“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.