Evening star., 1951-09-09
Election Lows
Gillette Committee
To Sort Them Out
By J. A. o'Leory

may result from Senate hearings due
to start this week.
Senator Gillette, Democrat. Of
Iowa, who will conduct the inquiry
as chairman of the elections sub
committee, has three objectives in
mind. They are:
/. To get more complete account
ing Of expenses in presidential and
congressional elections
2. To curb use of defamatory lit
erature.
8. To set up definite rules govern
ing contests over Senate seats, to
correspond to machinery which al
ready exists for House contests.
Existing laws regulating campaign
expenditures, which are about as
elastic as new pair of suspenders,
are in for some close study.
Today, for example. no committee
in a national campaign may receive
or spend more than So million in
any calendar year. But the defini-
ton of committee" in the Federal
statute does not include State or local
committees.
$1,000 IndividuoI Limit
Likewise. there is $4,000 limit
on the amount an individual
may contribute in any one year to-
ward presidential campaign, or on
behalf of candidate for any Fed
eral Office. But again, the law says
this shall not apply to contributions
made to State or local committees.
There is f1exibility, also, in the
amount candidate for the Senate
or House may spend on his own
behalf. The Federal law on the sub
Ject, passed in 1925, provides that
unless the State law fixes lower
limit-a candidate for Congress may
take his choice of two yardStickS.
He may spend $4,000 while running
for a Senate Seat-$2, 500 running
for House seat. Or he may multi
ply by 3 cents the total number Of
votes cast at the last general elec-
ton for all candidates for the Office
he is seeking, provided the result of
this calculation is not more than
$4,000 in Senate race, nor more
than $1,000 in a House race.
In staying within these spending
limits, a candidate for Congress may
exclude his own travelling expenses.
stationery and postage for circular
letters. telephone and telegraph bills.
But he may not exclude the cost of
advertising on billboards or in news
papers.
Senator Gillette points out that
even though the candidate himself
stays within these spending limits,
there is nothing to prevent his friends
from organizing in his behalf and
making expenditures to further his
cause, without the knowledge or
consent of the candidate.
If these independent supporters
function within a single State, they
are not required to file report.
One change in the law the SUBJ
committee chairman is considering
would make it an offenSe for any one
to spend money in behalf of a can
didate without the knowledge and
consent of the candidate. Another
suggestion is that all individuals who
contribute 500 or more be required
to report their own contributions.
The hearings may prompt Con-
gress to consider raising the ceilings
on the amounts candidates may
spend to more realistic level. If
this is done, it will be on the theory
that since the existing limits were
fixed in 1925 the cost of running for
public office has gone up, along with
everything else.
Radio and television, for example,
have opened up effective new meth
odS for reaching large numbers Of
voters, but this also has added a
new item of legitimate expense, along
with billboards, printed advertise
mentS and personal-appearance
stumping tours to all corners of a
State or district.
Senator Gillette feels the impor-
tant aim of any new legislation on
the subject must be to obtain a full
accounting for what is spent.
Control Of Literature
With regard to campaign litera-
ture. Senator Gillette says investiga-
tions by his subcommittee of the 1850
elections indicate real need of
amendatory legislation dealing with
the expanding use of defamatory or
scurrilous literature"
Congress, few years ago, did add
a provision to the election laws re-
Quiring that printed campaign ma
terial mailed, or transported in inter-
state commerce. must show the names
OF the individuals or organizations
distributing it. This law was in
tended primarily to ban anonymous
campaign literature.
The subcommittee is expected to
consider broader statute that would
set standards for the material used
in all campaign literature. The group
already has recommended that COM
posite pictures be outlaWed
The recommendation was con-
tanned in the recent report of the
Subcommittee'S investigation of the
1850 Maryland senatorial campaign,
in which Republican Senator Butler
defeated former Democratic Senator
Tydings.
1t was brought out in the Maryland
hearings that a tabloid campaign
paper circulated against Mr. Tydings
contained composite picture which
showed Mr.. Tydings apparently talk
ing with Earl Browder.
The subcommittee has invited
Chairman Guy Gabrielson Of the
Republican National Committee and
Chairman William M. Boyle, jr, Of
the Democratic National Committee
to be the first witnesses Thursday to
offer any suggestions they may have
for improving election controls.