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Show BRYAN WRITES ON SITUATION Favors Government Newspaper Newspa-per to Publish News Under Bi-Partisan Editorship ! BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN ( Copyright, J 920, By AV.'.T. Bryan ) Written expressly for Universal Service. CHICAGO. Juno 6. A humorous weekly has in its last issue one oC tho host cartoons dealing with the Republican Repub-lican convention. It represents an I elephant, clothed in a night gown, kneeling by tho side of a. bed, in the ! attitude pf a liltlo child saying lis evening prayer. Beneath the picture are the lamlllar words. "If 1 ''should j die before I wake." It would be an exaggeration, oh sourso, to say that the llfe.oe the Ke-1 publican party is. actually in danger,' but the delegates which are gathering; here recognize the gravity of the ait-j uation. 'Ihey are no longer laboring' under the illusion that any Republican will win on any kind of a -platrqrm. They are In a mood for thinking; the man who can give the best promise of success is going to have ' a hearing whether he suggests a . candidate or outlines a winning platform. About Money Question. While we are -waiting for the platform plat-form suggestions from the different candidates, let us consider for a moment mo-ment the new question which has impudently im-pudently tnrust Itself into tho political arena. How mucn money is it proper ( for a candidate to spend? Lntil within with-in a few days the candidates were malt-. jing their respective campaigns, rallying tneir lrienas, ana issuing tneir esti-I esti-I mates of convention strength, wnon all- of a sudden suggestions of enoi-I enoi-I mous expenditures uegan to creep into in-to the papers, and iu De uttered on the stump. Ihen came an investigation, investiga-tion, and lo, all other questions were forgotten in the discussion of contributions. contribu-tions. First came information as to the amount spent by the different candidates', can-didates', and these sums raised all sorts of questions of efnics.- Which is! preferable, that a candlaate shall ri-! nance his own campaign, or that friends ranging trom enthusiastic admirers lo benevolent angels shall! furnish the money? What objection! can be made, some ask, to any amount I provided the expenditure is lor the) spread of information and the enlight-j went of the voters. What, chance hasi a poor man, comes the quick reply, if jhere i3 no limit to be placed on advertising? The primary is brought, under scrutiny and some blame it tor j the large sums expended. But, answer ans-wer others, shall we go back to the ! system of the polit.cal boss because! it is cheaper to manipulate a machine! than it is to inform trie whole public? I "teaser for Remedy. j This convention will have to deal with the situation developed by the! investigation committee, and 1 ha,voj been gratlned to learn from conversations conver-sations with the candidates mat all are anxious lor a rcmcuy. 'ihey have nut jot uetermined upon anything specific, I but they are open lo suggestions, i; am inclined to think that publje senti-I senti-I mcnt is liable lo crystallize into a few '.simple propositions, and that the rein-, udy Hnatly. adopted wilH embody them. First, the. primary will remain; it : will not only remain but It will be extended. The political lioss will ' never again exercise theinfluence that I I ho formerly . did In political conVen-1 j lions. The people will lh'ore and more rule in the parly as. they rule in the I government. j Second, money will not be permitted to measure the availability of a pres-1 pres-1 iucntial candidate neither his awn I money nor the money of hia friends. To permit the 'unlimited expenditure of one's own money would be equivalent equiva-lent to fixing a pecuniary qualification to the presidency, M e permit unlimited unlimit-ed contributions would permit the mortgaging of a candidate to the wealthy ii not to bi financial interests. in-terests. .' , Third, there must be, therefore, some means of insuring equality of opportunity oppor-tunity among aspirants, and a government govern-ment publication is the only means in i sight. Privately owned newspapers I cannot be expected to furnish space without charge to all who desire to J make themselves known; the go.ve.rn-i go.ve.rn-i ment can fix limitaciona -and prescribe I qualifications, and" then at public ex-j ex-j pense, luy before the voters the infor- mation necessary to permit an .intelligent .intelli-gent choice. Great Institution. The government is a great co-opora-tive institution; we always turn - to it in time of distress, and no one can doubt that the present situation is distressing dis-tressing lo the candidates and ' their friends. It is probable that the convention will be quite well satisfied with itself if it devises a plaii which will throw upon the government responsibility of informing ihe public as to the- relative merits of candidates, and ill so doing limit expenditures to a sum that will moke poor men eligible . ' But why'not carry- the reform a little farther, and provide unpolluted channels chan-nels of information as to isdiie, as well as to newspapers for" their knowledge of public questions. tL'ven if all the publishers were actuated by a purely patriotic purpose, the natural bias of those in charge of the papers would make it impossible for them to dis-. cuss impartially the issues which must j be decided by the voters. ' i3ut unfortunately many of our big newspapers are merely adjuncts,- to business enterprises and make decep- space lo f3.vora1 seeking corporations whenever a franchise 13 at. stake. Government ls Ioefcery If governments derive their just powers po-wers from the consent of the governed, the governed must understand w"hat they are consenting to, otherwise popular popu-lar government is a mockery. The time would seem ripe for the establishment establish-ment of a government bulletin not a newspaper, but a bulletin dealing exclusively ex-clusively wjth government business.. JL should be under bi-partisan control con-trol and be lsued without charge to all officials, national, state and municipal, munici-pal, to all libraries, colleges and schools, to all postofflces and other public associations, and then bo furnished fur-nished at ,a merely nominal cost to all who desire to subscribe for it. It should furnish editorial space, properly divided between the parties, for the discussion of the questions at Issue, so that every voter would bo able to sit in judgment and decide intelligently all questions submitted. Such a. bulletin, Issued at inCerva,ls between campaigns and more frequently frequent-ly during campaigns, could bo Used as a substitute for the literature for which the candidates now spend their own money or the money of frlenda. The Investigation of contributions will prove a real blessing If It leads to a government bulletin, as well as to a reform jn campaign methods. The bulletin Idea can be used by the states as well as by the federal government, and even by cities when they grow large enough to need it. i -nn |