Studies in American History 
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five conspicuous places not less than seven days prior to the 
caucus. The notices should state the place, day, and hour of 
holding the caucus.^® “Pecuniary compensation” for the vot- 
ing or influencing of the action of a voter in a caucus was 
declared illegal. Violation of or non-compliance with the 
provision of the act was to be punished by a fine not exceeding 
$500 or imprisonment not exceeding six months.^^ 
The effectiveness of the act as a means of regulating nomi- 
nations was greatly weakened by the exemption, from its ap- 
plication, of towns of less than 2,000 inhabitants and of cities 
of over 35,000 inhabitants.^® There seems to have been no 
valid reason for the exclusion of the small towns, while every 
argument in favor of the act applied with even greater force 
to Portland, the only city exempted, than to the cities coming 
under its provisions. Subsequent history of political caucuses 
in Portland clearly demonstrated the folly of the exemption 
clause. ; 1 
The movement to regulate the nominating process was con- 
tinued in 1911 by the enactment of a corrupt practices act,^^ 
which was applied not only to elections but also to caucuses 
and primaries.^® The act provided that “caucuses and pri- 
mary elections” should “include: (a) all meetings held to 
nominate a candidate for office or to elect delegates to a 
nominating convention”; and '‘(h) nominating conventions of 
such delegates”.^® 
It was provided that “the expenses of any . . . caucus or 
primary election” should be paid only by a treasurer or polit- 
ical agent legally appointed, and recorded with the secretary of 
state or town clerk. A candidate, however, was permitted to 
“designate himself as his own political agent”. 
Treasurers and political agents were authorized to make 
expenditures for the following purposes only: "(a) . . . 
hiring public halls and music for conventions, public meetings, 
and public primaries, and for advertising the same by post- 
ers or otherwise; (b) . . . printing and circulating 
political newspapers, pamphlets, and books ; (c) . . . print- 
Ibid., sec. 10. 
Ibid., sec. 11. 
Ibid., sec. 13. 
Ibid., sec. 14. 
This act was modeled on the Public Acts of Connecticut, 1905, chap, cclxxx. 
Maine, Acts and Resolves, 1911, chap, cxxii. 
Void., sec. 1. 
20 Ibid., secs. 2, 4, 
