Macon daily telegraph. (Macon, Ga.) 1905-1926, October 02, 1908, Image 1

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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