The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1920-04-29
MONEY IN PRESIDENTIAL CAM.
PAIGNS.

| Leonard Wood did not discover
the advantage of money in politics.
| Much was known about that subject
long before he appeared on the
| scene.
Neither is his campaign the first
campaign that was financed by mil
llonalres who knew exactly what
they wanted in the way of govern
! ment.
1t has come about that. great
| many rich men with extensive bus
mess in the United States and in
| Mexico are deeply interested in the
presidential ambitions of Gen. Wood.
working with the only political tools
with which they are familiar-check
books. Their motives, for all we know
to the contrary, may be of the
purest and most patriotic. The one
question involved is whether the
American people are willing to al
low their political machinery to be
controlled with money.
This is very old question, but it
has appeared this time in a new
form. AS result Of the agitation
carried on by the papers year after
year, many Of the grossest forms CT
political corruption in presidential
contests have been eliminated. Banks
and corporations are no longer per-
funds. A. system OF publicity has
been obtained which is sufficiently
comprehensive to show where the
money comes from, if it does not al
together show where the money goes.
What has not been guarded is the
machinery for nominating candidates
for PRESIDENT; yet there are circum-
may be equivalent to an election.
1t is no easy task to prescribe eff
fectivc methods to prevent the i'm
proper or the excessive use OF money
~ the selection of delegates to a
national convention. The national
convention itself is an extra-legal in
Stitution p: The e nomnation OF ca an
constitution of the United States
knows nothing about presidential
electors, who are state officers and
who theoretically have full freedom
of choice as to the particular in
dividual for whom they cast their
votes
In practice, presidents are not
by national conventions, and the
federal authority has a doubtful
measure of control over these con-
ventions. Yet the convention is the
decisive thing, and it is Just as i'm
pOrtant to know how much money is
used to nominate a candidate for
president and who gives it. Pre-.
as prediction publicity, and for
every reason why there should be a
cOrrupt-practires act to safeguard
the election OF president there is
an equally strong reason why there.
should be a tOrrupt-prartices act to
safeguard the nomination of can
didate for president.
Thnrn ~
money back of the Wood candidacy
c can confined. " 4 great
organization has been created with
hired workers and hired publicity
agents to manufacture delegates
and public sentiment in behalf Of the
generals nomination. All the fam
DroDaganda are in plain sight; but
until there was printed an account Of
the Wood campaign financing the
public had no information as to who
contributed the money or what the
expenditures might be. Probably
Gen. Wood himself does not know.
He is in the hands of his friends
with all thai implies in politics.
These practices are fatal to any
thing that resembles the free cleo
ton of a president. The candidate
without money, whatever his nualii-
cations may be, is smOthered by the
fund of his rival who has
rich and generous supporters. ana
where public OnlniOn is hitting and
uncertain as between candidates. |
money can easily become a dOminat- !
ing influence in the selecting Of
delegates
All this demands the serious and |
immediate attention Of congress, not |
because Of Gen Woods activities or
because of the complaints Of his |
rivals but because OF imperative pub !
ic necessity. This is the worst Of |
al times to assume an attitude Of |
Indifference toward the possibilities |
# money in politics or TO permit |
even the suspicion that money is
capable Of debating the nomination ,
IF a president.-NewY York World.
NnA;ro Of Drnbotj,,U VIII