The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-02-06
CUMMINGS SHOWS ABSURDITY
OF CANARD THAT DEMOCRATS
" ~ SEEK FUND OF $4,000, 900

Washington, D. c., Jan. 31.--Ho-
mer S. Cummings, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, has
repudisted emphatically the state
ment recently given currency that the
Democratic National organization was
seeking to raise an abnormally large
campaign fund for the Forthcoming
Presidential contest.
Mr.. Cummings made public letter
sent by him to the editors of New
York newspaper which published and
then commented editorially upon a
story alleging that the Democratic
National Committee was trying 20
raise $20,000000.
The letter, which speaks for ITSELF
follows;
To the Editors of the New YORK
Tribune:
Nv attention has been called to an
editorial entitled "The High Cost 81
Pol:ticg", appearing in the New YORK
Tribune in its issue Of January l4th'
In the course of the editorial yon
state that "The high cost of living
will receive another boost if the Dem
ocratic National Committee carries out
its plan to raise fund of $2O,OOO,OOJ
for this years Presidential campaign.
Again YOU say, "Any party which
should raise a $20,0O0,000 fund for the
election of President and Vice Pres
idcnt would be running directly
counter to American ideas of proprle-
tv. 1t would also challenge public
opinion, which is far more sensitive
now to the use of money in politics
than it was a generation ago" Again
you say "At present public opinion is
naturally skeptical as to Mr.. Cum
mings' ability to touch the Democratic
faithful for $20,000,000."
Does Not Seek $20.OOO,OOO
Ordinarily, take no notice Of mis-
representations in the public press
relative to the Democratic Natlonh!
Committee and its purpose, but ! arr
so confident that the Tribune would
not desire to do an Intentional lnJuS-
tice, that | am moved to call your at.
tention to the misleading character OF
the quotations above cited. At no time
and under no circumstances, has the
Chairman of the Democratic National
Committee or anyone else authorized
TO speak for the Financial Depart
ment of the Committee, made any
statement indicating that it was the
purpose of the Democratic Nalonal
Committee to raise a fund of 500.
100000 for this years Presidential
campaign.
1t ought to be well understood that
all campaign contributions received or
disbursed by the National Committee
of either political party are made the
subject of sworn returns, which have
to be filed in accordance with the pro-
visions of the Federal Law.
G.. O. p. Always Spends More
The Democratic National Committee
has never, in its history, received or
disbursed as much as has the Republ!-
can National Committee; and when the
sworn returns of both Committees are
published in connection with the on
coming election, it will be found that
the Republican National Committee
hes again spent much more than has
the Democratic National Committee.
Our purposes have been plain and
unmistakable. We seek only enough
campaign contributions to enable US
to conduct a legitimate campaign and
to present our cause adequately to the
people. 1t is very likely that effect
i've campaign work will be more eT-
pensive this year than during any pre-
vious year in our political history
This will be due not only to the high
or cost of printing, but also because
of the enormous increase in the voting
population, growing out of the grant
ing of suffrage to women. This is n
burden which | assume will not EN-
barrasg the Republican National Com
mittee, but it does seriously embar-
rass our Committee. We are there
fore, making an attempt to finance
ourselves. by securing large number
of individual contributors. see moth
ing improper in financing the cam
paign of political party through pop
ular subscriptions. Surely, it is fa=
better than to attempt such work
through the contributions of few.
am not irritated by your editorial,
for there is something essentially
humorous in the suggestion that the
Republican party is disturbed because
the Democratic party is going to spend
too much money.-Homer S. Cum
mings,