Milford chronicle., 1922-02-10
CORRUPT PRACTICES ACTS UNFAIR

If unjust handicaps are not to be put
upon candidates for Federal offices, cor
rupt practices acts should be drawn so
that they can be accommodated to spec
ial conditions as they may exist in a
/ State or in any single election. 1t is
manifestly unfair to limit the expendi-
lures of candidates for the Senate in ev-
cry State to the same amount. To cite
an extreme case, the population of New
York is 10, 3S4, ,O00 and of Nevada, 1900.
There are 1876 times as many people in
New York as in Nevada, and the voting
population of the two States is probably
i'm the same proportion. Presumably it
costs 1876 times as much to put argu-
ments before the voters of New York as
it does before those of Nevada. yet the
Federal corrupt practices act limits the
expenditures of Senatorial candidates in
both States to $4,000.
Let us look at it another way. The
area of Rhode Island is 1.24S square
miles, and of Texas 265.S square miles.
Texas is 213 times the size of Rhode Is
land and the expense of circularizing
the former, paying the expenses of cam
paign orators, and many of the other
cal contest, is many times as great as
in the latter, yet the law places the eX-
penditures of candidates on an equality
in both States.
Another viewpoint is from the basis OF
per capita wealth. In 1904 the Census
Bureau estimated the per capita hold
ings of Nevada at $5,214, and of South
Carolina at $414. A political contribu-
tion of $1,000 by a citizen of Nevada
would be no greater strain on his poclS-
etboOk, nor as great, as one of S100 from
a resident. of South Carolina. The law
takes no cognizance of those facts, yet
they should be considered if justice is to
be accorded a man charged with excess
i've campaign expenditures.
In recent years there have been vio-
ions of certain Northern States. Several
of them have had one Republican Sena-
tor and one Democratic Senator. In the
South there has been large gain in Re-
publican sentiment, but not sufficient as
yet to menace the control of the Demo-
Gratis. A candidate of either party in
the North, therefore, has been faced
with a far more difficult contest to win
or hold his seat than has a candidate in
the South, a fact that ought to influence
the amount of money spent by candidates
in both sections of the country.
Still another peculiar condition was en-
countered in the Michigan Senatorial
election of 1918 Henry Ford was the
chosen candidate of the Democratic /
party, and, in order to make his election |
certain, an effort was made to win him
the Republican nomination also. He was
the personal selection of President Will I
son, and every power Of the Administra- I
tion at Washington, and through post |
Office and other Federal agencies in Mich |
igan, was exerted in favor of Ford In
addition, Mr.. Ford had just been award |
ed a Federal contract of upwards of
$50, 900 for the construction of Eagle
boats, and the Government was spending
millions more in the dredging of the .Riv-
er Rouge and the erection of a huge shop
that would give employment to thous-
ands of Michigan citizens. Nearly every
Ford automobile agency in the State be-
came a political headquarters. What
would have happened to Senator New
berry had not his friends come to his
support in the crisis? Mr.. Newberry's
friends had to put up fight measured
by the power of their opponents.
Every contested election case must he
determined by either House according to
the special circumstances surrounding it.
That principle has been many times es-
tablished in the past, was adhered to by
the Senate in its exoneration Of Senator I
Newberry, and will be followed in the
future.