| OCR Text |
Show ANSWER OF BRIAN I TI TAFPS LOGIC 1 Surprised at Stand Taken Re- 'M garding Publicity of Cam- B paign Contributions. SAYS VOTERS HAVE RIGHT fl TO KNOW BEFORE ELECTION H Holds It Insult to Intelligence of Citizens to Take Taft's 'H Tiew. LJNCOLN, Neb.. Oct. 1. Declai-ing that "every .disinterested voter 'H knows that la'rgo contributions have H been used to secure mortgages upon officials, ' W. J. Bryan tonight issued at Fairvicw a statomont criticising the iH adoption by William Jl. Taft, his Re- .H publican opponent for President, of President Roosevelt's annouueed view H on the subject of the publicity of cam- jH paign contributions, Mr. Taft, says jM Mr. Bryan, "makes the same cliarge 'H tho President does, tho astounding chargo that the voters aro so liable to bo misled that the knowledge (as to .H tho amounts and sources, of campaign 'IH contributions) must bo kept from ;H Mr. Bryan then adds: tl I "I insist that this is an insult to ihc , intelligence of the voter, and it does 'lH little credit to Mr. Taft's judgment of the men to whom ho is making liis ap- 1 peal." Il Following is the complete text of Mr. Bryan's statement: 1 Surprised at Taft. ' "T arn surprised to find that Mr. Taft indorses tho President's views on the subject of publicity as to campaign. ,H contributions, bnt since he holds these views, I am glad ho makes them known .H now. Wp now havo publicity before t'-H tho election as to his opinion, oven if 'H ho does not believe iu pnblioitv of jI contributions until after the election. 1 He fails to see tho difference between ' the publication of contributions before election and the publication of expendi-hires expendi-hires after eloctiou. Tho publication of expenditures is required to show ' wH whether corrupt methods, have been employed in the election, and. as the "1 expenditures continue up to the close 'H of the polls, it would be impossible to IH make a complete publication until after ijl election. Tho publication of contribu- H tions ought to bo before olection; tho ?H main cause is to show the main sources ;H from which tho contributions come in jH order that tho public may know which ' H party predatory interests are support- H ing. Every ono who knows human na- il turo knows that the element of gratf- :'H hide must always bo considered in hu- 'H man affairs: Ingratitude has been de- scribed as a worse sin than revonge, 1 for ingratitude ropa3's good, with ovil, jl while revenge only repays evil with 'jjl Contributions as Mnrtrr.TPPR. ' JH sj -1, H "Ever3" disinterested voter knows -vH that large contributions have been used jH to secure mortgages upon officials. Tho ' 'H contributions throw a great deal more ijH light upon the influence at work iu "NH politics than tho publication of ex- H penditurcs, for tho publication of con- H tributions shows to whom the party is -H indebted, and to whom repayment is H likely to bo made, whilo tho publica- 'H tiou of expenditures shows what has been paid out, and disbursements do jH not create' obligations that affect the jH course of the administration. H "Mr. Taft saj-s that 'tho proper ob- ject of a publicity law is to prevent "-H tho use of money for bribery and other H improper purposes in 'elections and to cnablo the law ofiiccrs of tho govern- Jl tn on t and tho public to dotehnino "H whether the contributions mado were "H properly expended for legitimate, pur- "'jl poses.' And he adds: 'The require- ' ment that tho names and amounts of ' the persons contributing should also be shown is for the purposo of enabling ,H the public and the prosecuting ofiiccrs k of the government to judge whother H subsequent official action has been im- properly affected in favor of the con- irH tributors by tho successful candidates.' IH This, he says, can all bo accomplished jH by publication after the election. IjH Taft's Explanation. "He then proceeds lo iudorso tho po-sition po-sition taken by tho President, declaring -that 'tho chief objection to the publi- cation of contributions beforo tho clcc- .Jl tiou is that it makes certain that in the H heat of the controversy the motives of ''H thoso who contribute to paj' tho legiti- H male expenses of tho campaign will be 4H misconstrued, perverted and misropre- 'jH " 'Tho candidates,' he also insists, 'H 'in whose behnlf the contributions are made will bo charged in tho most mi- fair way as being completely under the M control of those who make tho contri- VH billions.' 'll " Here he makes the same charge that , rH the President does, the astounding charge that tho voters aro so liable to bo misled that Iho knowledge must bo jH kept from them, I insist that it is an '1 insult to Iho intelligence of the voter?, ''1 and does liltlo to Mr. Taft's judgment "tjH to the men to whom ho is making his IH appeal. Mr. Roosevelt, may have made 3H this statement thoughtlessly und on the impulse of tho moment, but Mr, Taft H brings tho same indictment against the voters with deliberation and after ho a'IIH has read a criticism of the president's -M views. It is fair to charge, therefore, ' H that Air. Taft is cither expecting to jM receive contributions which would. -'B arouse suspicion among the intelligent ' 'tfl peoplo or contributions which, if kuowu, il would arouse an unjust suspicion among jl a people too ignorant to form a correct . 1 judgment upon the facts, lil "This is an evasion which he can- not retract or excuse. It can only bo '1 explained by a consciousness that Re- . M publican campaign methods will not 1 bear tho light and that it would be -'1 dangerous to his party if tho public .H IB I knew before the olcction what ho prom-I prom-I Iscs to make public tiftor the election. I "Tlis subsequent agreement that the publication before olcction of tho names and amounts contributed would mi 'discourage those who desiro to con-I con-I c tribute to tho legitimate purposes o 1 tho campaign.' by 'cxposiujr them to tho Ml bitter diatribes "of unfair attacks of K slanderous condemnation of partisans in I an electoral tight ought to havo little Weight when it is considered that such I publication will be efficacious in dis-I dis-I cournging those who now desiro to con-I con-I tributo to illegitimate expenses and for I tho purpose of putting ollicials under I obligations to them. ' I Eight of People to Know. r "While publications after the clec-I clec-I tion may enable us to 'judgo whether I subsequent official action has been im-I im-I proporly affected in fuvor of the cou-I cou-I tributof by tho successful candidate,' t. this is of very small value compared Avitlt tho benefit to bo derived from wf tho publication of contributions boforo I' olcction. Tho people havo a right to I form their own opinion as to tho influ-r influ-r ences which are at work. They do not I need p, guardian to protect thorn from I the-misuse of the knowledge which I they may acquire, and they ought not I to "bo required to employ detectives to I' find out what the ollicials aro doing I after tho election. Mr. Taft knows l;: that n great iliany matters como before li' the legislatures and legislative bodies, If where it is difficult, it not; impossible j for the ayorago voter to investigate the : facts". . f 4fThe people havo a right to know in- advance of election whether thoso with special interests to look after are contributing sums larger than, public spirit, patriotic motives and general interest' in-terest' would warrant. If, for iu-' iu-' stance, a. candidato for governor is likely. to have to pass upon railroad legislation, the people havo a right to know whether men largoh interested in preventing railroad legislation have contributed liberally to his campaign I fund. Tf a man aspires to an oflico in B 1 which if elected ho will havo to pass upon anti-trust legislation or enforce anti-trust laws, it is only right that tho 1 public should know to what extent tho I trust, magnates aro financing his cam- paig-n. And so, if a man is a candi-' candi-' date for office which brings him into official . connection with tariff legisla-I legisla-I tion,- it is proper for tho public to know whether ho will bo so obligated to the .beneficiaries of a high tariff as to be embarrassed when he attempts to protect tho consumer. -.Charges Misrepresentation, "Mr. Taft misrepresents what I havo said. in .regard to Jlr. Hughes. I called attention to somo of tho contributions that' were made to Mr. Hughes' fund, : and." in. view of the fact that Mr. f Hughes attacks the planks presented in ; the. Democratic platform as a cure for i the Trusts, without advancing an' remedies rem-edies of his own, and in view .of tho further; fact , that this testimony was quoted -by the President against mo I as.ke'd thp President whether ho thought t hat-, these contributions by trust magnates mag-nates would lesson or incrcaso the TV'eipfht'of Mr. Hughes' testimony on the. subject of trusts. It will not do for Mr, Taft to put Mr. Hughes up on it "pedestal and claim for him immunity from " criticism. It is necessary for mo to pasa judgment upon Mr. Hughes or upon what ho has done in order to pasa judgment upon tho question under ' i discussion. He is only human, and was i;( one of. tho 'allies' before the Chicago 'J convention. "Wo assumo that public of-R of-R ficiflls will bfl hnnPRt. and vftfc vn ri. Iquiro bonds of those who handlo money, no matter how much character they may have. The law will not permit a .judge,, a", juror or an official to accept a. gift if- the gift is from ono who has an interest in the official action of tho official, and in forbidding this the law doos not ask as to tho character of tho official. Tho law is based upon human nature and human experience, and it is not necessary to furnish specific proof of special weakness in tho man who receives the money, or to provo that his decision was in any manner affectod by tho gift. No scales have yet been invented for tho accurato weighing of the reasons which enter into an official "decision. "It is only fair, however, to assume that in UBing Mr. Hughes' caso as an argument Mr. Taft means to say that 1 ho will not object to contributions from U trust magnates, railroad magnates and tariff beneficiaries, no matter how much , these contributions may be, even I though he may, if elected, bo compelled to pass upon questions where" their de-i de-i mands may be on tho one sido and the interests of the general public on the other. He must not complain if ho finds that many representing tho rank ( and filo will differ from him on this l subject, for the average man will judge 1 aspirants for office by tho rules applied to average men. Common sense and tho universal judgment are against Mr. Taft's position, and against tho arguments argu-ments .Tyhich ho advances in its support." |
