reached their position by promotion will be cut off from the benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled. The seven who would be thus affected served in the capacity of surfmen and keepers, previous to promotion to their present grade, as follows: The superintendent of the first district, eight years; of the second district, thirteen years; of the third district, eleven years; of the sixth district, fourteen years; of the tenth district, eleven years; of the eleventh district, two years, and of the twelfth district, sixteen years. All attaining the grade of superintendent in the future would likewise be cut off, as would also the two other superintendents not promoted from the ranks (Superintendents Shaw and Hutchings, of the eight and ninth districts), incidents from whose distinguished services have been briefly recounted. Under such circumstances many of the keepers would doubtless be unwilling to accept the position of superintendent, among whom would probably be those best fitted by experience. The incidents related show some of the perils, sufferings, and privations to which the superintendents have subjected themselves, and the gallant achievements which they have accomplished. They are indicative of the spirit which animates these officers, and illustrative of the tasks they consider incumbent upon them on occasion; and although no requirement of the kind is officially imposed, they feel that they lie under an obligation as peremptory and imperative as if the duty were prescribed by law and regulations. To them the occasion is a command, as authoritative as the ukase of the Czar, to do their utmost, whatever danger or self-sacrifice may be involved, even though it be death itself. It is well for the Service that such is the case, and it is to be hoped that it will long continue so. We all know how necessary it is that leaders of men, however brave the latter may be, should be inspired with earnest devotion, and that their example and enthusiasm set the pace for their followers. If they become negligent and easy-going, it takes but a little while for demoralization to spread in the ranks. These officers have displayed an unparalleled interest and love for their work, and they have assisted in maintaining an esprit de corps that has stimulated the men under their command to accomplish miracles, until to-day their deeds of heroism have become as familiar to the American public as household words, while they have elicited from foreign countries the acknowledgment that the United States Life-Saving Service stands preeminent among all kindred institutions in the world. It is respectfully submitted that to make discrimination in the matter of granting retirement against these district commanders would be both unjust and impolitic, and utterly at variance with the . precedents of the Army and Navy. PUBLICITY OF ELECTION CONTRIBUTIONS AND Mr. TILLMAN presented the following ABSTRACT OF LAWS RELATING TO THE PUBLICITY OF ELECTION CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES. PREPARED BY THE NATIONAL PUBLICITY BILL ORGANIZATION. TO ACCOMPANY S. 5777. FEBRUARY 27, 1908.-Referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections and ordered to be printed. The laws of the following nineteen States and Territories contain provisions for the publicity of election contributions or expenditures. The date given is that of the original enactment, the abstract being of the law as amended to January 1, 1908: The laws of the three following States, which contain no publicity provisions, forbid corporations to contribute in any manner for political purposes: Florida Kentucky Tennessee 1897 1897 1897 In the following six States publicity measures have been adopted and subsequently repealed: ELECTION CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES. In the following States, in which no publicity law is now in force, the passage of such a measure has been recommended in executive messages: Florida.. 1905 Idaho New Jersey (Governor Stokes). Maryland (Governor Warfield; a publicity bill has been introduced in the legislature of 1998) 1905 1906 1906 1906 Oregon (Governor Chamberlain) 1905 West Virginia (Governor White). 1905 ALABAMA. [Adopted 1903, p. 356, General Laws, 1903.] The act provides that within thirty days after a primary election candidates shall file sworn statements of the expenses of their canvasses. It is provided that a candidate "may have a campaign manager or committee, in which event the latter are also required to file similar statements. The act is very brief and defective. As in South Carolina, the publicity legislation of Alabama is directed to the regulation of primary election and not to that of elections to public offices. The obvious reason is that in many Southern States the elections to public offices are rarely the subject of serious contest, and occasion is therefore seldom presented for such employment of campaign funds in connection with elections as require the adoption of publicity measures affecting other than primary elections. ARIZONA. [Adopted Mar. 11, 1905. Chap. 20, Laws of 1905, Title IV, sec. 66, Penal Code, R. S. 1901.] * * * This act provides that every candidate shall within thirty days of the election file an "itemized statement showing in detail all the moneys contributed or expended by him, directly or indirectly in aid of his election." Such statement must give the names of the persons who received the money, "the specific nature of each item and the purpose for which it was expended or contributed." Candidates for offices to be filled by the electors of any district greater than a county must file their statements in the office of the secretary of the territory; other candidates with county, town, or city clerks. Within thirty days "the chairman and secretary of the territorial county and city central committee of each * ** political party shall make and file a statement" of all sums of money received "from whom received and to whom and for what purpose such money was paid." Violations of the provisions of the act are punishable as misdemeanors. CALIFORNIA. [Adopted 1893. Stat. 1893, p. 12, amended chip. 41, L. 1905; amended chap. 350, L. 1907.] The act as originally passed followed the English law with some degree of closeness and was perhaps more complicated and detailed than that of any other State. The amount which could be legally expended was determined by the amount of the salary of the office to fill which the election was held. A sworn statement of expenditure was required from all candidates, a failure to file which was punishable by forfeiture of the office. An election court for inquiry into alleged violations of the law could be set in motion by any elector. In 1905 (Ch. 41) the provisions of the general law were made applicable to primary elections as well as election to public office. In 1907 the act was amended, chapter 350, L. 1907. As at present constituted it provides: That every candidate shall file an itemized statement within fifteen days of the election showing in detail all moneys contributed or expended by him, certain candidates to file their statements with the secretary of the state, others with the clerk of the county in which the election was held. Vouchers must be filed for all sums in excess of $500. Every committee shall appoint a treasurer, who is required to file an itemized statement. Legitimate expenditures are defined and limited to certain percentages of the salaries of the offices for which the elections are held, or if there be no salary to a maximum of $100. The time within which claims against committees must be presented is limited. A person offending against the provisions of the act is made a competent witness against another person so offending, and shall not be excused on the ground that his testimony is liable to incriminate himself; but he is exempted from subsequent prosecution for the offense with reference to which his testimony was given. The elaborate and complicated provisions of the act of 1893 were apparently found impracticable of enforcement, and were in substance. repealed by the act of 1907, a comparatively simple law being substituted. COLORADO. [Adopted 1891, pages 170, 171, sec. 6, Laws of 1891; Ann. Stat., sec. 1655f.] The act provides for the filing of itemized statements by candidates and by the "chairman and secretary of State, county, and city central committees," showing the amounts expended by the committees and candidates and the names of the persons contributing to and the amounts received by committees. The form of the act, which is very brief, is substantially similar to that subsequently adopted by Arizona in 1895. It has not been amended or repealed to date. CONNECTICUT. [Adopted 1895. Adopted public acts 1895, chap. 338 (G. S., sec. 1695-1698); amended public acts 1903, chap. 5; amended public acts 1905, chap. 280.] The act of 1895 provides that every candidate shall file with the town clerk of the town in which he resides an itemized statement of his election expenditures and of the contributions thereto under a penalty of not more than $1,000. Treasurers of political committees are required to file an itemized statement with the secretary of state within ten days after the election under similar penalty. The amendinent of 1905 constituted a new and sweeping enactment. It was made applicable to caucuses and primary elections, defined "political committees," "treasurers," and "political agents," and provided that no person should act as such treasurer or politica agent unless before the election, caucus, or primary he should file a written designation as such with the secretary of state, or in certain cases the town clerk. The law further provided that contributions during a period of six months prior to the election should be made only to an authorized "treasurer" or "election agent," and that no person other than a treasurer or agent should pay any election expenses, except that candidates may pay for postage, telegraph, telephone, stationery, printing, express, and traveling expenses. All other payments must be made through the election agent, who is limited to certain prescribed classes of expenditures. The act further provides that every candidate, treasurer, and political agent must file a sworn statement, containing all items of expenditure and indicating from whom all contributions are received and to whom and for what purpose all expenditures are made. Failure to make such a statement is penalized by forfeiture of the emoluments of office, during the term for which the candidate is elected. If the candidate be guilty in person, the election is invalidated and the offender disqualified from holding office for four years. If only the agent be guilty or the offense is shown to be "of a trivial, unimportant and limited character," ineligibility does not follow. Inquiry may be instituted on complaint of the State's attorney, by any State referee, judge of the superior court, or judge of any court of common pleas; or inquiry may be made on complaint of any elector or voter. No person elected to office shall receive any salary for the period during which he shall have failed to file a state ment. The act was amended in 1907, chapter 240, so as to provide that "no contributions or payments or favors of any kind shall be made or extended by or solicited from any private corporation or judicial officer, etc." The amendment provides for certain additional classes of legitimate expenditures and limits the number of persons in a voting district or precinct to whom liability can be incurred in certain respects. Political treasurers are required to account for unexpended balances. It is provided that twenty days after an election the secretary of state or the town clerk, as the case may be, shall notify the proper prosecuting officer of any failure to file a statement "and within ten days thereafter such prosecuting officer shall proceed to prosecute for such offenses." Every delegate to a nominating convention is required to file an itemized statement of his expenses within fifteen days after such convention. Provision is made in the act for an inquiry in aid of its enforcement. This act, of which certain salient features only are referred to in the above summary, is one of the most complete and well-considered acts of this character, ranking in this respect with the provisions for publicity of election contributions and expenditures of the New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts acts. FLORIDA. [Adopted 1897.] Chapter 4538 of the laws of Florida (No. 24 of the act of 1897, page 72 of the laws of that year) provides: SECTION 1. No foreign or nonresident corporations or corporation organized under the laws of the United States, doing business in this State, nor any domestic corporation, shall pay or contribute or offer, consent or agree to pay or contribute, directly |