any one state. We approve
of it. It is plenty and if the law can be enforced
it will prevent some scandal. At the present
moment the charges of gross boodling are prin-
cipally against General Wood, but we have not
the least doubt that every open and avowed
candidate is spending all he can get in political
propaganda to boost his own candidacy. The
Springfield Republican commenting on "New-
Deriving for the Presidency" says:
'"The Newberry case has prepared the public
mind for the agitation now beginning as to the
lavish use Of money in the presidential cam
paign. The New York World recently printed
a list of millionaires who, it is charged, had put
up fund Of $1,o00,0o0 for the purpose of fl
nancing General Woods pre-convention cam
paign for the Republican nomination, and the
charge has been met by no real denial On the
contrary, justification is urged on the ground
that propaganda is very expensive and that a
presidential candidacy is in effect propaganda.
'The criticism is not that no money should be
spent in campaigning, but that the money spent
should be legitimately used and kept within rea-
sonable limits. There has already been much
legislation to prevent corrupt practices and to
insure publicity as to the source of campaign
funds Probably no state is now without laws
of this character, while federal laws are not
lacking The publication of the names OF con-
tributors to election funds is now familiar to
the people during or after campaign. Many
states limit the total amount that can be spent
by a candidate or in his behalf by others, ac-
cording to the office he aspires to- and federal
statute limits expenditures in the same way.
Senator Newberry, for instance, violated two
statutes-that of the United States forbidding
the expenditure of more than $4,000 and
Michigan statute forbidding the expenditure OF
a considerably smaller sum. Opinions will diff
fer as to the proper limits of campaign expen-
ditures and some laws may fix the minimum too
low But generally speaking, legislation of this
character is aimed at an evil of magnitude and
is rightly approved by public opinion.
Senator Borah has now framed a bill designed
to regulate expenditures in campaigns for presi-
dental nominations-a field hitherto neglected
by the law-making body. In principal the bill is
sound In view of the enormous stake in the
possession of power in our federal government
which various party, financial and class interests
undoubtedly recognize, the temptation to use un-
limited amounts of money gaining presidential
nominations is no less than in winning the elec-
tions after the nominations have been made.
Like-minded people having collectively unlimited
wealth to draw upon in politics should not be left
wholly unrestrained even in the costly use of
propaganda in behalf Of their candidate; and,
what is especially important, the identity of the
people financing candidate should not be per-
mitted to remain a secret until the contest is
over
''In the list of millionaires financing the Wood
candidacy are reported to be some capitalists
deeply concerned in Mexican investments. This
fact instantly suggests their chief interest in the
next administration. What would most please
them would be the military occupation of Mexico,
and in General Wood they have exactly the sort
of a man who as president would take Mexico
and never let it go. If such implications can be
brought out or shown to be groundless, the coun-
try is the gamer because it can thus reach more
enlightened political decisions
Tbe Opinions Of @thers