Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-01
MONEY FOR CAMPAIGN
Reasons Why Corporations
Contribute Funds.
MR.. PARKER'S PURPOSE
TALKING FOR DEMOCRATIC CON.
vENTIoN FOUR YEARS HENCE.
He Will Be Candidate for Renomina
tion-Looking After Support From
Bryan Followers.

The course taken by Judge Parker in
making the subject of campaign contrl-
buttons the paramount issue of his speak
ing tour in the few days that intervene un-
, til the election is being accepted by many
as a forerunner of the usual quadrennial
| charge of corruption that bobs up in the
form of a chorus on the part of democratic
spellbinders on the day after presidential
elections which have showed them under
1t is believed by many that Judge Parker
has really given up the present campaign
and is now beginning to talk for the next
national convention. 1t is not doubted that
he will be a prominent candidate for re-
nomination before that convention and
that his fight for supremacy will be against
Mr.. Bryan If he can go down in defeat
crying out against corporations and claim
ing that he is being defeated by corporation
money. he will add to his chance of secur-
ing support from the next national conven-
ton of his party, which is practically sure
| to have an enormous element of Bryan
men. whose campaign will largely be based
on anti-cOrporation talk.
Should Be Specific.
Many people who read Judge Parker's
reiterated charge that Chairman Cortelyou
| is barterng favors of the administration to
be made good through the bureau of cor
porations for campaign contributions, Won
der why he is not more specific. He has
frequently spoken as with authority. He
declares with the utmost confidence that
such contributions are being secured, and
although of judicial mind accustomed to
speak from evidence. he has never offered
single instance to verify his charge. 1t is
claimed that If he has any knowledge on
| which to base such charges he should make
| il public. He has claimed that Mr.. Cortel-
you is able to force contributions from cor
poration because of his possession of dam
aging secrets in relation to them. He has
claimed that these secrets are of such
nature that if the administration desires
| il can make life miserable for the corpora
! tions by enforcing the antitrust law on
| them That is clearly his charge, although
| i is made in language more obscure.
1t is claimed that If the facts are as
| stated by Judge Parker, and if they are so
| to his knowledge, he might point out spe-
| cif1c cases which would be extremely inter
esting to the general public and could not
| help influencing the election next week.
Those who are familiar with the classes OF
corporations that have contributed to the
present campaign declare that in every in
stance it could be shown that they are
serving their interests in keeping in power
| a party that stands for a protective tariff
| in opposition to the party that declared in
| it's platform in ST. Louis that such a tariff
| is robbery. AS Judge Parker saw fit to
| amend the platform of his party in respect
! to the gold standard and let the statement
| that a protective tariff is robbery stand, 1t
| has been assumed that he indorses it and
! stands that platform ready at any time
| to sign act of Congress wiping out such
| tariff If 1t should ever be presented to
| him.
| Reasons for Contributions.
| So it is that every big manufacturing
| concern in the country that is contributing
| to the republican campaign fund is doing
| SO with a definite reason based on the diff
| ference of the principles of the two parties.
| But the question is being asked as to the
| reason that inspires such contributions
| from that class of corpora tons to the dem
| ocratic campaign fund. The enforcement
| of democratic doctrine that the tariff is
| robbery would put them out of business.
| Apparently their contribution is absolutely
| at variance with their business interests.
| And yet it is claimed that some concerns
| especially certain railroads that have been
| prevented from merging their properties
| into single corporations because of en-
| forcement of the law against them by the
| present administration, are the chief con-
| tributors to the democratic campaign fund
| The question is asked, Why? The con-
| tribution is not to give life to any anti
| trust sentiment or to any declared princi-
| pie of the democratic party.
| 1t is not for any purpose that seems to
| be rational from the standpoint of any
personal or business interests, SO far as
surface indications are concerned The
! only rational explanation why such busi
| ness interests should contribute toward the
| democratic campaign fund in the view Of
| many shrewd men, is that they expect ad-
| minstration favors if that party should
| come into power
| 1t is pointed out that the bug-a-boo of
| the bureau OF corporations falls into the
| hands of either party that is placed In
! control of the government by the election
| next Tuesday. 1t has been shown that
| that bureau now has no secrets of corpora
| tions except such are found in printed
1
| libraries of the country, and which are not
| secrets" in fact. For that reason the
| present administration stands in exactly
| the same relation to the bureau of corpor-
| atoms as does the democratic party
| Either party given control of the govern
| ment by the election next Tuesday will have
| the control of that bureau for four years.