The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-29
CHARGE PROVED
BY the Confessions of Geo, W.
Perkins and j. A. Mccall.
TH.PARKER SAYS.

Fnnd IAst Year, and the Men
Wh8did 1t Should be
Punished
Former Chief Judge Alton B. Par
ker, last year the Democratic candi-
date for President of the United
States, in an interview at Esopus, N.
T., recently, referred to the charges
made by him In the Presidential cam.
paign last fall, that corporation funds
we're baingiuaed in aid Of the Rspubi.
can 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 relationSto the statement made by
Vice. President George w. Perkins, OF
the New York Life Insurance Com.
pany, before the Legislature COM
mite Investigating the insurance
business, tD the effect that President
John A. Mccall, Of that company,
had caused o contribution Of about
S50,O00 tosbe made last year to the
Republican national campaign fund,
Judge Parker said:
Yes, Isbelleye 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 officers Of other great life insur
ance companies, such as the Equitable
aud the Mutual, also contributed
from the policy holders fund for the
campaign purposes last year. The
underlying princlpales which divide
the greatmass of the people into par
ties have no effect upon such men.
Their one inquiry is, will the party
organization in it's hour of triumph
rememberjour generosity and respond
to our denoandb? OF course, the or.
ganization does remember, for 1T OK.
poets assimilar contribution next
time. Aud the expectation is not In
vain. Lastyear was not the first
time SE9h contributions had been
made befste In national, State and
municipal eleptions.
S. The ~ tsers responsible for these
III tree dies of corpora.
bions have received their reward In
unfettered management of different
insurance corporations; In unembar.
rassed raids upon the public through
trusts condemned by both common
and statute law; In refusal to punish
criminally the officers Of railroad and
other corporations violating the laws;
and In statutory permission to manu-
facture corporations and to levy tri
butte 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 quasi -partisianship with
tho organization OF the dominant DO.
litical party. For in the hour when
the administrative Official seeks to
punish the offender, he Is reminded by
the head of the organization Of the
magnitude OF the contributions Of the
corporation.
There is, however, something
worse, II possible, than the escape OF
such Offenders from Justice. 1t is the
gradual decentralization Of voters and
the dulling Of the public conscience by
tic efforts TO make these vast sums Of
money procure the ballot they were
intended to procure, corruptly and
otherwise.
What has been proved in the case
OF the Now York Life will undoubt.
edly 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
railroad, manufacturing and other
corporations 1t would be found that
these corporation officers who put
their hands into the treasury and
took out moneys belonging to widows
and orphans to help secure partisan
triumph.
That their acts were unlawful
and their purposes corrupt goes with
cut saying. They intended to have
the money used, as 1T was, In corrupt.
ing the electorate. Mr.. Perkins
makes the point that Mr.. John A.
Mccall, the president Of the New
York Life, is a Democrat. Appar.
emily he would have the public as.
sumo that when Mr.. Mccall unlaw.
fully and wrongfully contributed
these funds-the company's share
probably as a membor OF the under.
writing syndicate 1T was evidence OF
political virtue, rather than miscon-
duct.
THE truth about it Is, and / say
1t without feeling, but emphatlcally,
that men like Mccall have no puliti.
cal convictions that stand In the way
of their personal advantage. Such
men desire the triumph of that party
which will better serve their personal
financial interests and will-for con.
trlbutions, past, present and future
continne to protect these interests by
lenient legislation and by prctcnse at
execution Of law which shall be ten.
derly blind to all their olfcnses. That
party they espouse in the court room,
and contribute to 1T Of the moneys
they hold in trust, and occasionally a
little OF their own.
lb Is not my purpose to claim that
tho Democratic party, subjected to
tine temptations which have overcome
Tho other parkU 6uripo tho Loot sor,.