The Morris County chronicle., 1905-09-19
ADMISSION,
Alton B. Parker Says the New
York Life Was Not the Only
Contributor.
GAIN is ABOVE POLITICS.


cure Ballots corruptly--Facts Should
Be Diligently Sought.
New York, Sept 1S.-It is probable
that the admissions made under oath
by George W. Perkins before the In
surance investigation committee con
cerning contributions aggregating near
ly S15O,O0O made to the national Re
publican campaign funds on the joint
authority Of John "A. Mccall and him
self. acting for the New York Life In
surance company, may be made the
basis of civil suits by the attorney
general of the state to force restitution
to the policy holders of the sums so
contributed.
On uninpeachable authority 1t is
stated that the further prosecution OF
the Investigation by the legislative
committee during the coming week will
be conducted with a view to the prob
ability Of it's forming the legal basis
for such civil suits
Former Chief Judge Alton B. Parker.
last year the Democratic candidate for
president of the United States, has re
ferred to the charges made by him in
the presidential campaign last fall that
corporation funds were being used In
aid of the Republican campaign. To a
correspondent who called at Rose
mount, Judge Parker's home, and ask
ed him if he had anything to say In
relation to the statement of Vice Pres
ident George w Perkins Of the New
York Life Insurance company made
before the legislative committee inves-
tigating the insurance business to the
effect that President John A. Mccall
Of that company had caused contTi-
button of about $4,000 to be made
last year to the Republican national
campaign fund Judge Parker said;
Other Insurance Companies Gave.
ssYes, l believe | ought to say, now
that there is no political excitement to
distract the public attention, that the
president of the New York Life was
not the only such contributor. The Of
ficers of other great life insurance COM
panies, such as the Equitable and the
Mutual, also contributed of the policy
holders funds for campaign purposes
last year. What has been proved in
the case of the New York Life will I'M
doubtedly be proved In the other cases.
The facts exist, and honest and able
counsel, backed by an honest commit
tee, will undoubtedly bring them out
for the public good
Were there an investigation of rail
road, manufacturing and other cor
pOrations 1t would be found that these
life insurance officers We're not the
only corporation officers who put their
hands into the treasury and took out
moneys belonging to widows and or
phans to help secure a partisan tri-
umph.
seThat their acts were unlawful and
their purposes corrupt goes without
saying. They intended to have the
money used, as it was, in corrupting
the electorate. Mr.. Perkins makes the
point that John A. Mccall, the presi.
dent of the New York Life, is a Demo
crat Apparently he would have the
public assume that when Mr.. Mccall
unlawfully and wrongfully contribut-
ed these funds--the company's share
probably as a member of the under
writing syndicate-it was evidence of
political virtue rather than misconduct.
No Political Convictions.
''The truth about it Island l say 1t
without feeling but emphatically- that
men like Mccall have no political con-
yictions that stand In the way Of their
personal advantage. Such men desire
the triumph of that party which win
better serve their personal financial
interests and will-for contributions
past, present and future-continu to
protect those interests by lenient leg
islation and by pretense at execution
sOf law which shall be tenderly blind to
all their offenses. That party they
espouse in the board room and con
tribute to it of the moneys they hold
in trust and occasionally little of
their own. Such contributions had
been made before in national, state
and municipal elections.
"There is, however, something worse,
If possible, than the escape Of such Of.
Tenders from Justice 1t is the grad
ual decentralization of voters and the
dulling Of the public conscience caus.
ed by the efforts to make these vast
sums of money. procure the ballots they
were intended to procure, corruptly
and otherwise. How great that de-
moralization tas already become is
fairly presented by Mr.. Steffens in his
articles in McClure's, contributed dur
ing the last few months. Those arti-
cles ought to be read and pondered by
every good citizen
Mere party advantage should not
be sought from the disclosures made in
this Investigation, but the facts should
be diligently sought, that the people
may become so aroused that they will
Insist upon legislation making it
criminal offense for officers to contrib
ute corporate funds for political pur-
poses and depriving the apparently
successful candidates of their Offices
Snowstorm at Cripple Creek.
Cripple Creek, Colo, Sept 10. Sew
oral inches of snovv fall hero flast niorht