The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-16
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
By LUDWELL DENNY

attempt at improper control of the
Government by Representative FINS
J. Garrett Of Tennessee, Democratic
leader Of the House, at the Institute
Of Public Affairs here Wednesday.
There can be but one motive for
a corporation donation to a cam
paign fund and that it to influence
the candidate" Garrett said. aside
from the political ethics involved,
such practice really violates the
rights of the stockholders of the
corporation.
But in general I do not see how
you can work out and put into effect
a law to control the source Of cam
paign contributions. In the end this
must rest with the honor of the
candidate. If the candidates can not
be trusted there is no hope for our
Democratic system of government"
DR.. A. r. Hatton, Northwestern
University, stressed the impossibility
of checking the motives of personal
campaign contributions by rich and
influential officials Of corporations.
But one protection Of the public
interest, he said, is that publicity
of such political gifts shall include
the names as well as the amount Of
the donation.
"You cannot arrive at just So
luton of the problem by fixing an
arbitrary total of campaign funds"
Garrett put in.
1.-THE Supreme Court in connec-
ton with the Newberry case held
unconstitutional the attempted Fed
eral corrupt practices act on the
ground that the Federal Govern
ment has nothing to do with the
State primaries.
1.-THE law rather should attempt
to define how campaign money is
spent"
TINE round table agreed that legi-
Il innate campaign expenditures
cover printed matter expressing the
candidates views, personal letters,
newspaper advertisements, travel
expenses and Office organization.
Most of the political scientists and
politicians present thought employ
ment by candidates Of election day
workers should be prohibited, as in
certain foreign countries.
The widespread practice of cam
didates paying for the transporta-
ton of voters to the polls was also
denounced by Garrett.
Failure of State laws in this coun-
try limiting the amount of cam
paign funds was attributed by Hat
ton and others to the fact that such
statutes apply only to direct ex-
penditures by the candidate himself
and his organization, without re-
erence to additional and unknown
expenditures made in his behalf by
friends.
To close such holes in the law,
the English have put down an abso-
Lutte limit covering all expenditures
from all sources. Each candidate
is required by law to designate one
financial agent who is accountable
for all expenditures, and any per-
son spending money for campaign
purposes except through the official
agent is thus automatically in vio-
lation of the law.
Ralph r. Loundsbury, New York
attorney proposed that the Gov
eminent pay all campaign and cleo
ton expenses, thus democratizing
the system to give poor candidates
an equal chance with rich office
seekers.
Hatton and others thought this
suggestion, which at one time was
championed by President Roosevelt.
was an ideal one but difficult to put
into operation. No just and salts
factory method has been devised for
apportioning shares among major
ity, minority and third parties.
There was rather general approval
OF the system in individual States.
such as Oregon, where the State
Government pays part of the can
oldate's expense by printing and
distributing a campaign textbook
written by the contestants.
= 4
ME talk shifted to evils of nom
Il voting, the get-out- the-vote
crusade, and proposals for compul-
sorry voting as in Switzerland,
Czecho- Slovakia and other countries
in which non-voters are penalized
by fines or otherwise.
When you compel people to 60 to
the polls they are apt to 90 like
sheep. Therefore, such compulsion
should be resorted to in the United
States only after all other panaceas
have failed" according to Hatton.
This led to a general attack on
the efficiency of governmental ma
chinery in this country. DR.. James
K. Pollock, University Of Michigan.
said:
In election administration we
have one of the best instances of
how and why the American citizen
Is. burdened with unconscionable
costs and colossal inefficiency. New
York City alone spends more mon
ey providing for it's city election
than does the whole German re-
public in a national election.
registration costs are highest in
such cities as Philadelphia and Chi
cago, where there is most fraud, and
lowest in Milwaukee, which has long
had a Socialist mayor. The Mil
waukee cost is 1912 cents per voter,
compared with $133 in Philadel-
phia."