The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-22
'RAMBUNCTIOUS FRIEND' IS
 W. H. MANNING OF ALBANY
quest for the contributions at the very beginning of them. They were fixed sum of $1o,o00 a year.
 Got Money from Mutual.

| huIlf OI tlu,BVU q year.
 Got Money from Mutual. Senator Platt said he occasionally re- ceived contributions of s10,o00 each from the Mutual Life Insurance Com pany, but that he could not tell in what year nor how often. These contribu- tions did not come annually but at diff | fercnt times within the last ten years. He turned the money over to the state Committee. The Senator said he be- | lieved he had dealt with President R. H. McCurdy in receiving these contri- buttons.
 T simply asked him at various times when, necessities were very great for | money and he said he would be glad to subscribe said the Senator. The money, the Senator said. was always sent to him by a messenger and was | intended for use in the State campaign. President McCurdy understood. the Senator said, that the Senator was not representing the National Committee. The Mutual Life he said made no contributions to the local campaign nor in the interest of any candidate l for State office other than by the gen. eral contributions described. While testifying about the gifts of | the Mutual Life. the Senator once re- piled that he understood that he was 1 talking about the New York Life In- surance Company, but afterward he said he meant the Mutual. z Dealt With Mccall. When he was asked when he had re- | cefved any funds from the New York Life Insurance Company he said he | thought he had very seldom.i He had dealt with President John A. Mccall Asked directly whether MT. Mccall gave him any money the Senator re- piled: T cannot say positively wheth- CT he did or not. l cannot remember. Tt has been suggested to me that you had something to do with the col- ! lection of funds for the Harrison cam | paign, the raising of a fund of .$140.- o00," said MT. Hughes. DO you recall | that?'
 q do not" said the Senator. ''Or any fundT'
 No. My memory could not tell me whether 1t was the Harrison campaign | or what campaign it WAS" You are clear in your mind that you never had any contributions made to you for the purpose of national cam l paign?'
 Yes, sir. fThey never were given to me for a nat1onal campaign, although sometimes, In talking with gentie- men about 1t, said thought 1t would be a good thing for them to subscribe. because of the bearing of the national campaign on a State campaign. 1. And with whom have you had such | C0nVeFHatlOHt--l mean COnnCCteu Wlln | insurance companies, of courseT Platt's Memory Also Bad. 'J am not sure as to whom talked, | said Senator Platt.
 | The Senator said he did not think he had talked with President Mccurdy about that matter. but he may have | talked with President Mccall, though l he did not remember.
 Senator Platt said he did not know of receiving contributions from any other Insurance companies doing busis ness in this State. In reply, to .anotffer | question he said he did not know of | any contributions that had. been made | the Legislature. Neither had any sug- | gestion been made to him as to the candidacy of any man for Judicial office | Mir. Piatt said he did not know any l. thing about Andrew Hamilton to whom | the New York Life Insurance Company had paid large sums for legal expenses, nor did he know anything about his
 work at Albany. He knew A. c. Fields who had charge of the house maintain ed by the Mutual Life Insurance Com pany at Albany, N. Y,. but he did not | know anything about his services at Albany nor about any money paid by in surances companies to Fields. So far as you know Senator. what have the insurance companies done in | regard to shaping legislation or pre- venting legislation in this State?" r Where Did Money Got "I don't know anything they have
 done; never inquired into that, nor
 have they sought my influence at all in
 reference to it." said Mir. Platt. DO you know what disposition has | been made of the contributions by the
 insurance companies in the State cam
 paigns.
 T don't know anything about it, sir.
 I turned these contributions over to the l State Committee and then my connec-
 tions with them ceased" | Do you know whether any part of
 such contributions and allotments of
 money were made for the purpose of
 helping the campaign oq candidates for
 the legislature?'
 There was not that I know of"
 Inquiries have been made from time | to time here with regard to the insur-
 ance department what influence had the insurance companies in regard to the appointment of the Superintendent
 of Insurance, so far as you know?"
 q don't think they had any infiu- ence so far as I know"
 Have you ever been asked. Senator,
 on behalf of any of the insurance com
 panies. to intervene in their favor by
 
 | Never in the world"
 Tn connection with matters of legis- | lation of the insurance department"
 Never in the world
 "In connection with matters of legis-
 lation.'
 They have never asked me in the world"
 And you have never done anything
 of the kind?"
 "I have not"
 National CampHign Contributions.
 Mir. Platt said he knew nothing about the contributions by the Mutual
 Life Insurance Company and the Equitable Society to the national cam-
 paign fund in 1896. He did not re- member that there was any co-opera- tion between Cornelius Bliss and him. self during the campaigns of 1900 and 1904. He said he knew nothing about
 the contribution approximating\ $50 O00 made by the New YorH Life Insurance Company to the national committee in
 the last Presidential campaign and that
 he did not know that the Equitable
 Society had given $50,O00 during that
 campaign The Senator could not
 remember when he began receiving
 contributions from insurance companies
 but thought 1t might be fifteen years or
 more. He expressed the opinion that life insurance companies were Justified in making campaign contributions
 while the gold issue was at stake. He
 did not care to pass upon the justifca-
 tion of the companies in giving money
 for State campaigns.
 What advantage co1ld they get bS
 contributing" asked MT. Hughes, ssrha., got if through me as bpine