Evening star., 1951-04-08

campaigns in 1928 against the
late Alfred E. Smith, Democratic
t nominee for President, and in
1882 against former President
: Herbert Hoover, Republican, is ex-
!, tremely doubtful. It seems that
in politics-as in love and war
/ everything has been considered
! fair.
Whatever the morals of the 1856
S campaign, it is clear that the cost
in money-of the campaign was
high The Congressional Quarter
!, ly's survey of these expenditures
/ estimates that more than $40 mil
lion was expended the country
| over. Loopholes in the Corrupt
, Practices Act have been so
/ stretched that the limits on con-
, gressional campaign spending
have melted away. it is asserted.
In the opinion of Senator Gillette
and others, the huge expenditure
S of money requires some amend
= ment of the act. At the same time
: it is admitted that legitimate costs
l of campaigning-including the
5 payment for radio and television
: time-have greatly increased in
/ the last quarter century. This will
/ necessitate a realistic appraisal
| when it comes to fixing new limits
! on campaign expenditures.
{ Representative Mike Mansfield,
Montana Democrat, who headed a
! House committee which conducted
!, an investigation of the 1850 con-
:. gressional campaign, reported that
|; his committee had found the CELL
; ings in the present law governing
campaign expenditures totally
unrealistic." The committee re-
ported that it was impossible for a
candidate for the House or for the
Senate to conduct a campaign
within the present limitations Of
expenditure. 1t added that these
ceilings are an invitation to
criminal violations of the Corrupt
Practices Act.
Expenditure Breakdown
The campaigns OF the candidates
! for the Senate and House last
year. the Congressional Quarterly
reported. undoubtedly cost great
deal more than $40 million, al
though that includes all money re-
ported spent by the candidates
themselves and by national politi-
cal organizations. Candidates for
the Senate reported $915, ATS; can
didates for the House. 1861. .789.
and a total Of rs national organi-
cations listed expenditures of So
1866 on the congressional elec-
tions.
These expenditures were further
broken down as follows:
Republican spending reported
to Congress totaled $4,696, 1856:
Democratic spending, $4.191 ,260;
81 labor groups, $1,618,623. The
biggest single spender among Or
ganizations reporting was the
Democratic National Committee
$2,007,13 It is emphasized,
however, that many groups do not
file and others do not list all their
spending. The two biggest spend
ers among the labor groups re-
porting to Congress were the CIO
Political Action Committee which
received $454,873 and spent $511,-
546, and the American Fedora
Ition's League for Political Educa-
ton, which received $556,684 and
spent $556,252. The Americans for
Democratic Action received $88,157
and spent $70,872. -.
| The way the law is now written
national political groups-any
group a ctive in two or more
States-are required to file regu-
larly quarterly reports and special
reports during election campaigns.
Individual candidates are required
to report all money received and
spent for their campaigns with
their knowledge and consent.
They do not, however, have toI
report money spent by other in
dividuals or local groups without
their knowledge. Many smaller or
ganizations are uncertain whether
they should file reports of ex-
penditureS or not. Some do to be
on the safe side The law does not
specifically include labor union
political education" committees,
medical associations, management
groups as among those groups
which have to file, but many of
them do.
law Elastic
The Corrupt Practices Act pro-
vides that, unless the laws of his
State prescribe a less amount as
the limit of campaign expend-
itures. candidate may make
expenditures up to $4,000 if al
candidate for the Senate and upI
to $4,000 If candidate for the
House or IAN amount equal to the
amount obtained by multiplying
3 cents by the total number of |
votes cast at the last general elec-
ton for all candidates for the
office which the candidate seeks,
but in no event exceeding $25, 900
if a candidate for Senator, or
S., 900 if a candidate for Repre-
sentative"
The actual expenditures which
may be made by candidate him.
self-or ilerself-may vastly ex-
ceed these ceilings. The law per-
mits the following exceptions
which need not be included:
Money expended by a candidate to
meet any assessment, fee or charge
levied by-a State in which he
resides, or expended for his. neces-
sary personal travelling or SUBJ
sistence expenses, or for stationery,
postage, writing or printing (otherf
than for use on billboards or in
newspaperso, for distributing let
ters. circulars or posters or for
telephone or telegraphic service.
AS it works out, Senate candi-
dates are limited to $25,000 and
House candidates to SIS, 900 in most