The Washington times., 1925-01-23
WALSH AMENDS
NEW POSTAL
MEASURE
Submits Corrupt Practices Act
as Rider-CooIidge for
1t, Senator Says
BY WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON,
International News Service.

By WILLIAM X. HUTCHINSON,
International News Service.
A new corrupt practices act to
govern the elections of Senators
and Representatives was offered
the Senate today by Senator
Walsh, (Dem.) of Massachusetts,
as a rider to the Moses omnibus
postal bill.
The proposed new election law
would limit expenditures Of sena-
toriaI candidates to from $4,000
to $4,000 and of candidates for
the House to from $4,000 to
$4,000 according to the population
Of their States or districts. It
would also compel full publicity
of contributions and expenditures
and aim to eliminate corruption in
Federal elections.
Faces First Big Test
The measure was passed by Con.
gress last spring as a rider on the
postal salary bill. which met its
death by President Coolidge's veto.
Walsh reintroduced it as an
amendment to the new postal bill,
as the President since declared his
approval Of the proposed legisla"
ton.
The Moses bill meanwhile faced
its first big test in a point of or
der raised by Senator Swanson
Dem.l Of Virginia. who charged
the measure should be sent to the
House for prior consideration be-
cause Of its revenue raising" pro-
visions.
Administration leaders opposed
Swanson's move but the outcome
was in doubt.
IF the Moses supporters are de-
feated. It was said the sections
proposing higher postal rates would
be stricken from the bill and the
measure then passed in virtually
the same form that met with the
Presidents veto.
Leaders Favor Amendment
The Walsh amendment was Ia
vored by leaders of both parties.
This legislation. while placing no
restrictions on primary elections or
nolitical conventions. would def.
nitely erect q barrier against
criminal use Of money in the gen.
eral Federal elections
2 It's advocates also believed 1t
would induce the various States 10
enact local election statutes to
safeguard the primaries.
It was pointed out by Walsh
today that Illinois, Mississippi,
Rhode Island. Tennessee and Ar
kansas have no corrupt practices
acts and that in Colorado. Della
ware, Georgia, New York, Pennsyl'
vania, Vermont and Arizona, there
is no State limit to election ex-
penditures.
In Idaho, Iowa, Virginia and
Florida the law applies only to
primaries. Walsh said his measure
would remedy this situation by
providing a single regulation for
all the States.
Walsh Explains.
my bill would not fix a hard
and fast rule for limiting campaign
expenses" Walsh explained. "But
it would be applicable to every
State
It provides that expenditures
shall be ordinarily limited to
$40, 900 for a Senatorial candidate
and $500 for q candidate for the
House except where State laws
prescribing a less amount as the
maximum. In several States and
some districts. thickly populated,
larger sums would be allowed on
the basis OF three cents for every
vote cast in the preceding general
election, but in no case could
Senate candidate spend more than
SIS 900 or a House candidate more
than $4,000.
This would rightly give the
candidate, with 100000 voters in
his district. the right to spend
more money than the candidate
with only $4,000 voters to reach: !"
Walsh said he would press his
amendment and expected to have
IL adopted as a part or the