Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-01-18
Today's Telegraphic News
The 'PresIdent Arrsigned.


Washington, D. c., Jan. 1S.-An
echo OF the ante-election charges that
great corporations were forced to con-
tribute to the national republican cam
paign fund was heard in the Senate to-
day when Senator Stone (dem. Missouri,
vice chairman Of the national democratic
committee Of 1896 caustically arraigned
President Roosevelt and national chair
man Cortelyou.
1t was during the discussion OF his
resolution directing the committee on
the judiciary to investigate the matter OF
campaign contributions by corporations
and specially providing that the charges
OF Thomas w. Lawson that So, 900. 900
corruption fund had been used to defeat
Byran in 1896, should be inquired into.
In reviewing the charge made by Judge
Parker in the late campaign, Senator
Stone declared "Mr. Cortelyou has not
yet answered it. He stands mute,
wrapped in grim silence"
The Senator contended that disguise
it as you may in substance they (refel
ring to President Roosevelt aud Elihu
Roof admit the acceptance of financial
aid from corporations which exist in
contrayentiop of Law for the purpose OF
establishing industrial monopoly BY de-
stroying competition and which ordinar-
lily expect fayors directly or indirectly
from the government Under the cir
cumstances this act of the republican
chairman was one of gross public
INN, raIity, if nothing worse. Could
anything be more despisable? To what
level have we fallen il the American PEG
pie can look upon such conduct with
complaisance? Aye, and to what level
have we fallen if the American Senate
can contemplate this national shame
with indifference? This confession made
by the President and Mr.. Root is mon
strous There is no need to decry or
condemn it; it speaks for itself"
He inquired as TO the motive of tue
President in selecting Mr. Cortelyou as
chairman of The national committee aud
declared that ''the circumstances of this
appointment we're curiously significant,
il not sinister, and the suspicious inevi-
lably excited by them have provoked the
situation greatly to be regretted" He
said that the country was asked to be-
ieve, what no doubt it innocently will
and does, that the trusts brought their
gold to Cortelyou out of purely unselfish
and patriotic considerations and that they
expect nothing in return" Dropping
into sarcastic tone, Mr.. Stone continued:
"These, indeed, were Yirtuous trusts, aud
theirs an idealistic sell-sacriicing pa
triotism. Here is sublime and most
affecting exhibition oiinoorporated altru-
ism These particular trusts sought only
to serve the country and to exalt it,
They scorned all base expectation or
favOrs to come and scattered the very
thought that their gold would be used to
corrupt"
He demanded to know whether the
countrY was to accept this theory with
out questioning and exclaimed: "The
Senate should know and the country
should know beyond cayil whether a
Cabinet officer holding secret power
over great corporations and placed at the
head of political committee, sought
contributions from these corporations;and
the Senate and the country should know
whether enormous sums of money col
lected from the corporation were ex-
pended to corruptly influence the cleo.
ton" He said he thought the presi.
dent was ignorant OF "the immoral
means employed to promote bis cleo
Iion," and asserted: Theodore Roose-
welt is instinctively an honest man.
But he is also inordinately ambitious
aud have thought that ambition
had 50 blurred his native honesty
as to blind him mOmentarily, and to
make him do things or suffer things to
be done that would otherwise
have been repulsive. The best | can
believe that the President, being an
honest man smarting under the sting of
iemorse, and being himself no longer
interested in campaign contributions,
mas now resolved unselfshly to exert
his strength 10 promote the public wei.
fare in this behalf"
Adyerting to the charges respecting
the campaign of 1896, he said at
ia enough to speak only of the appall-
Ing story with which Thomas w. Law
son has startled The country. His con-
fession comes like the climax to a
tragedy. The story is brief but COM
prehensive, condensed but complete it
is all sufficient"
Senator Stone contended that the
people believed the presidency in 1896 to
have been bought. Continuing he said.
frhis belief may be unfounded but that
il exists is uudoubted. If the belief
should become deep rooted and wide
spread that the presidency is ever in any
Say made the subject of barter it would
shake the foundations of public order.
No greater service could be rendered the
country than that Of guarding against
hat danger and that evil"
Conditions in the East.