The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-04-01
CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION

Sioux City Journal-To the fair
manded and honest American voter
the clear cut answers of Gov. Lowden
and Gen. Wood to the charges OF pO-
litical corruption made by Senator
Borah against them are unanswerable
They propose to submit their case to
their accuser and accept his judgment
on their guilt or innocence. 1t ought
to be sufficient argument to convince
anyone merely to state that Senator
Borah is strong supporter OF the
candidacy of Senator Johnson, and
that charges of use of large campaign
funds by his competitors become ia
vorable propaganda for the Californian
But the proposal to submit the records
TO those who make the accusation
leaves no reason for suspicion unless
the suspicion is father to the hope.
Republicans do not desire a precon-
vention campaign of mud singing, VII
iifoation and abuse. Such Things DO
not enlighten the voter. But they do
make 1t more difficult for the party
TO present the successful candidate
to the country. 1t is difficult to con
tend in the general election that "A
man is clean and honorable and in
corruptible when factions Of his own
party have. charged him with these
delinquences in the primary campaign
The body blow administered to Sena-
tor Borah and his charges is timely
and fortunate. It is hoped no adher-
ent of either Gov. Lowden or Gen.
Wood will make as unfounded an in.
timation against Senator Johnson,
There is deeper significance at.
taced to charges OF political corrup-
ton than that Of factional advantage
or party victory. Unfortunately there
are numbers of dannel-mouthed poll
ticians VINO are ever prating about the
corruption OF the other side or the
other fellow, often to detract atten-
ton from like crimes by their own
faction or themselves. These people
seize on rabid statements like that
of Senator Borah in the senate and by
suppressing the refutation, made by
the answers OF the accused, succeed
in making a vicious lie have the ap-
pearance of the truth. These men
with their spurious arguments appeal
to the unthinking, the illiterate and
the mentally vicious, but whose votes
count as much as those Of the most
capable, the best informed and the
most altruistic.
The unthinking look upon the total
expenditures in campaign without
giving any consideration TO the pur
poses for or the methods by which
it was spent. If the total seems large
they bawl corruption and start the
soap-box agitation. No honest Amer
can advocates electorate corruption Oh
monetary influence in a political cam
paign. No one honestly believes that
Senator Newberry, of Michigan, can
retain his seat in the senate without
doing the country an irreparable in
jury, no matter how innocent he may
have been of any purpose or intent
to corrupt the people of his state in
his election. But the point Is that
changed conditions and new methods
Of election make the expenditure oil
large sums of money necessary foi
legitimate purposes. The primary elec
tion law. the proclaimed method OF
giving every man an equal chance fol
public Office In the selection of candi
dates for Office has proven to be what
its opponents in the beginning said II
would, rich candidates highway from
which all aspirants in moderate finan
cial circumstances are excluded. II
the merits of the candidates must be
presented to the whole people instead
OF to their selected and trusted dele.
gates, the expenses must be CORES
pondingly greater
Publicity, if paid for. soon mounts
into large totals. Once the press OF
the country did the political advertis
ing in its editorial columns. The paper