The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-17
official City, State and County Newspaper)
What Yardstick?

\ mary laws have been largely responsible Tor
tn o4penditurc of great sums OF money TO WIN e'ec
lions to various state and federal offices without
condoning any of the conditions said to have sur
rounded the election of Smith Of Illinois and ware
Of Pennsylvania, what rules are to apply III such
: .&ta?
Corporations in direct and devious ways have
= contributed to campaign funds under the conven-
ton as well as the primary systems When poor
= i. e. is defeated at the polls his first complaint
is that money beat him despite the fact that nc may
: have been reckless in the use or the 1tny lucre
Z. as his successful opponent.
In Pennsylvania. far as Ware is concerned, J.
: is net so much an issue of the almighty dollar as
TIL, vets versus the drys. Ware is dripping wet
and the drya will seek to GUST him upon the high
ro,al grounds tla he spent too much money. Had
Pepper or Pinchot won. the size Of political expendi-
lures doubtless would rot have had much weight at
Washington.
The Illirois situation is slightly different Smith
ac ~tad heavy contributions from utility corpora
ticna whose business needs protection and there IS
thc suggestion at least but proof that Smith was
: allied because his views supposed to be safe
in sc far as corp rations concerned. The issue
of corruption has been raised theoretically, but there
is 10 direct proof in Illinois Pennsylvania If
= the Anti-Saoon league spent IA million to elect a
g. pronounced dry the snug senators at Washington
who drag their gas about them in "A gesture Of
.ancl not theirs would never question the eXpcrai-
tu,c. Is it any morally for dry organiza-
:. ..tn 10 subsidze electorate than corporation
Where and when will the line Of reason be drawn ?
w no &c the gay little gang in Washington stand
& th in pristine purity and say, Il the holy and
: upright judge?'
Eth Pennsylvania and Illinois voters want Ware
rocked with the stencil Of unhoy and crooked
allia ees The electorate through OF
the sham and fuss senator's raise ut Wash
ington over the use of money in politics OF
= which most of them ,uty in greater Of
e.eer decree. IF Smith and Ware net seated
bsaase Of the money used III their campaigns, there
nynber Of designations due in the senate and
Il very considerable number should out of decency
not vote when the issue up, for it is not
= scemy for the kettle to call the pot black.
Here in North Dakota, where political purity OF
politics is supposed to obtain, and encrcle our u
= s. senator's in halo Of perfection the Of money
standardized long ago under the leadership of
i. Senator Frazier, Marse Jim Waters, Art Towncy
ot a. Money used to pour in golden stream into
the Fargo and ST. Paul office Of the Nonpartsan
lea"le and |. Y. A. organization. Per capita at
leaat, North Dakota probably spent more money to
elect men to humble well as ornate offices than
Nafe or Smith spent to go to the United States
ate. Some Of the money came from doubtful sources
anl was contributed through motives that would
stand no more Hcrutiny or judicial weighing than
the funds used BY va,c or IA Smith.
Consistency is jewel. II is asking the United
STATES senate too much to demand that they use it
7 occasionally. They love to butcher a poor poll
tician upon the altar of clean politics while they
= cover their own trail of political chcancry.