Evening star., 1931-12-21
.NYE SEEKS TO CURB
Al! us. CAMPAIGNS
Submits New Corrupt Prac-
tices Act Affecting Con-
gress and President.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The high cost of campaigning and
corruption in election of President,
Vice President, Senator and Repre-
sentative are attacked in a report of
the Nye Senatorial Campaign Expendi-
lures Committee filed in the Senate to-
Gay. The report showed that "incom-
plete returns" indicated an expenditure
OF s5,505,7l2 was made in 1880 for the
nomination and election of one-third of
the Senate membership.
Accompanying the report was a bill
TO regulate campaign expenditures" as
substitute for the present Federal cor
rupt practices act of 1925 Senator Nye
OF North Dakota, chairman of the COM
mittee, introduced the bill, which was
referred to the Committee on Privileges
and Elections
Seeks to Limit Funds.
The new BILL on the theory that Pres
ident and Vice President, ar well as
Senator and Representative, are Federal
! cfhcers, and as such the Federal Gov
eminent has right to regulate ex-
| penditureS in their elections and that
their nominating campaigns are an in
tegral and nextractible part of their
elections seeks to place a definite limit
on expenditures for the nominations as
we'll as the election of these officials.
1t proposes, therefore, to regulate ex-
! pendltures in primary campaigns, and
/ the committee claims the right of the
Federal Government, through Congress,
SO to do.
The following are the limits set In the
bill:
For the nomination of a President,
S250,000.
For the election of a President and a
Vice President, $4,000, ,OOO
For the nomination and election of a
Senator, $4,000.
! For the nomination and election of a
Representative, $4,000
Four Cents Vote Limit.
The bill provides that the expendi-
lures permitted in the campaigns for
nomination and election of member
| OF the House shall not be in excess of
cents per vote cast in the last election
In MS congressional district and not in
excess OF 2 cents per vote cast in the
last election In State for the nomi-
natlon and election of a Senator. In
some states such count might bring
the total for senatorial election con-
Slderaoly above the $4,000 limit and
IN some congressional districts above
Ine SlO,O00 limit. In sparsely settled
states and congressional districts the
4-cent and 2-cent limits, however
mlght make the campaign expenditures
alio"eo very low. So the committee
mas added proviso that in no case
shall the expenditures for a candidate
Tor the House be restricted to less than
S2,ooo ana for a candidate to the Sen
ate to less than $4,000.
Inc Dill sets up Joint committee of
tne senate and House to which reports
OF all expenditures made by candidates
ana thelr agents must be submitted at
stated intervals. This proup. to be
known as the Joint Committee on Elec-
tlons. Is to be composed of 10 members,
as IoiloWs: Five members of the Com
mlttee on Privileges and Elections of the
senate three from the majority and
Two from the minority party, to be
CHOSEN by the committee, and five mem
pers on the Committee of Election OF
sent. .tives in Congress Of the House, to
be chosen by that committee In the
same political ratio.
Donors Must File Reports.
| Not only must the candidates, their
agents and their campaign committees
file reports with this committee of Con-
gress, but also it is provided that every
person who makes contribution or an
expenditure in one or more items, ag-
gregatlng $l00 or more within a calen-
dar year, or single expenditure ex-
ceeding ,S25 for the purpose of inf1u-
encing the election Of candidates. shall
file report with this joint committee
AS in the existing corrupt practices
act, corporations are prohibited from
making campaign contributions.
Another provision of the bill would
permit each candidate to send free
through the mails to each voter in his
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