Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-16
HIGH COST OF POLITICS

1t seems, is tight in politics, too.
A'A But the conditions Of relative poverty
found in both big party camps and discussed
by Mr.. Gilbert in his dispatch TO this news
paper yesterday will not cause any rational
man to toll bell Of mourning or wet
handkerchief with tears Of grief. No voter
with an eye or an car for what is going on
about him will feel like robbing the baby's
bank to help out. Too much money has been
available to politicians in the past. And
taste Of wholesome poverty would be good
not only for the big parties. It would be
good for the country.
It is said that great campaigns cannot be
wagcd without largo expenditures of money.
Rut no one in rcccnt years has made tho
experiment. II is foolish to suppose that
any considerable part Of any general cam
paign fund is used for hidden purposes or
spent in illegal ways. The millions which
politicians have grown to need are used to
sustain battaions of stump speakers. for
printing and expensive posters, for booklets,
special trains, letter writer's. stcnographcrs,
Office rent and the like. But the poster por-
traits of the ma jor candidates are usually as
bad as they can be. What thousands of
stenographers are made to pound out daily
on typcwrters is generally meaningless and
unconyincing. IL there ever was n hired
stump speaker who made an audience any
wiser in relation to issues Of state he has
not come to our notice. Slogans devised in
tho elaborate slogan mill without which no
campaign headquarters would he complete
do not stand up under even superficial
analysis made in the interest of cold truth
Campaign funds are used in expensive wars
of propaganda intended not to cnighten
voters. but to create opinion more favorable
to n given candidate nd MOI 90, IL,
to his opponent than the facts in tho case
may warrant. Millions spent in one head.
quarters are needed to offset the effect of
millions spent in another.
Meanwhile, the newspapers of the country.
actuatcd by their desire to give the news,
present tho case of each party and each can
didate before the reading public every day.
and they leave nothing to be desired by any
on" who wishes to know only the TRUTH
they do their job fairly and thoroughly,
They leave nothing to be said by any one
VINO has not special interest to serve They
Civ" all the facts. not n selected few
Campaign funds are established in the
interest OF ul"n and parties that seek to
appear in better light than that of the
Simpl" fnct. And yet the millions contributed
to on" party or another in each election are
for til" most part wasted. Who reads cam.
pllgn literature? Who goes to any of tho
smaller rallies for knowledge or guidaucpy
How many of the political letters that run
hE" Niagara through the mails are actually
opened?
Most people who have a right sense Of tho
fitness of things would like to see the dny
of big campaign funds pass altogether. Then
the candidat" and his party would have TO
stand and fight upon their records and do
pend for salvation on their own abilities 70
command the honest respect and confidence
OF the reading and thinking public They
would hav" to trust to the plain truth as il
Is revealed incxorably and inevitably in each
days news of men and events.
Mr.. Cox filled the air a little while ago
with charges about an immense Republican,
SIuSh fund. The records of the cnmp,ipn
show clearly that the fund in question never
existed. Both parties. it seems, will he in
debt after the election. Good Samaritons
will come to their rescue and foot the bills
for the sake of sentiment or old times
Meanwhile, money is actually scarce in tho
rival camps. That At least is IA whoIesomc
sign. We ought to be able to decide clcc.
tlonS IN this country according to the laws
of common sense and not in obedience IN
sentimental or emotional impulses created to
order for the occasion.