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H
ESTABLISHED IN 182*.
OFFICIALS ARE MORTGAGED
BIG CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTII
. SAYS BRYAN IN REPLY
Democratic Candidate
Mr. Taft’s Views On Pub
licity of Funds.
CHARGES OPPONENTS AS
TAKING IMPROPER AID
special right* to took afl
MUl8 in* sums larger than r
otic motives and gene
expend. If, for lnstanc
Governor Is likely toj
railroad legislation,
right to know whctm
©■ted In preventing
have contributed Ilk
palgn fund. If a
office In which. If eleot|
pass upon antl-truet
force anti-trust laws,
that the public shoui
rights the trust inagt|
mpalgn. And
Critieizaa Republican Candidate in no
Uncertain Term* for Adopting the
Announoed Views on the Subject—-
Explains How the $15,000 Were Con
tributed to Nebraska Campaign Fund
in 1904.
LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 1—Declaring
that every disinterested voter knows
that lar^e contributions have been used
to secure mortgages upon officials, \V.
J. Bryan tonight Issued at Falrview
a statement criticizing the adoption
by Wm. H. Taft, his opponent for
.President, of President Roosevelt’s an
nounced view on the subject of pub
licity of campaign contributions.
Following Is the complete text of Mr,
Bryan’s statement:
"I am surprised to find that Mr.
Taft endorses the President’s views
on the subject of publicity as to cam
palgn contributions, but since he holds
thesQ views. I am glad that he makes
them known now. We now have pub
licity before the election as to his
opinion even if he does not believe in
publicity of contributions until after the
election. He fails to see tho differ
ence between the publication of con-
trlbCllons before election and the pub
lication of expenditures before elec
tion.
"The publication of expenditures is
required to show whether corrupt
methods have been employed in tho
election and*as the expenditures con
tinue to the close of the polls. It would
be impossible to make a complete pub
lication until after the election. Tho
publication of contributions ought to
be before election; the main reason
for the publication of contributions be
fore flection is to show the public the
sources from which the contributions
come. In order that tho public may
know which party predatory interests
are supporting. Every one who knows
human nature knows that the element
of gratitude must always be consid
ered In human affairs. Ingratitude
has been described as a worse sin than
revenge, for Ingratitude repays good
with evil, while revenge only repays
evil with evil.
Improper Use of Funds.
"Every disinterested voter kno
that the large contributions have been
used to secure mortgages upon offi
cials. The publication of contribu
tions throws a great deal more light
/upon the influences at work In politics
/then the publication of expenditures ^h e
'for the publication of contributions ns.oofl
shows to whom the party is indebted,
and to whom repayment is likely to bs
made, while the publication of expen
ditures shows what has been paid out,
and disbursements do not create ob
ligations that affect the course of the
administration.
Object of Publicity Law.
"Mr. Taft says that *the ¥ proper ob
ject of a publicity law is to prevent
the use of money for bribery and other
Improper purposes in flections nnd to
enable the law officers of the govern
ment and the public to determine
whether the contributions made were
properly expended for legitimate pur
poses.’ And he adds ‘the requirement
that the names and amounts of
persons contributing should also
shown Is for the purpose of enabling
the public and the prosuiting officer
of the government to J.ilge whethe
subsequent official action has been 1m
properly affected in favo,* of the con
tributors by the successful candidate
Taft’s Chief Objection.
"This, he says, can all be achieved
publication after tho election He th<
proceeds to endorse the position
by the President, declaring that ‘the rhii
objection to the /publication of contrlhf
tions before tho election, is that It mal
certain, that In tho heat of the cont
versy the motive of those •ftho contrj
ute to pay the legitimate e).
campaign will be misconstrued, perve
and misrepresented.'
" ‘The candidate.’ also he Insists,
whose behalf the contribution.! are r
will be charged In the most unfair
r« being completely under the contn
those who made the contrlbutloi
"Here he makes the same charge^
the President does, the astounding
that the voters are so liable to Ibe
that the knowledge must be kept
them. I Insist that It Is an Inrrdt
intelligence of the voters, uni 1
little credit to Mr. Taft's opljilb
men to whom he is making h.
President Roosevelt may have I i
statement thoughtlessly and qn tt|
L pulse of the moment, but Mr.
ijhe same Indictment again*
dth deliberation, and after
criticism of the President’s
Puts Taft on the Racj
"It Is fair to charge, then
, .tv. Taft Is either expecting
contributions which would ai
suspicion among an Intelllgei
or contributions which, If kner
arouse an unjust suspicion am
pie too Ignorant to form a ro
ment upon the facts. This Is
which he can neither retract i
It can only be explained by a
ness that Republican campaign
Will not bear the light, and that
be dangerous to his party If
knew before the election what
Is©* to make public after the el
"His subreouent argument
publication before election of t*
and amounts contributed 'would
age those who desire to contribute
legitimate purposes of the camp?
exposing them to the bitter dlat
unfair attacks or slanderous cor
tton of partisans In an electoral
otight to have llttje weight «■!
'considered that such publication
efficacious in discouraging ttme'*
desire to contribute to lllegltlr
perses and for the rurpoee of
officials under obligations to then
publication* after election maj
us 'to Judge wheihe r •ubsequen
action bos 1 een Imnrnpwlv aff
favor of tho contributor* bv the
ful candidate' tilt* Is of vary sm
compared with the
ffl I
candidate for an nfflci
in official connection
tlon. it Is proper for
whether he will b©
beneficiaries of a h!
emlarrassed when he*
the consumers.
Hughes Just
"Mr. Taft misreprej
said In regard to
attention to some
that were made i
and In view of the
Hacks the remedies
l )emocratlc platform
trusts, without ndvs
of Ids own, and in
fact that this testli
the President again
President whether h
contributions by tr>
lessen or Increase
Hughes’ testimony
trusts. It will not
Mr. Hughes upon
for him Immunity
not necessary for
upon Mr. Hughes
done In order to pi
question under dl
human nnd was oil]
the Chicago corn*
that public officio
yet wc require bon
money, no matter]
they may have,
a Judge, a Juror
gift, if the gift
interest In the e
clal and forbiddlni
ask as to the cl|
The law* Is based
human experifcnc
ry to furnish sp<
In any manner ul
scales have yet bl
curate weighing >
that In using Mu
gument Mr. TafL
will not objecti
trust magnates f
be compelled
here their
one side and
public on the
plain If he fln<
of the rank an
on this subject.
Judge aspirant
applied to nv 1
and the univ
Mr. Taft’s poi
guments
port."
Thl
ment that
$15,000 to thd
1904. and
but I ai
ments
out tni
ment*.
money ,
mbltcatlo
tlon
nlrlbutlo
Need No Guardi*
advance of election