Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-04
CAMP A|CN FUNDS
TROUBLING ALL Of
PARTY MANAGERS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire TO The Journal-Copy-
right. 1921

WHICH ndClOndI pOlIlCdl campaign
can hardly be waged, is giving the
managers of all parties plenty to
worry about.
Not only are 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 con-
tributions will be received only with
the understanding that they involve
no promise to dispense political or
governmental favor later on. MIR.
Coolidge has gone even step far
Their in insisting that his campaign
management incur no deficit, for he
realizes that much Of the Irregular
, ity connected with campaign contri-
buttons in the past has occurred aft
err election, when large sums are
easily obtained from men who want
to be in favor with new admins
tration. The Democrats, who were
left with a deficit in 1920, were able
to clear it up only after four years
of patient effort, eliminating IN
their sale of box seats in Madison
Square Garden last June.
THE Republicans had one Of the
largest deficits they ever incurred
in 1920 after the election OF Presl-
dent Harding and it took the person
al intervention of Mr.. Haiulng 10
prevent the contribution of excessive
sums from individual sources.
Looking back over the last few
campaigns Of the Democratic ana
Republican parties, it is an open Sc
cret that men of wealth VINO con-
tributed to the campaign chests usu.
allv received some reward. Some OF
the ambassadors and ministers VINO
were appointed to diplomatic posts,
although they never had had expert
ence in the service, owed their posi-
tions to their political influence as
developed through the financial ala
they gave,
Even with many domestic officials
the same story was true. Ihey new
or would have gotten TO first pase
in public but for their generosity
during campaign seasons.
Mr.. Coolidges insistence that no
deficit be incurred is not an easy
command to fulfill. And yet every
body who knows practical polltlcs
ia aware that in two months cam,
paign waged through the several
states it is almost impossible TO know
in advance what things will cost
and that authorization to spend ire
quently has to be given, and the
bills footed later. Sometimes the
last ten days of campaign are
critical ones. Money has to be sent
in a hurry to certain sections OIL
the country Under the Cool1dSe
plan the managers are not supposed
to spend a. cent they have not col
lected. What usually happens is
that two or three wealthy men I'M
derwrite the expenses at the last
minute. The managers confidently
expect that they will be able to pay
the funds back from sums given by
small contributors. What often
happens, however, is that the man
ayers become discouraged and accept
the large contributions and thus
loans" become contributions in the
end.
The subject of finance is ticlllish
one to all parties. None of the man
ayers likes to discuss it or see II
discussed. They all need the money
and they are not always too par
ticular about where it originates.
The respective nominees alone are
the ones who really worry, for When
investigating committees get TO
work it is they who are embarrassed
There is one way that has been
followed in the past, and may be IN
the present campaign to avoid COM
plications in connection with the col
lection and distribution of campaign
funds. 1t is the state committee
plan. The federal government has
jurisdiction over funds contributed
specifically for the election of fed
eral officials. 1t has nothing to say
about money spent in state cam
paigns.
If a man wants to contribute
5000 900 fer the national campaign
he may find himself in the public
eve and subject to call by an inves-
tigating committee later on, as that
is considered excessive, but If ne
feels like contributing $4,000 to the
campaigns in 20 states the matter
may not even be reported by the ma
ton chairman to the investigating
committees of congress. The money
is presumably given for state pur-
poses, the election of governors and
lsNiSlatures. But there is no law to
- ldin9 sums it pleases to help the
sonaf ticket. Money spent for ma
Stal purposes by state commit
ties is likewise not within the Juris-
diction of state tribunals No care
full watch is kept on how money Is
spent anyhow. 1t is Jumped under
general heads such as advertising,
publicity, printing and what not.
The item of workers at the polls
is frequently camouflaged, though
in some states in the past as high
as $40 and SIS have been distributed
on election day to tens of thousands
of voters whose business it is to
persuade members of their families
and friends to vote as they do. NO
line can be drawn as money is given
to workers" who do the persuad-
ing for national tickets at the same
time that they take care of local
nominees.
1t is not as easy to gather statfs-
tics of what is spent in a national
campaign. The records in congress
show only the sums collected through
the Republican and Democratic ma
tional committees and expended by
them. 1t might be a different story
ard a different campaign il all
money handled by state committees
were under the same scrutiny.
Bavarian Castle Lighted
Second Time in History
,IUr\-TCIJ A,w 40 -NirrOr hall