The Jersey City news., 1906-12-05
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 5, 1906.

rnen Jne United states senate pass.
ed the bill TO prohibit political contri-
buttons from corporations it was evil
deptly considered necessary to give
come proof that the Republican mem
bers Of the senate were not as black as
they had been painted. The Republican
senators must have taken keen delight
in putting this bill under the noses, of
the, president, Speaker Cannon and the
other Republican leaders, knowing that
they dare not allow the bill to pass, for
without campaign contributions from
the corporations there would be but
few Republican congressman elected
from, the close and doubtful districts
The senate plan worked to perfection,
for the bill was suppressed, the COM
mittee to which il was referred not
even considering it.
Senator Rayner of Maryland charges
that the bill was suppressed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the. speaker. He
says. .sThe president andAspeaker of
the house of representatives are re-
Epnnsibie for. the suppression of this
legislation. It passed the senate, as l
recall 1t, unanimously. When it came
to the. house it awaited, as usual, the
order and command of the president
The practical defeat of this measure
IN congress means that the Democratic
party must face an enormous corrup-
ton fund In the future, as It has done
tn the past, while its passage. would
have signiAed to the country that the
elective franchise can no longer be
polluted except at the peril of law
and that the ballot is no longer for
sale.s
Yet the president says, 81 hope and
believe that the bill to prohibit political
contradictions hy corporations will
Rasa.s
This makes one think" says that
good Republican newspaper, the Provi-
dence R. u Journal, s.of the confidence
man who approached Sydney Smith on
the street, saying cordially as he held
out his hand .Ah Mr. Parsons, be
nevey Sir was the answer, If you
X.
But the bin commended by the presi-
dent. would be. very good kind of
billto pass, and step in the right di-
rectien might be taken by the presi-
dent himself. 1t would only require
some honesty, courage and common
sense on his part, and that, he says,
controls him utterly, always and every
where As a starter, why should he
not compel the return of the $4,000
campaign contribution which was club
bed out of the New York Life Insur-
ance comps any's policy holders to help
elect him II 1901? Mr.. Perkins of the
insurance company testified that he
gave the money to Mr.. Bliss and iden-
tiled the very check for the amount.
Mr.. Bliss says he got it and used it
Why should not the president, if he
really means what he says. send tlli
money back to the policy holders. t.
whom it belongs?
That is the question. Until restitu
ton is made OF the large sums fleaed
from the policy holders of the insu.
ance companies 1t is difficult to believe
that either the president or the other
Republican leaders are really in ear
nest in declining corporation subserip-
tons. An Interesting question is how
much money has been contributed by
corporations or their officials to the
congressional campaign committee this
year and has any part of the insurance
funds remaining over from the last
election been transferred by the treas
urer Of the Republican national COM
mitfse to the congressional committee2
The answer, duly sworn to- wauld be
OF great political infaras+,