The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-22
May Return MOnsy Contributed
 n Corporations
PRESIDENTS SOUTHERN TOUR
Present Arrangements Provide for q Trip Which Will Last About Two Weeks-Richmond Is
 First Stop.

Washington September 21.-(Special)- Since the damaging exposure brought to light by the insurance Investigating com mittee the republicans are in a state of frenzied morality. They are now talk ing of preparing to pay back to- the in- surance companies the fraudulent sums they received from them and also to pass a measure through the next Congress so sweeping in its character that 1t will effectually put stop to all campaign contributions hKe those now in the lime light The President is even going to recommend such legislation in his annual message to Congress.
 As the President and his party are i entrenched in a good and prosperous posi- tion for some time they can very well afford to restore stolen property to it's rightful owners and do all that they can l to smooth over the scandal. Four years ago, however, the President and his party were not so serious for a federal law 1 against campaign assessments.
 Senator Chandler Defeated.
 . After the 1900 election it was openly ! charged that the money contributed by 1 the corporations had elected MT. McKn- l ley as 1t had elected him four years pre- vious. Corporation money had also downed Senator William Eaton Chandler of New Hampshire, though he was a good repub- lican but an honest man and of course being poor he was not able to buy the l New Hampshire legislature to elect him. So Chandler was dsgusted with politics and out for revenge and on February ,. 1901, introduced bill in the Senate to prohibit corporations from making money contributions in connection with political l elections.
 Bill Was Reported.
 i The bill provided that 1t should be un- lawful for any national bank or any cor poration engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, or any corporation organized by authority of any laws or Congress, to make a money contribution in connection with any election to any political office. The bill provided that it should be un- lawful for any corporation whatever to make a contribution in connection with any election at which representative l or a senator is to be voted for. The i bill provided that any corporation found making such contribution should be fined l $5000, and any officer stockholders, di- rector or employe of corporation who 1 should consent to the making of such q contribution should be fined 5000.
 This bill was sent to the committee OH privileges and elections, and five days after it's introduction 1t WAS reported unanimously by MT Chandler. As intro- | duced the penalty clause was against any officer employe consentng to the making of such contribution by cor | poration, the fine being Sl000. As report l ed the fine was made also to apply to the corporation in the sum of 5000 and | bpI included among those who might be fined 5000 for consenting to the making of the con- tribution.
 But all MT. Chandler ever got for his 1 bill was a favorable report. Whenever he made an effort to get 1t up 1t was antagonized by more important meas ures." and Senator Chandler was com- peled to retire from the Senate a month | later minus his revenge and take seat 1 on the Spanish claims commission, disappointed statesman. with job, but one not to his liking