Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1906 — POLITICS and POLITICIANS [ARTICLE]

POLITICS and POLITICIANS

The most accurate returns obtainable until the official count is made indicate that Charles E. Hughes’ plurality for Governor of New York is 61,500 —the largest obtained in an “off year” since Morton was elected In 1894. The National Petroleum Association, with headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio, has received written promise* from the Governors of Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and others, that they will do all they can to obtain the enactment of an anti-rebate law, similar to those recently enacted in lowa and Kansas. Secretary of Navy Bonaparte has been advocating a scheme for improving the quality of candidates for public office. It is to have each party euthorize an individual to choose all candidates within a designated territory, thus doing deliberately and intelligently the work which is now done so hastily and unsatisfactorily by nominating conventions. Such a legalized boss he would have elected annually by the voters of his party, and should be himself disqualified to hold office. United States Senator Dick of Ohio remarked at Cleveland that he had become convinced that the Income tax was the nearest we could come to an equitable and impartial system of taxation. The Teport of Treasurer Sheldon of the New York Republican State committee shows that $332,011.36 was spent in the campaign which resulted in the election of Hughes as Governor. Of the total receipts, $313,923 were personal contributions. The largest contributors were J. P. Morgan & Co. and ex-Gov. Morton, each of whom gave S2OOOO. There were 3,300 contributors.