Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1912 — LET THE PEOPLE KNOW [ARTICLE]

LET THE PEOPLE KNOW

WHO IS BACKING CAMPAIGNS OF TAFT AND ROOSEVELT? That Enormous Sums of Money Are Being Spent Is Apparent, and Citizens Have a Right to Learn the Source. By all means let the house bill compelling full publicity of pre-nomination expenditures of presidential candidates be passed. -Especially in the campaign now on, which holds so many candidates who proclaim they are running in response to the people's demand, it is desirable to know who is putting up the sinews of ’war. The cost of the Roosevelt campaign in New York county was over $59,000. or nearly tour dollSrs a vote. And he lost out at - that. A short time ago the total cost of his campaign thus far was estimated at $700,000. If we accept the colonel’s interpretation of the significance of his candidacy this money is being spent to permit the people to express their overwhelming desire to nominate him. All right. Let him spend as much as he-likes, if he spends it legitimately;? But who is putting up? Mr. Roosevelt has no million to spenil on his campaign, not even the $59,000 which, according to legal record, he dumped into New York county alone. Then who is putting up? Is it Perkins, .Munsey or McCormick, or some other of his trust friends who at© I ousting the Roosevelt campaign ? Or are the 'plain people parting- with their pennies to enjoy the salvation of another Roosevelt administration?

The Taft managers, undoubtedly, are spending money, too. Money has always been spent in these campaigns. The people have a right to know where the Taft money comes from. But the agents of the president have yet to be charged with “spending money like drunken sailors” as were the agents of the colonel in Indianapolis. It may be recalled at this time that George W. Perkins in 1904 contributed $50,000 to the Roosevelt campaign in behalf of the New York Life Insurance company He han’t do that now, but what he is giving and how he is giving it should be known to the citizens who are asked to voto for Mr. Roosevelt. If the nation is to have publicity of campaign contributions, it is fully as Important that it has them for the primaries and other prenomlnation activity as for the election proper.-—Ex-change. ’