The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-18
UNFETTERED
 MANAGEMENT Judge Parker on Corpora
 ton Contributions. PLAYING POLITICAL GAME Refers to Charges Previously
 Made by Him. New York Life and other Insurance Companies Net the only Organ izations which spend Money 1 DishonorsbIy.
PLAYING POLITICAL GAME

Esopus. N. r., Sept. I7.-Former Chief Justice Alton B. Parker, last year the Democratic candidate for President of the United States. today referred to the charges made by him In the presi- dential campaign last fall that corpor- ation funds were being used in aid Of the Republican campaign.
 To a correspondent of the Associated Press who called at Rosemount, Judge Parker's home. and asked him if he had anything to say in relation to the statement made by Vice. President George W. Perkins of the New York Life Insurance Company before the Legislative Committee in the investfga ton of the insurance business to the effect that President John A. Mccall of that company had caused a contribution of about s50.0o0 to be made last year to the Republican national campaign fund, Judge Parker said:
 Yes, believe that I ought to say, now that there is no political excite ment to distract the public attention, that the President of the New York Life was not the only such contributor. The oficers of other great life insur- ance companies, such az the Equitable and Mutual, also contributed from the policyholders' funds for campaign pur- poses last year.
 ''what has been proved in the case of the New York Life undoubtedly will be proved in the other cases. The facts exist and honest and able counsel, backed by an honest committee, will undoubtedly bring them out for the public good.
 Were there an investigation of rail road, manufacturing and other corpor- ations. it would be found that these life insurance officers were not the only corporation oflcers who put their hands Into the treasury and took out money belonging to widows and orphans to help secure a partisan triumph
 Unlawful ana Corrupt.
 'srhat their acts were unlawful and their purposes corrupt goes without saying. They intended to have the money used. as 1t was, in oorrupting the eiectorate. Mir. Perkins makes the Soimt that Mir. John A. Mccall, PYesi- Aent of the New York Life. is q Demo crat. Apparently he would have the public assume that when MT. Mccall unlGwfu1ly and wrongfully contributed 'hese funds-the company's share. prob ably, as a member of the underwriting syndicate-it was evidence of political virtue rather than misconduct.
 ''The truth about it Is, and say it without feeling, but emphatically, that men like Mccall have no political con- victions that stand in the way of their personal advantage. Such men desire the triumph of that party which will better serve their personal financial in terests and will--for conditions past. present and future-continue to protect those interests by lenient legislation and by rretenses at execution of laws which shall be tenderly blind to all the ofRenses That party they espouse in the board room and contribute to 1t of the money they hold in trust. and occasionally a little of their own. The underlying principles which divide the great mass of the people into parties have no effect on such men. Their one inquiry Is:
 "'will the party organization, in It's hour of triumph, remember our gen erosity and respond to our demands |? Of course the organization does re- member for It's expects a similar con tribution next time. And the expec- tation Is not fin vain. Last year was not the first time. Such contributions had been made before in national, State and municipal elections.
 Unfettered Management.
 ''The officers responsible for these raids on the treasuries of the corpor- ations have received their reward in unfettered management of life insu- rance companies, in the unembarassed raids on the public through trusts condemned Dy DOLH COuInOn ana SLA~ ute laws; in refusal to punish crim- inally the officers of railroads and oth- CT corporations violating the laws, and in the statutory permission to manufacturing corporations to levy tribute on the people.
 There can be no hope of checking the unlawful aggressions of officers of great corporations so long as they may thus form a partnership with the or Ranixation of the dominent political party. For in the hour when the ad ministrative official seeks to punish the offender he Is reminded by the head of the organization of the magnitude of the contributions of the corpora ton.
 'aThere is, however, something worse, if possible, than the escape of such offenders from justice. It is the grad nal Generalization of voters and the duIIInR of the public conscience caused hv the efforts to make these vast sums of money procure the ballots they were intended to procure, corruptly and otherwise.
 "It is not my purpose to claim that tba Democratic party, subjected to the temntation which has overcome the other party during the last fourteen wears. would have acted differently. Mere party advantage should not be sou1bt from the disclosures made in this inVestigatlon' put the IactS should he diligently sought that the people .'av become so aroused that they will insist upon legislation making it a criminal offense for officers to contri- S,,tn cornorate funds for political pur- Doses and depriving the apparently lp''eeessfuI candidates of their offices .Erorts in that direction have been
 Jn different States since Novem- hnr S last and particularly in this State. t,t Svt me Republican organization would not ot consent to 1t. so the legislature defeated the bills, An And tn, the organiza- tIoiI ,%iic sentiment shall threaten leg eG pun PuD with political obvilion who fail tsiAsT .n enact effective laws on the sub ject."