The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-04
AGILE COMMITTEE

The partisan committed which did the Investigating attempted in very choice and conservative language to read a lecture to the several candi- dates and to the American people. As was natural however, in view of the partisan personnel of the committee nothing was said of the palpable eff fort of several of the republicans to debauch the people in the election of specified delegates, and no moral was presented In that the scandal revealed the fact that the successful republican candidate required more than five 1 times as much money to invelgie majority of the republican delegates as the successful democratic candidate required in winning a two-thirds ma jority in the democratic convention
 Instead of reviewing "past" history, the committee leaped hastily from painful subject and went into ecstacy in urging reformation. It declared very solemnly that both parties, not the republican party, which in this in- stance, was deep in the mire, must mend their ways, and that the expen- allure of such abnormally large suma Of money-much more than was needed in legitimate and legal propaganda would lead Ca rather than has ledo to l crime.
 l The committee very solemnly threat ems to submit constitutional amend ment to the people limiting pre-con- l vention expenditures unless prospec- l tive candidates-no one of whom can be found at this time - voluntarily promise to resist temptation to pur- chase the purchasable in the future A constitutional amendment, if sub mitted, would deny any candidate the right to expend more in any6 state of the union than $1o.00o. This limita- I tion, even if adhered to, would permit l each candidate to spend $4S0,000, about the amount expended in most recent pre- convention days by Governor | Lowden of Illinois. But, despite evil l dence that that sum would be suffi- ciently large, 1t Is regarded as prob able that constitutional limitations would be ignored.
 The republicans who preach reforma-
 ton apparently forget that one of l their colleagues on the floor of the | Senate spent in a successful effort to win snow white senatorial toga ap- proximately $1,000,000 in single state I whereas the constitution declares that no man shall expend more than $10,- 900. This republican, Senator New 1 berry of Michigan, has been convicted l and sentenced to sdrve a period in the ! penitentiary, and Is spending the pres l ent pleasant days in an attempt to | convince the supreme court that the I law limiting candidate to any sum | Is unconstitutional.
 GET VALUE RECEIVED
 The republicans who. many days fol-
 lowing the national election, view with horror the fact that pre-convention l'candfdates were liberal" with voters
 in respect to money matters. tolerated
 the presence of Newberry in the Sem
 ate-welcomed it. insisted upon it.
 with the result that they controlled 1 the Senate, enjoyed more than $1.000.-
 900 per annum in way of patronage,
 and defeated the proposed movement
 of the League or Nations.
 The committee in making it's report,
 declares that undoubtedly it failed to locate all the money raised in behalf 1 of the several candidates.
 l This minor portion of the statement was accepted at face value.