Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-04-05
AFTER AID FOR 0DELL
PRESIDENTS VERSION OF HAR.
RlMAN's CALL.
REPLY 70 JUDGE PARKER
Mr.. Roosevelt Repeats His Statement
Of 1so4-says He Knows Some
Contributions Were Re.
turned.

Washington. PreSldenC nooSS
Welt discussed with a number OF
his callers Wednesday various fea-
lures Of the controversy between MT.
Hartman and himself, growing out
of the publication of the letters De'
tween them. He desired not to be
quoted In the matter however.
To his friends the president MADE
II plain that his version of Mr.. Har.
riman's visit preceding the election OF
1904 was that Mr.. Hartman wanted
assistance from the national Repub'
lican committee to help Chairman
Odell in the New York state campaign,
towards whose expenses he (Harri.
mani had raised 100000. The presi'
dent promised to communicate with
Messrs. Cortelyou and Bliss to see
what could be done. He did In TINS
case, he declared, just what he had
done in other instances where Sc hao
been appealed to to help in state cam
paigns. .s...a.s
To some Of his visitors the presiden,
referred to the statement made public
Tuesday night by Judge Alton q.
Parker In Albany, in which he said
that it has never been denied that
s15O,OOO was turned over by the Eul'
table, Mutual and New York Life In
surance companies to Mr.. Cortelyou's
committee, and that congress has re-
fused to make an investigation into
the corporate contributions OF 1904
or to pass law prohibiting such con-
tributions in the future.
Refers to Reply Of 1904.
On this subject the president re-
ferred to a statement which he made
on November 4, 1904, in which he
said in part:
THAT contributions have been made
to the Republican committee, as con
tributions have been made to the Dem
ocratic committee, is not the question
at issue. Mr.. Parker's assertion IS IN
effect that such contributions have
been made for improper motives, ell
Their in consequence of threats or In
consequence of improper promises, oil
rect or indirect on the part OF the re-
cipients. But there is not one par
ticle of truth in the statement" etc.
Neither Mr.. Parker nor his support
ers, the president declared, have been
able to traverse or question the state
ments made in that answer.
Refused Several Contributions.
n
knowledge about dozen contribu
tons offered by corporations had been
declined by Chairman Cortelyou and
that others had been accepted. A con-
tribution by the American Tobacco
company, he said, had been returned,
A prominent man made contribution
of $4,000 to the Republican campaign
fund. Subsequently this man had
made known his desire for an appoint.
ment in the diplomatic service in the
event that the president was selected.
AS soon as his motives were under,
| stood the national committee returned
his contribution. The president as.
serted to his callers that none of tho
corporations that contributed to tho
campaign fund in 1904 had come to
him for favors, either directly or indi.
rectly. In this connection the presi'
dent referred to the legislation en-.
acted regarding corporations during
the last two years as disproving any
| imputations that immunity would be
shown them for their contributions.