Hughes Defends Bill To Aid Campaigns

H. Stuart Hughes, professor of History, presented a bill to the Massachusetts Legislature Wednesday to have the state shoulder part of the cost of political campaigns.

The bill would have the state pay for one hour-long television debate prior to the primaries, and three one-hour debates between the primaries and the election. Campaign literature and newspaper space would also be paid for.

At a hearing of the Legislature's Election Laws Committee, Hughes said that enactment of the bill "would go far to meet a major problem in our democracy"--the problem of financial limitations keeping a candidate from getting his message to the public.

He also added that if the law were passed, it would be "extremely difficult" for a candidate to avoid participating in the television debates. In the November campaign for U.S. Senator, Edward M. Kennedy '54 refused to take part in debates with Hughes and George Cabot Lodge '50.

Rep. William P. Homans '41 (D-Cambridge), who filed the bill for Hughes told the CRIMSON yesterday that "broader base for financing political campaigns" is a necessity. He was uncertain whether the bill would be passed, however, because it is questionable whether the state government--as opposed to private individuals--should "get into the act" of financing political campaign. Only two states have similar laws, he pointed out.

Hughes has also endorsed two other bills. One would limit the length of the political campaign to three weeks prior to the election. The other would limit to $200,000 the amount a candidate can spend in seeking election to a constitutional office