New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-22
Can1ooigr1 and Insurance Funds. -
Prevent Corporations from Contributing
to Expenses.

A.
thereof to be paid out of the contingent fund Of
the Congressional Record. vol 90 part
l. p. 100, 54th Congress. second session
On March l. 1897, the 9th Congress
came to an end. Nothing had been heard from
the resolution. It died on that day by reason
of the adjournment I had made some in
qutries and satisfied myself that neither the
chairman of the Democratic National Commit
tee nor the chairman OF the Democratic Con-
gressfonaI Committee nor even the chairman Of
the PopuIist National Committee, all three being
Senators, meant that the resolution should pass
and the investigation take place. The both
Congress convened in special session on
March 10, 1897. and continued till July a.
Nothing was heard from Mr.. Allen on the ques
ton of investigation. The regular session of
Congress began on December 6, 1897 but moth
ing was heard from Mr. Allen until June 2,
1898, when Senator Marion Butler was making
a speech against the War Revenue bill Speak
ing of the Republican party, he said that it
was "a party that by somebody, probably one
man, was nortgaged in the last campaign to all
of the allied trusts and uonopoHes for NAM
moth corruption fund: party that bought the
election with this campaign fund" Later he
said: When every great monopoly and trust
joins in contributing vast sums Of campaign
funds amounting TO a gigantic corruption fund
of Sl6OOOOOO as I understand, TO one political
party it is time for the country to be interested.
It is time for the country to watch that party.
1t has been proven or admitted that
these great monopoIies and trusts contribute
to all parties that will accept their offers The
president OF the Sugar Trust admitted recently
before a Senate committee that they contrib
uted $4,000 to the Cleveland campaign fund
and a like amount to the Harrison campaign
fund The cold, ugly fact is that the
GOLD syndicate and the allied trusts and monop-
oIie6 own and control the Republican party as
completely as they did Grover Cleveland
As this debate went on with charges princi-
palIy made against the Republican party made
a statement as follows:
After the Presidential election. in the fol-
lowing winter, the Senator from Nebraska Cdr
Allen introduced a resolution to have an in
vestigation made into this whole subject Of
campaign funds and the contributions made
for that purpose. That resolution was referred
to the committee TO audit and control the con-
tingent expenses Of the Senate, which had on
it one Democrat, one Populist and one RepubH-
can, and that resolution never has been heard
of from that day to this"
Senator Allen defended himself from neglect
Of duty on the ground that IT not his duty
to pursue the committee The question arose
whether the chairman Of the committee. Mr.
Jones, of Nevada was q PopuIist or not, and
1t appeared that he had left the Republican
party and had voted for Mr.. Bryan The other
members Of the committee were Senator Jones,
Of Arkansas chairman Of the Democratic Ma
tional Committed and Senator Gallinger, of
Hampshire a Republican. Senator Jones,
Of Arkansas, explained to the Senate that no
action was taken by the committee. and said:
1.-THE matter was never presented to the COM
mittee so far as I remember and added that
he had no objection to an investigation and
ba had alt bae DIV m eJ1-a
complete account of all money that came into
the treasury Of the Democratic party but that
he did not believe that anything useful could |
have been discovered
Senator GaIlinger said that he had been ready
at all times to investigate any charge that might
be presented.
notwithstanding the above debate. at no time |
did Senator Allen or any one of the three Sen
ators who were Democratic and PopuIist chair |
men of national committees make any move
ment toward an investigation. Senator Allen
denied that his resolution had died on March
4 1897. and required reintroduction to demand
attention. but this claim shown by Senator
Frye and others TO be a mistake The debate
Is in The Congressional Record" volume 81 ap-
pendix. page AID
Nothing but futile debate having come TO pass
as a result Of the well known political contri-
buttons by corporations in the canvass Of 1896,
Of course. the system continued to prevail in
1900 and 1904 It Is much more convenient
for the large stockholders in corpora tons TO
have their contributions made from the
porate treasures than make them by large
checks upon their private funds. The small
stockholders are robbed. but IT is easy to con-
zeal such expenditures under the heads of legal |
expenses" or road repairs" or 'non-ledger
assets and the system is fastened upon
he country in a most dangerous form and can
Tot be shaken off without a popular uprising
Vain efforts were made by Representative Coch-
an and others to do something at the last ses-