Evening star., 1924-09-05
CAMPAIGN MONEY
WORRY TO PARTIES
Increased Expenses ano
Scrutiny of Contributions
+: Confront Managers.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

Money, the all-important commod-
ty without which a national politica
campaign can hardly be waged, is
giving the managers of all parties
plenty to worry about.
Not only arc campaigns more ex-
pensive nowadays than they have
been. but scrutiny of campaign con-
tributions Is unusually sharp.
Both John w. Davis and President
Coolidge have announced that contri-
buttons will be received only with the
understanding that they involve no
promise to dispense political or gov
ernmental favor later on. Mr. Cool
idge has gone even a step further in
insisting that his campaign manage
ment incur no deficit, for he realizes
that much of the irregularity con-
nected with the campaign contribu-
tions in the past has occurred after
election, when large sums are easily
obtained from men who want to be in
favor with a new administration. The
Democrats who were left with def
cit in 1920 were able to clear it up
only after four years of patient ef-
fort eliminating in their sale of box
seats in Madison Square Garden last
June.
Large G.. o. p. Dcfcit.
The Republicans had one of the
largest deficits they ever incurred in
1920 after the election of President
Harding. and II took the personal in
tervention of Mr.. Harding to prevent
the contribution of excessive sums
from individual sources.
Looking back over the last few
campaigns of the Democratic and Re-
publican parties. it is an open secret
that men OF wealth who contributed
to the campaign chests usually re-
ceived some reward. Some of the
ambassadors and ministers who were
appointed to the diplomatic posts. al
though they never had had expert
ence in the service, owed their posi-
tions to their political influence as
developed through the financial aid
they gave. Even with many domestic
officials the same story was true
They never would have reached first
base in public but for their gener.
osity during campaign seasons.
DimruIt to Estimate Costs.
Mr.. Coolidge's insistence that nj
deficit be incurred is not an easy com
nand to fulfill. And yet everybod,
who knows practical politics is awar,
that in two-month campai igl
uaged through the several States i
is almost impossible to know in ad
vance what things will cost and tha
authorization to spend frequently ha!
to be given and the bills footed later
Sometimes the last 10 days of cam
paisn are critical ones. Money ha:
to be sent in hurry to certain sec
tions of the country. Under the Cool
indge plan, the managers are not sup
posed to spend a cent they haven
collected. What usually happens il
that two or three wealthy men under
write the expenses at the last minute
The managers confidently expect tha
they will be able to pay the fund
back from sums given by small con
tributors. What often happens, how
ever. is that the managers becom,
discouraged and accept the large con
tributions and thus loans becom
contributions in the end.
Finance a Tfcklish Subject.
The subject of finance is a ticklisl
one to all parties. None of the man
ayers like to discuss it or see it dis
cussed. They all need the money ant
they are not always too particular
ABOUT where 1t originates. The re.
spective nominees alone are the one.
VINO really worry, for when inves.