The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-01
WAS ten MILLION
Cost of Electing President of
Z. S. Was Excessive.
Republicans Spent Nearly Four
Times Democratic Fund.
cCNATc nnAaaaITTcc DcpnDTc
SENATE COMMITTEE REPORTS
General Woods Pre-Conven-
tiOn Expense Was $1,773,3O3
Expenditures on Politics Men,
ace, Declares Sen. Kenyon.

Washington. March 1.-Campaign
costs of electing a president of the
United States in 1920 were $1o.33S, ,5Os
as estimated by a special senate COM
mittee created to investigate them,
which today filed it's report with con-
gress. OF this amount Republican
candidates and campaign organizations
spent $S.100,739, while Democratic ex
penditures were s2,237,770.
The committee compilation took into
account the expenditure made by or in
behalf of all candidates for the Re-
publican and Democrat preside
nomination and of national, state. con-
gressional and senatorial comm III es
of both these parties, neglectiIfg
amounts spent by candidates and or
ganizations of minor political parties.
Huge Sums Menace.
! Senators Kenyon, Iowa; Edge, New
Jersey, and Spencer. Mo-, Republicans,
and Pomerene. Ohio. and Reed, Mo-,
Democrats, signed the report. which
was unanimous. While stating their
conclusion that "the expenditure of
these vast sums is a present and grow
ing menace to the nation" no recon-
lmendations for congressional action
were made except a suggestion that
the elections committee of the next
congress should consider the question.
Constitutional difficulties may inter-
vene to prevent legislation on the sub
ject, the report said. but congress
should take proper steps to submit
ia constitutional amendment dealing
with the difficulty IF it is found neces-
Isary.''
While the largest sums of cam
paign expenditure found were those
of the national organizations which
the Republican party and s1,31S,27f
for the Democrat candidates who
sought presidential nominations from
the conventions accounted for a total
of $2,9S0.033.
Cost Wood Over Million.
Maj. Gen. Leonard Woods effort
to, secure the Republican nomination
involved expenditure of s1,773,Ses. the
committee found, while for Frank O.
Lowden the total was s414,000, for
Senator Johnson of Ca liforiiia 1884
! 0O0, for Herbert Hoover $1T3.000, and
for Presidentee elect Harding $f13.000.
Expenditures noted in behalf of other
Republican candidates were $4,000
for Senator Poindexter. Washington;
s6S,000O for Vice President-elect
Coolidge. and $4,000 for DR.. Nicholas
! Murray Butler, of New, York. Attor-
ney General Palmer led Democratic
candidates in expenditures. the
amount being fixed at $4,000, while
Z Governor Cox. who secured the nomi-
nation, spent $4,000 James K. Ger
ard, former ambassador to Germany,
| was listed at $4,000. and Senator
Owen, of Oklahoma. at $685.. Two
candidates in behalf of whom no
money was found to have been spent
were VIM. G. McAdoo, Democrat, and
Senator France, Republican, Mary
| land
Many difficulties were found in get
ting complete tabulations and avoid
! ing Implications, the report said, but
1 the amounts were given as Showing
the situation fairly and accurately"
] State Chests Huge.
Something over s700,00 of the total
went into senatorial congressional con-
| tests, the committee found, of which
! only s31, 900 was spent by Democratic
| national organizations created for the
purpose. The Republican congression-
al committee spent s375,969, while the
! G. o. p. senatorial organization spent
/ $326,9SO. s-. ~
! Thru state committees, the report
said, the Republicans spent an aggre-
gate of 2.07S,06 against $S8S,323 for
! their Democratic competitors. The
| larger Republican state expenditures
, were in New York, $4,000; Indiana,
| $215, 900; Pennsylvania, $4,000;
Massa achusetts, $133,000, and Washing
/ ton, $116,O00. Democratic state ex-
penditures were greatest in Indiana,
! $74,692; New York, $4,000; Ken
lucky, s62,930; Ohio, $58,S15: Mary
: land, s57,SS9, and Pennsylvania, $685.
512. Several state committees repre-
senting both parties failed to file re-
| ports, the committee said, and
amounts turned into states by national
, committees were not included.