The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-07
BORAH ASSAILS
VAST HANDOUTS
TO ALL PARTIES
Mere Step From Contribu.
ton To Open Bride,
o Says Senator,

WASHINGTON. April $50 long
es political parties seeking control Of
The governments accept vast sums from
people interested in matters of legisla-
ton or administration, there will be
sinister and corrupt and controlled
government" Senator Borah, repub.
lican, Idaho, declared in an address
here today before the Students Law
Enforcement convention.
''In these days." Senator Borah
said, "the government deals with all
the vast concerns of business, coal, rail.
3 roads, ships, oil, tariffs, and it is
simply intolerable that political parties
accept vast contributions from those
vitality interested in these matters. 1t
is still worse for the parties to 90
out and solicit contributions from such
individuals. .9s'k
Hint At Open Brides
st all leads to that sinister and
subtle influence which does more to
break down representative, government
than any specific instance of open
bride. Besides, the open bride follows
inevitably as a result of the former
practice"
Referring to the revelations before
senate committees, Senator Borah said
these must not be accepted as an i'm
parchment either of the American form
Of government or of the capacity of
the people to rule. Rather should they
be accepted as e''call to duty to pre-
serve and hand on to posterity that
inheritance which our forbears gave
into our keeping"
War brings waste and extraya-
gance," he added, '"and then corruption.
One of its spawn is corruption in pub
lie office the exchange of honor and
place for GAIN, the heritage of a good
name, the esteem of your fellow men,
the future happiness and success of
your children, all bartered and sold for
gold. This is is. one of the inevitable
fruits of war.
Government Is Sound"
But the people of this country are
sound nevertheless. The government as
government is not corrupt. There are
honest and faithful public servants and
loyal and patriotic constituents. There
are men and women, thousands and
millions of them, just as willing to
sacrifice for the honors of their country
and just as capable of serving the
cause of clean government as were
their forbears,
''But the decentralization consequent
upon war does not tell the whole story
! venture to believe that so long as the
present system and standards prevail
in American politics, regardless of
party, you will have conditions no less
deplorable than those which now con-
front us. The country was shocked to
learn that very large sum of money
was given to high official by a party
having business with the government,
Well. what have we to say about an
individual having business, or expecting
TO have business, with the government
giving very large sum of money to
the political party which is in con-
troll, or is seeking control, of the en-
tire machinery of the government? And
this is the practice which prevails in
TINS country, not as to one party, but
as to all political parties.
You can buy influence with a politi-
cal party quite as effectively as you
can an individual In the latter in
stance it is still denounced, in the
former instanV it has become an ac-
cepted practice.
Both political parties accept the
system and pursue the practice. So
long as they do this, these specific
instances of exposure may help to put
one party in and the other party out,
but the cause of clean government. of
disinterested and wise legislation and
uncontrolled administration, will not
be greatly served"