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APRIL 29, 1910
3
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CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
Representative William D. Jamieson of Iowa
has announced that ho will not be a candidate
for re-nomination. Mr. Jamieson is quoted as
saying that he can not afford to hold the office.
He explains that out of his first term's salary
he might save about $4,000 per year, thus giv
ing him a surplus of $8,000. But he adds that
all of this amount would bo exhausted in the
campaign for re-election.
. Expressing regret because of Mr. Jamieson's
retirement, one newspaper says that there are
only two ways of correcting this condition. One
is by members of congress moving in an or
ganized way to avoid expensive social, inter
changes and. the other iB.by raising salaries., . .
The salary-.of. the member; of congress.1 is- al
ready sufficiently higbr. - "It there were -no other
proofs, on this poiiit Mr. JamLesoir's statement .
that he could save. $4,0 00, per year-iS'.concluslvo,-and.
that ritatemen1ruilsorindicate:that:jexpensivTJs .,
""social. in'terchangeaV may-be-avoided: by a littlp ..
.sensible effort on the part of- individual con- ,
gressmen.
Mr. Jamieson's own statement", indicates. the
direction toward which inquiry should be direct
ed. Why should it be necessary for a candidate
for congress to expend $8,000 in an effort to
secure re-election? To be sure Mr. Jamieson
is a democrat and his district is normally repub
lican. To be sure some money is needed for
postage, printing and railroad fare. But it
must be clear to thoughtful men that there is
something decidedly wrong in American habits
with respect to political expenditures when so
large a sum as $8,000 would be necessary for
the payment of the campaign expenses of a con
gressional candidate.
Mr. Jamieson is a popular man throughout
his district. He has made an excellent record.
It ought to be possible for a man with such a
Tecord as Jamieson has to reach his constituents
Without the expenditure of an enormous sum
of money. Doubtless Mr. Jamieson's campaign
committee would be as economical as any other.
And so it is probably true that the effort toward
reform on this line should be directed toward
the general practice in the expenditure of- cam
paign funds. The republican party has had a
great 'deal to do with the increasing tendency
toward extravagance in this matter. In 1896
'it adopted an unprecedented "system of campaign
assessment, collected .more money than it could
have honestly spent in several presidential cam
paigns and taught rising political managers that
the successful politician is a man who collects
the most money and that a big campaign fund
spells" victory. But democrats must understand
. that they can not hope to compete with republi
cans in the matter of campaign funds. They
will find, too, that a fund sufficient to pay ordi
nary expenses will enable them to win when
ever their platform and their candidate meet
the public demand provided the scales have
fallen from the eyes of voters; and if voters
are still blinded all the campaign funds that
democrats could raise would be of no effect com
4 pared with the trust magnate's bank account,
.which is always available to the republican
party.
Let democrats everywhere exert their efforts
toward the framing of real democratic plat
forms and the nomination of real democratic
candidates. Then while they collect sufficient
funds to meet ordinary expenses let them set
themselves resolutely against the temptation to
ipompete with the republicans in the way of
campaign expenditures. Let them depend for
Success upon the merits of candidate and plat
form, the industrious and disinterested efforts
of good citizens and finally upon intelligent ap
preciation by the people. They will yet appre
jejate the dangers involved in a continuance of
tepublican rule and they will appreciate the
efforts of a" political party that, in the moment
of the people's need, puts its best foot foremost
in the way of platform and candidate.
BUT WHY HIGHER AND HIGHER?
Defending the Payne-Aldrich tariff law, tho
Philadelphia' Public Ledger, republican, says:
"A protective tariff, from its very nature and
purpose, must be the result of long and complex
ptudy, of much log-rolling and of mutual accom
modation and concession. At the very best, It
ican only approximate to universal Justice or to
general satisfaction."
According to the testimony of Senator Dolllver
of Iowa, Nelson Dingley, father of the Dingley
tariff law, the producer of the Payne-Aldrich
law, said that the rates in the Dingley law had
purposely been placed high in order that they
anight be used as a basis for reciprocity agree
ments with other countries. It was never in-
The Commoner.
tended that theso high DIngloy rates should be
come fixed charges. But no sooner had this
law been passed, than tho tariff barons took ad
antago of tho high rates, and no serious atten
tionwas given to reciprocity. Prices wore ad
vanced in this country under the protection of
the Dingley rates then tho highest in American
history.
So burdensome wore theso rates that tho rank
and file of republicans protested and their pro
tests were so strong that tho republican party
.promised in its national platform of 1908 to give
tho people tariff revision. They "fulfilled" this
pledge by revising the tariff upwards, making
tho rates even higher than they were in tho
law against which the. people wero protesting. -,
Now tho PublicLedger saya that tariff: making,
is. a very complex;affairand that, at the very best
.tariff measures, "can only approximate, to uni
versal justice- or tor -general satisfaction-.'..' Ad.-
mitting thisxto 'be: true, why should. the. tarinV
;ratesgo higkecandIiighec.? Why skoufcL thev
.effort always bo'infavor of tho-generous -coii-.tribiitora
to . republican campaign funds rather
than. in. favor of the consumers who comprise
the mass of the people? Why, after the repub
lican party had promised tariff revision did it
revise the tariff upward? Could it not have
"approximated to universal justice or to gen
eral satisfaction" by reducing tho rates at least
a' trifle? Could it not have handled this "com
plex proposition" with some consideration for
public interests rather than with exclusive con
sideration for the tariff barons?
THE SAME OLD THREAT
Senator Hale, in announcing his Intention to
retire at the end of his present term, warns
his constituents that democratic success will
mean that "Maine's principal industries and in
terests will be marked for slaughter." It is the
same old threat that has been trotted out every
campaign for thirty years to scare tho timid
voter into supporting tho predatory interests.
It has been worth more than dno hundred and
fifty thousand dollars in salary to Senator Halo
and many millions to those to whom the taxing
power has been surrendered. But so many
republicans at last understand tho larcenous
character of the high tariff laws that it looks as
if the scare' would not work any longer.
MR. BRYAN'S PROPHECY
From the Washington, D. C, Bulletin: In re
ply to a very pessimistic letter by the writer to
Mr. Bryan just after the November election, ho
made a prophecy, which, in view of recent
events, seems prophetic. Tho writer believed
that the republican party would keep Its plat
form pledges. Mr. Bryan did not and replied:
"Do not be deceived by the promises of the lead
ers of that party. It is impotent to revise tho
tariff in the interest of the people. We are
nearer the turn in the lane than appears on tho
surface." Bryan was right. The special session
of the republican party was impotent. And
everybody will admit that "wo are nearer the
turn in the lane."
ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC VICTORY
The house of representatives has passed tho
publicity bill with but one dissenting vote. It
will be remembered that the democratfc plat
form advocated publicity while the republican
platform was silent on the subject. The demo
cratic platform and the action of the democratic
committee in putting tho plank Into operation
forced Candidate Taft to advocate publicity. It
is a democratic victory to get tho bill through
the house. Let us hope that it will run the
gauntlet of the senate and become a' law.
GOVERNMENT
Tho three most important subjects which a
human being can consider are God, man and
society. Religion and government come next
in--fact, they aro the connecting links wrhich
bind God, man and society together. Tolstoi
has defined religion as tho relation which man
fixes between himself and God, and govern
ment may be defined as the relation which man
fixes between himself and society.
DISCOVERING AN IDEA
Under the terms of the street railway fran
chises in Chicago the companies must pay into
the city treasury, April 10 of each year 55 per
cent of their net receipts. This year the sum
amounted to $1,286,598.76. A Chicago dis
patch, printed in tho Denver Times, says:
"It might bo supposed that the million and
a quarter of net profits that went into the city
treasury on Monday was all tho two companies
paid that the sum covered taxes, care, license
foes and tho llko but such is not tho fact.
There are two street railroad systems hero
the Chicago City Railway company and tho Chi
cago Railway company. Tho Chicago City Rail
way company is tho smaller of tho two systems.
Tho Chicago company paid to tho city nearly
twice as much as tho Chicago City company
under tho 55 por cont net incomo claims of tho
agreements under which tho two companies aro
operated. Tho balanco shoot of tho Chicago City
company, tho smallen of tho two, shows that in
addition to tho $474,822.22 it paid as 55 por
cent of its not incomo, the company also paid
the very largo sum of $525,000 for general taxes.
Tho Chicago Railway company, tho larger of tho
two, in addition to tho $811,770.54, which it
-paid under tho 55 per cent net incomo clause,
paid, nearly $1,00.0,00.0- additional as- general
.taxes'-. Tho tribute, paid by theso two; companies
ta Chicago? for 1909 may -therefore-bo summed'
up.iis: followsr.
ChicagoiGJty- Railway? corny astyS 5i
poncent oft net-revenue: $. 474,822.22
Same company, general, taxes. . . . 525,000.00
Chicago Railway company, 55 por
cent net revenue 811,776.50
Samo company, general taxes 900,000.00
Total $2,711,598.72
Tho partnership between Chicago and Its street
railway companies Is not a bad thing by any
means. It is a good illustration of what a city
that understands tho value of its franchises can
do when it has in mind tho value of tho city's
franchise property and is determined to mako
operating companies pay it something near its
value."
It is a fact that in most cities tho people sur
render to tho corporations tho use of their streets
and then put In considerable time pleading for
fair facilities and reasonable rates of faro. In
such cities it is a constant struggle on tho part
of the representatives of tho people and tho re
sults aro far from satisfying. In Chicago tho
people began to take the right view of tho part
tho corporation to play in public life. They
discovered that tho people granted the favor in
giving life to tho corporation and in surrender
ing the use o tho streets. And so they demand
ed some sort of recompense.
The IDEA is by no means fully developed in
Chicago. They have but a hint of It there but
it is gratifying to observe that tho IDEA Is
growing throughout the co'untry. Men aro bo
ginning to learn that tho corporation being tho
mere creature of law should bo tho servant
rather than the master of tho people by whom
and for whom tho law Is made.
DEPARTMENT OP PUBLIC HEALTH
Senator Owen's bill providing for tho estab
lishment of a department of public health, to
be under a secretary of health who shall bo a
cabinet officer, is a good measure. It ought to
be enacted into law. In his speech advocating
the passage of this measure, Senator Owen said:
"The agricultural bureau was of no great com
parative value until it became a department, and
now its enormous value Is not questioned by
any man. It has been worth thousands of mil
lions of dollars, and its value is annually in
creasing. It has wisely taught us how to pro
tect plant life, tree life, animal life, and Is a
noble, dignified dfcpartment. Is plant life, trco
life, animal life confessedly worthy a great de
partment and human life unworthy of a depart
ment? I recently sent 25,000 bulletins to farm
ers in Oklahoma on how to raise swine. I had
no bulletins to send out how to protect tho
health of children. I believe in giving first
place to conservation of human llfo without ne
glecting plant life or animal life."
UNDISPUTED
One G. P. Smith, signing himself "Yours
Calmly," wrote to the New York World to say:
"Why not state the truth boldly once for all?
Without .exaggeration, Theodore Roosevelt is the
greatest man in all respects who ever lived or
who ever will live on this earth or on any of
the other planets."
And the World did not ,havo the courage to
question the truth of this calm statement.
0
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