Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-11
PARKER CONFIRMS
CAMPAIGN STORY
Holds Developments indicate
His Famous Charge.
WAS CONGRESS RECREANT?
Wants Jail Punishment for Corpora
ton Gifts.
POWERFUL TARIFF-FED TRUSTS
Thinks No Fair-Minded Man Can Now
Doubt the Accuracy Of the
Original Story.
WAS CONGRESS RECREANTi
TARIFF-FED TRUSTS

NEW YORK. September IA statement
attributed to Judge Alton B. Parker. demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency in 1904,
is published In the World today regarding
recent newspaper exposures Of campaign
fund giving at the last national election.
Judge Parker, in effect. says that Con-
gress should have performed the service
that the newspapers are now attempting to
render and that no man who is both fair
minded and intelligent can now doubt the
accuracy of his famous charge regarding
campaign funds near the close of his cam
paign.
Judge Parker also advocates imprison-
ment as punishment for corporation cam
paign gifts.
Judge Parker In his statement says:
Congress should have performed the serv-
Ice to the country that the World and
other papers are now attempting to rem
der It.
Senator Tillman introduced a resolution
calling for an investigation of the charge
that l deemed it my duty to make in the
campaign of 1904. That resolution should
have been passed and an opportunity af-
forded to prove the amounts contributed by
the many and various protected industries
of the Countrywide insurance and other
gigantic corporations, including the great
railroad corporations.
This should have been done. not for the
purpose of proving whether my charge was
we'll or i'll founded. for surely an investi-
cation was not needed for that purpose
after the insurance investigation. which
disclosed contribution by three compan-
les out of many aggregating nearly $1JO.OOO
to swell the republican campaign chest
Since that happened no man who reads
and is both far-minded and intelligent can
doubt the accuracy of my statements.
Contributors "Practical Men"
But a further and broader investigation
should have been made. covering all the
great corporations having interests that the
federal government could protect or ad-
vance. either by the maintenance of exist
ing protective statutes. such as the social
ed Dingley bill. ny the non-enforcement
of law. and this to the end that the people
might determine whether federal policies
and corporate interests shall be divorced
or the wicked partnership of the past shall
be continued and strengthened by fur
Their ASSUMPTION of federal control
Such Investigation would have dis
closed that contributions made by
corporations whose officers knew that
within year-perhaps within thirty days
after election they would have to go to
the Postmaster General for renewal of
their mail-carrying contracts: and, being
practical men" they realized that the atti-
tude of that official might be affected by
the circumstances of a large contribution
on the one hand. or by refusal to con-
tribute at his request on the other hand.
They had reason to believe that the request
for a contribution by the chosen represent
tatives of an administration implied an
agreement to treat them as they had been
treated before.
For years the fairfield corporations had
been solicited for contributions to republic
can campaign funds, and they responded
generously, and likewise for years the re-
publican administrations had protected
them by tariff duties that enabled them to
exact from our people larger price for
their product than they were demanding
from foreigners
Beneficiary Has Kept Faith.
Both the solicitors and the contributors
of these campaign funds regarded the
beneficiary as under obligation to preserve
their power to mulct the people. and the
beneficiary has kept the faith. That fact
is known to all men. With this example
before them the corporations began to re-
spond to similar solicitations, and upon
like implied agreement that they would
either be helped or let alone as their sew
eral necessities should require.
Now, what was done with this money?
Much of 1t was employed to corrupt the
voters Of doubtful states, until in many Of
them manhood suffrage has in considerable
measure become chattel suffrage 1t is
evident that 1t was for that purpose only
that this so-called Hartman fund of $780,
OOO was raised. II was secured on the 18th
and Both days of October and turned over
to the national committee on October 81.
Two hundred thousand dollars then
given to the state committee and for what
purpose?
Obviously in the closing hours of the
campaign but one practical use could be
made of it, and that to swell the fund
already accumulated to secure beyond per-
adventure the large floating vote builded up
by years of effort to corrupt the electorate
by means of money contributed by those
who were willing to buy favors from those
willing to sell them.
This, then, Is the source of the flood OF
corporation evils that have come upon
us, and for it our unfaithful pubic stewards
are most to blame. Had they been true
to their respective trusts the injuries from
which We suffer could not have come
to
In no instance that we have yet heard
| of did the corporation press its money on
the politician or the party organization. In
all instances it was requested. and in
many of them under such circumstances
as to constitute the request a demand.
The foremost duty of the hour then is to
shut off forever this corruptng flood.
Imprisonment for Contributions.
1t cannot be accomplished by fines which
If imposed will be paid out of the cor
poration treasury. 1t can be done If the
punishment for violation Of law be the i'm
prisonment of the corporation officials. Such
statute Congress has not passed, nor will
1t unless the people demand it.
To that end such effort Is being made
and should be taken up by the press Of the
entire country. and pushed with vigor until
the Congress shall enact a statute forbid
ding. under penalty of imprisonment cor
porate contributions toward the election of
a President or member of the Congress and
also until every state shall forbid under
like penalty Its corporations from contrib
utng money for any political purpose
When that is done the past should be