Evening star., 1924-12-07
BY THOMAS II. MARSHALL.
Former Vice President of the Unite,
States.

States.
sometimes wonder whether an end
ever will come to the incessant chat
ter about campaign contributions.
For years it's din has been in our ears.
We have had Investigations, long
drawn-out reports, legislation, crimi-
nal prosecutions, and we are now
just where always we were. Hands
still go up in horror every little while,
but campaigns go on very much the
same.
My view on the subject of corrupt
practices in elections is not unlike
that OF an old gentleman In our rail
road car one cold morning several
years ago. 1t was local accommoda-
tion train which stopped at every sta
tlon. Each mile or two the brake
man would throw open the door wide
admitting a rush of cold air, and let
1t stand open until the train started
again, when he would close 1t with
bang. The old gentleman to whom
L refer finally could not restrain his
anger. He wore a big fur overcoat
which he would have to throw back
when the door was closed and draw
about his shoulders when the cold air
struck him. After the eighth or tenth
stop, he roared at the brakeman:
Keep that door shut or keep 1t open;
/ don't care which"
1t would be well, 1T seems to me, for
us either to put a stop to so-called
corrupt practices in our elections or
close our mouths to the subject. II
they are as bad as periodically we ire
told they are, they should be stopped
at once, stopped altogether, never
again countenanced. Yet the attempts
at regulation have been rather weak
If not insincere. A general unwilling
ness to adopt drastic measures has
prevailed.
kS x
While ! cannot say that I am enam
ored OF present political methods, vet
j cannot say that L believe them any
worse, If as bad, as In the past. In
tact' doubt whether the use OF
money in campaign is as effective
as IT was 20, 30 or 40 years ago, not
wlthstandtng the greater sums now
collected and spent. Personally.
would like TO see all contributions
| prohibited by law and a campaign
| conducted without any expenditure OF
money. L am inclined to believe that
the people would perhaps take more
interest in IT than they do under OUT
present spending system. Most of the
money raised by a political party is
a matter of fact the usual and regu.
lar press channels and news agencies
are quite sufficient to inform the pub.
| lie OF the character and qualification.
| OF candidates and to keep 1t inform ed
as to what the candidates are saying
and doing. The money spent on pub.
| licity and propaganda is largel,
! wasted. However, its use is not cor.
rupt.
A new item of political expense was
noted in the recent campaign
| candy. ] saw it hauled in trucks &c
| political headquarters. | was told I,
was intended TO sweeten the tongues
| and tempers of woman voters Ny
mind went back 40 years when
! deacons of the Presbyterian Church
/ stood all election day I'm whisky
! rumes filling pint bottles to be passed
| out to party workers who had worr
! themselves out in their efforts to
| preserve constitutional government
| in America From whisky to CANDY
! at least represents slight improve.
ment.
| = x <
| Tho everlasting noise about cam.
| paisn contributions leads a person tc
| wonder whether the noisemakers
| really themselves believe that any
| considerable number of citizens arc