FIGHTING "SLUSH FUNDS"
Developments of the present campaign have given a peculiar
interest to past history with respect to the record of Governor
Cox in dealing with campaign expenditures. The Governor's
reports, which have been filed under the Ohio Corrupt Practice
law, show that he has never been an extravagant spender in
campaigns. In his various races for the Governor's office in
Ohio one of the points which he has claimed is the redemption of
pledges made to the people. Under one of these pledges he
advocated and secured the enactment of an anti-lobby law,
designed to reduce the evils attendant upon the presence of a
legislative lobby. He found upon the statute books of Ohio a
corrupt practice act and this was strengthened by laws passed
during his term. In taking hold as Governor in 1913, he demanded
and secured a rigid lobby law. Of this he said:
"Conditions not only justify but demand drastic anti-lobby law.
Any person interesting himself in legislation will not, if his
motive and cause be just, object to registering his name,
residence and the matters he is espousing, with the secretary of
state, or some other authority designated by your body. If his
activities be of such nature that he does not care to reveal
them in the manner indicated, then the public interest is
obviously endangered. It is no more than a prudent safeguard to
have it known what influences are at work with respect to
legislation. There ought to be no temporizing with this
situation."
In the first year of his administration he combated an attempt
to annul the workmen's compensation law by an improper
referendum and vigorously cleaned up the situation by causing
the arrest of those who had conspired to falsify names to
petitions. The Governor followed up his activity for clean
administration of the referendum system by comprehensive laws in
1914, since when no abuses have been discovered. What he said to
the General Assembly gave a further indication of his policy in
this respect. He said:
"The underlying spirit of the corrupt practice laws in the state
and nation is the ascertainment of the influences behind
candidates or measures. We can with profit compel a sworn
itemized statement when the petition is filed showing all money
or things of value paid, given or promised for circulating such
petitions."
In the campaign of 1916, in which Governor Cox was re-elected,
assertions were made of large improper expenditure of money in
defiance of the law. In the following January at the regular
session of the General Assembly, the Governor indicated his
position by calling for a special legislative inquiry. The
statements he made furnish an interesting background for the
developments of the year. At that time he said:
"Let me lay particular emphasis on the necessity of safeguarding
the suffrage thought of the state from the dangers of corrupt
influences. The sums of money expended for so-called political
purposes are assuming such magnitude as to cause seemingly well-
founded alarm, if not to justify the belief that the legitimate
purpose of campaigning is being exceeded. Unfettered by law,
this tendency might result in the waters of our free
institutions being poisoned at their very base. Reduced to
simple terms, the object of a campaign is to inform the voters
on every subject that legitimately and germanely joins to the
issues and the candidates. Any step beyond this, and any project
opposed to it in motive, cannot but be regarded as dangerous.
Human frailties should not be played upon by vast treasures of
money advanced by men or movements whose huge disbursements can
hardly be looked upon as of patriotic inspiration. It is not
necessary to expend large amounts of money for the promotion of
a worthy cause, and, inversely, any cause or candidacy having
behind it unprecedented financial support is likely to be
regarded with suspicion. It may, through legislation, be
necessary to restrain irresponsible organizations whose
existence and activities are born of a hidden design, conceived
by some interest afraid to operate in the open. I recommend that
a legislative committee of investigation be appointed with the
power to employ counsel, and the authority to summon persons and
papers and to swear witnesses in order that it might be known
just what organizations have been entering into campaign
activities, and how much money they expended and collected--also
the names of the contributors. This should extend also to
candidates. The facts as adduced will then be a safe guide as to
the necessity of strengthening the corrupt practices act, or
more rigorously enforcing existing law, or both."
The legislative session had hardly concluded before the war with
Germany broke out and it was deemed unwise at that time to
proceed to any agitation on the subject. The functions of the
committee were, accordingly never fulfilled. Early in the year
of 1920, the Governor gave warning of the report that huge funds
were to be raised in this year for election purposes. At the
very outset of his campaign in addressing the members of
Democratic National Committee at Columbus, the Governor said:
"I hope I do violence to no member of this committee when I
submit to you this proposal: That we purpose not only to deal
with eminent good faith with the electorate of this nation in
November with reference to platform pledges, but we mean to let
every man and woman understand where every dollar comes from,
and for what purpose it is spent. We not only urge that as a
matter of high principle, but in order to guarantee the triumph
of our cause which deserves to triumph. We do not want the
publication of expenditures after the election. There is no
point in advising the voters what has been done. We want them to
be fully advised of every circumstance with reference to the
collection and the disbursement of funds in order that from the
circumstances they can gain a correct index, and understand that
when the Democracy is continued in power in Washington, it
assumes its responsibility without a single obligation except to
the conscience that God has given us.
"Therefore, gentlemen, let us make up a budget which will carry
the full details and information--recounting the legitimate
expenses of this campaign, render an accounting daily or weekly,
and the source from which it came. And more than that, we shall
insist upon the senatorial investigating committee continuing in
session until the ballot has been closed in November. You know
full well that a campaign fund sufficient in size to stagger the
sensibilities of the nation is now being procured by our
opponents. If they believe that is correct in principle, God
speed them in the enterprise, It will be one of our chief assets
in this campaign."
This, then is the record.