The Washington times., 1905-01-18
Missouri Senator Attacks
the President and
Cortelyou.
PARKER CHARGES STAND
Not Answered by Secretary
OF National Republican
Committee.

An echo OF the ante-election charges
that great corporations were forced to
contribute to the national Republican
campaign fund was heard N the Sem
ate today, when Senator Stone Oem.,
MOI, vice chairman OF the Democratic
National Committee of 1885, causticaiiy
arraigned President Roosevelt and Ma
uonal Chairman George B. Co-teIyou
1t was during the discussion of his
resolution directing the ComRittee on
the Judiciary to investigate the matter
of campaign contributions by corpora
tons and especially providing that the
charges of Thomas W. Lawson, that a
s5,0oo.e0o corruption fuad had been used
TO defeat Bryan in 1896. should be in
quired into
Parker Charges Unanswered.
In reviewing the charge made by
Judge Parker IN the late campaign,
Senator Stone declared
Mr.. Cortelyou has not yet answered
IL He stands mute, wrapped in grim
silence
The Senator contended that:
Disguise it as you may. IN substance.
they referring to President Roosevelt
and Elihu RootI admit the acceptance
OF financial aid from corporations which
exist in contravention OF law for the
purpose OF establishing industrial mo-
nopoly, by destroying competition ami
which. ordinarily, expect favozs, direct
Iy or indirectly. from the Government
Gross Public immortality.
With deliberation. he proceeded:
Under the circumstances. this act OF
the Republican chairman was one OF
gross public immortality If nothing
worse Could anything be more despic-
abie2
-@ro what level have we fallen il the
American people can look upon such
conduct with cornpIacenceo
Aye. and 10 what le-el have we fal-
len, # the Americaa Senate can con-
template this national shame with iniif-
ference2
This confession made by the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Root is monstrous. There
is no need to decry or condemn il. it
speaks for itself
Motives IN Selection
He inquired as TO the motive OF the
President in selecting Mr. Cortelyou as
chairman Of the Republican National
Committee. He declared that:
The circumstance OF This appointment
were curiously significant, If not sinister.
And the suspicious inevitably excited by
them have provoked a situation greatly
TO be regretted"
He said that the country was asked
10 believe, what no doubt IT innocentIy
will and does, that the trusts brought
their gold to CortelyOu out of purely
unseifish and patriotic considerations.
and that they expect nothing in return
Dropping into sarcastic tone, MIR Stone
continued.
These. indeed We're virtuous trusts.
and theirs an ideahstic, self-sacrihcing-
patriotism Here is u sublime and most
affecting exhibition OF Incorporated al
truisrn.
These particular trusts sought only
They Scorned all base expectation of
favors 10 come and secuted the very
thought that their gold would be used
to corrupt
He demanded TO know whether the
country was to accept this theory with
out questioning. and exclaimed:
The Senate should know and the the
country should know, beyond cavu or
| doubt, whether a Cabinet officer, holding
a secret power over great corporations.
and placed at the head OF a political
these corporations And the Senate and
country should know whether enormous
sums of money, collected from the cor
porationS were expended TO corruptIy
influence the election
Exonerates President.
| He said he thought the President was
| ignorant OF the Immoral means en-
ployed to promote his election and as
serted:
| Theodore Roosevelt is instinctiveIy
an honest nlaan- But he is also inord-
inately ambitious. and l have thought
! that ambition had Sc blurred his native
honesty as to blind him naomentarily,
/ and TO make him do things. or suffer
! things to be done. that otherwise would
have been reYUlSiye.
The best that can believe is that the
President. being an honest man, smart
! ing under the sting of remorse. and be-
| ing himself no longer interested in cam
paign contributions. has row resolved
unselfshly TO assert his strength TO pro
mote the public welfare in this behalf.
! Adverting TO the charges respecting
/ the campaign OF 1886. he Said-
/ 1T is enough TO speak only OF that
| appalling story with which Thomas "
] Lawson has startled the country His
! confession comes like climax to
| tragedy. The story Is brief, but COM
prehensive; condensed, but complete; It
I is aIl-sufficient-'
! Senator Stone contended that the peo-
! pie believed the Presidency IN 1896 70
| have been bought Continuing. he said:
/ This belief may be unfOunded. but
! that II exists IS undoubted- If the be-
| lief should become deep-rooted and
! widespread that the President - ever
! IN any way made the sabject of barter.
| iI would shake the foundations cf pub
| lie order
| I.No greater service could be render
| ed the country than that of guarding
| against that danger and that evil
At the conclusion of Senator Stone
/ remarks Senator HansbrOush of North
Dakota asked that the reply OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt to Judge Parke-'s
/ charges be read
! This was agreed 10 and clerk read
| the famous statement issued from the
White House in November few days
before the election.