The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-07
Effective Corruption Prevention

ing to sell their votes. I, myself, cannot un1 derstand how they could so believe. The average voter is purchasable neither by money nor lies The American electorate as masd is sound, sincere and wholly honest. In view of the result of the last election and of sim7 liar results of other elections in the past, II as Democrat. am not prepared to argue that the voice of the people is the voice of! God1 but I stand to believe that the voice of the people is as honest as Gods voice.
 If our elections can be purchased, them America is in it's decline and hear its fall America survives on the honor and honestly of it's citizens. It can survive on nothing lessI If one-haf or one-third of us are dishonest and dishonorable, something more than regu- lation of campaign contributions and expendi7 lures will be needed to save the Republic. The Republican party this year reported con7 tributions upwards of $4,0OO,OO0. This would have enabled it to pay 25 cents for each 'vote it received, 50 cents each for one-half the votes it received, $1 each for one-fourth the votes it received, or $2 each for one-eighth the votes it received. But the money, of course, Was not spent that way. Elections are not bought in America. As a matter of fact, however, it would not have made the slightest difference in the result if the Rel publican party had used its funds unlawfully and bought 100000 votes.
 Let it not be understood that I am criti- cizing the Republicans or questioning their expenditures. The difference between par ties on the subject of contributions and ex- penditures is difference that is to be meas ured by their ability to raise campaign funds. We Democrats do our best at raising money. No doubt we, too, would have spent S4,OOO,OOO if we could have got it.
 Nevertheless, the use of money in politics is vicious, and the present system of expen- sive campaigns ought to be abandoned. There should be return to the idea of the office seeking the man. Full treasuries do not elect tickets anyhow. Once in Indiana we had more money than we knew what to do with. We had no desire to use it unlawfully-in fact, were determined that it should not be used unlawfully. But we had much money, and the boys knew we had it. One lawful use was to employ watchers at the polls. We came near having more watchers than he had voters The outcome was even worse than this years Democratic defeat.
 No considerable number of our citizens are politically corrupt, and it is not because Of the corruptness of a few that favor hmlta- tion of political contributions and control of political expenditures. But I am inclined to believe that regulation would put the people to a more thoughtful consideration of public office, measures and candidates. This IS really needed. take no stock in the talk of the necessity of organization and Of 1n- formation so that the public may learn of men and parties and the things they stand for. The newspapers cover the entire field. All the facts, all the truths, all the lies about every candidate and his party will be dis seminated without the aid of expensive public ity bureaus. Campaign literature is largely superfluous. Campaign oratory does not con vert. Most of our political expenditures bring small results We can well do away with campaign contributions, not that they are'cor- rupting the American electorate, but because they constitute an excuse for the electorate not doing its duty in selecting officials.