The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-03
Spirit of the Press.
Contemplate and DishOnorabie.

Columbia State.
After the defeat of William j. Bry-
an. in 1896, Governor Charles A. Cul-
berson, of Texas, sent a telegram.
prompted, it seems, by the rumors
current at the time, asking president
Mccall, among other things, 10 Iur-
nish him (CulberSon) with a sworn
statement giving the amount. If any,
paid by or on behalf of the company
for political purposes during the last
campaign" The president of the
New York Life did not lie; he did not
DENY that his company had contrlD-
uted anything to the Republican cam
Daign that wear. Instead Mr. Mccall
made his SubordinateS the victims OF
a gross fraud, a base deception. WIN
out replying personally to Governor
Culberson's inquiry, save 10 dchho W.
edge the receipt of his telegram. Mr..
Mccall caused the following atildaVli
from the cashier of the New Cork
Life to be forwarded to the chic: eX-
ecutive of Texas:
Theo. NJ Banta, cashier Of the
New York Life Insurance Com
pany, being duly sworn, dHroscs
and says, that all payments. ex-
cept such as are made a. the
branch offices, pass through MS
department, and that to the best
of his information, knowledge,
and belief, no moneys were, oil
rectly or indirectly, paid by the
company to the Republican cam
paign fund during the recent
presidential election 0S96).
AffidaVitS similar in tenor were also
furnished by the comptroller OF the
company. Hugh S. Thompson, and the
auditor. John c. Whitney. That end
ed the matter so far as the New YORK
LIES response TO Governor Culber-
sons telegram was concerned.
On the face of the showing made ii
appeared that the New York Life had
not i'm 1886 contributed to the Repub-
lican campaign. But as result OF
the present investigation, the publlc
now knows amy such statement as
that to be false. When recently on
ident Mccall said: when they adopt
ed the free silver platform in 1896 |
made up my mind that / would do all
in my power to defeat that candidate
and that platform. knowing
that and believing it, in 1896 1 con-
scented to a payment to defeat Tree
silver"
The point is plain. Mr.. Mccall con-
fesses that i'm 1896 his company con-
tributed money to the defeat of free
silver, and yet, in that year, in re-
Spouse to Governor Culberson's in
quiry, he made it appear, by con-
temptible use of the attida"its of sub
ordinates who were not in the secret,
that the New York, Life had given no
money to any political party There
is no question of the good faith of the
atlantis. 1t was literally true that, TO
the best of their information, knowl-
edge, and belief" mo moneys We're,
directly or indirectly, paid by the
company to the Republican campaign
fund" But President Mccall knew
better He knew that the New York
Life had contributed $4,000 that
year to defeat free silver" And
when Governor Culberson asked for a
"sworn statement President Mccall
beat the devil around the bush" by
causing innocent men to lend their
solemn affidavits to declaration
which he knew to be false-not false
in so far as the atlantis were con-
cerned, but false in the better Gin
formation, knowledge and belief" pos
sessed by President McCtll.
1t was a contemplate and dishon-
orable proceeding on the part of Pres
ident Mccall. 1t was dishonest, both