The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-06-02
THE COUNTRY'S SHAME.

tlgatlOn is under way seeking TO as
certain means and methods which
have been used, and are being used
to secure nominations Tor president
by the two great parties of the coun
try. So far the investigation has
elected the information that stupen-
duous sums of money have been con-
tributed and expended in the inter-
ests of many candidates seeking
these nominations, especially in the
republican party. These sums have
been contributed and expended in
the primaries in the various states in
an effort to round up delegates to
the conventions soon to be held. A
half million dollars has been spent in
behalf Of Governor Lowden's candi-
dacy, and more than a million dollars
has been accounted for as having
ieen spent in, a effort to secure the
nomination of General Leonard
Wood, and more is yet to be report
ed.
Concerning this vast outlay of
money, The Sun and New York Her.
aid pertiently says:
"The testimony taken by the Sen
ate committee now investigating the
matter of preliminary campaign ex
penditure has astounded the country
There is more to come. The revelation
of methods and the disclosure Of fig
ures lined up after the mighty dollar
mark are only partial so far. Fortu-
nately we are now,getting, in advance
of the meeting of the supreme coun-
ellis of the two great parties, an in
structivei exhibit Of the folly and fu-
tility of q system which results in
substituting for the open convention
q subterranean campaign, or sets of
campaigns, contrived to foresta1l the
action of the convention and con-
Quoted with secret pecuniary out
lay for promotion, in the false name
of publicity on a scale tina. would
have staggered the audacity of the
boldest and most reckless manipula-
tor of the franchise in the old days
of fat frying and blocks OF iive."
To this we may add that nothing,
in all the political history of the re-
public, has been revealed which is
more discreditable TO the country,
not even excepting the exploits of the
republican party in the days of Mark
Hanna. The candidates of the demo-
cratic party are less reprehensible,
perhaps, because they have not been
able 70 command the enormous sums
of money spent by candidates in the
primaries of the other party.
=. In these latter days we have for
saken representative government in
this country. We have heard preach
ments from reformers here and there
of the rights of the people to manage
their own affairs, and the primary
system has been held up 10 US as a
remedy for the ills of past political
performances. But the shameful en-
penditure of money to secure politi-
cal preferment in tho primaries has
not BEEN creditable to either the sys-
tenn, nor to the people who do the
voting People will question whether
or not the primary has not been made
the means of gigantic corruption of
the electorate OF the country. Ger
tainly no such fragrant crimes against
decency were ever committed in the
old days when the people spoke thru
their representatives.
The primary will have its proper
field of usefulness. In the selection
of many local officers it is of invalu-
able service to the community. But
may we not suggest that in the Sc
lection of the public servants OF
large political divisions, and of the
country itself, it has been, or may
be, the favorite fighting ground OF
the unprincipled corruptionist, as