Bisbee daily review., 1905-12-24
ROOSEVELT AND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

T.
 CONTRIBUTORS
 In his last message to Congress President Roosevelt dealt with tn, matter of corporation contributions to political campaign funds, but h, did so in such manner as to ''sav, his distance" and prevent the door be ing closed entirely to such contribu tions, which in every national cam paign flow generously into the strong box of the Republican party. He took occasion to say that "it is entirely proper both to give and to receive campaign contributions, even of large size, unless there is an improper mo tive connected with either the gift or reception" This statement inspires the Boston Advertiser to say: "Mr. Cortelyou did nothing wrong in spend ing the campaign money last year. or in taking what was given him." and it goes on to say that "a wealthy Am erican who is supposed to be worth $500. 100000 offered the president this summer to subscribe toward the res toratiOn money collected from the in surance companies. But this offer was not taken up. Why should it be-"
 In view of the fact that there is re ported 10 be an unexpended balance of s400, 900 in the Republican campaign fund of $2,500.00O which was raised 10 elect Mir Roosevelt, there was 10 necessity to accept the offer of the wealthy American" to assist in gath ering sum sufficient to refund the money collected from the life insur- snce companies. If the president thinks that this money should be re- stored all he has to do is to instruct MT. Cortelyou to draw on the Repub- sufficient to cover the collections from the insurance companies in New York.
 We all know that the money con- tributed did not belong to MT. Alex ander or Mir. Mccall or Mir. McCurdy. It belonged to the policy holders or the beneiciaries named by them, rep resenting all shades of political opin- ion, and many of them preferring the election of one or the other presiden- tiaI candidates. The money was not even paid on the order of the directors or of the finance committee. It was filched from the assets of the compa- nies without right or warrant of law. No president of the United States should be willing to rest easy or stand pat under the knowledge that money wrongfully taken from future widows and orphans has been secret ly and unlawfully diverted to aid his election.
 The American people understand quite well also that large contribu- tions from the corporations were giv- en and received with an improper motive" Indeed, Senator Platt testi- fled under oath that he received year Iy from each of the life insurance com panles a contribution of s1O.OO0 to his state campaign fund, and when he was pressed by Mir. Hughes he ad- mitted that the acceptance of this money imposed "a moral obligation to protect the interests of the compa- niesg in the legislature at Albany. In other words, the great insurance companies, the corporations and com pines that profit by legislative fayors and government tariff bounties are not guilty of giving something for nothing" when they make contribu- lions to the Republican campaign fund Their generosity springs from the expectation of ''favors to come, % and they are never disappointed. When we think of it the arrangement is a clever one. The Republican par ty maintains a iaw-made system which enables the great corporations and combines to engage in tariff plunder, but there is distinct understanding that in return a considerable portion of the swag taken from the people must be returned into the campaign chest of the Republican party when ever q national election comes along. Hence. it is not surprising that the Republican party has no difficulty whatever in raising a fund of from sS.O00. 600 to $6.OOO.OOO with which to elect its candidate for president, re-