The Washington herald., 1908-01-15
HITS At PRESIDENT
Fitzgerald Recalls His Let
ter to Il. H. Hartman.
COMES UP IN THE HOUSE
Discussion ns TO Campaign Funds
Arises While Committee of the
whole II Discussing Penal Code
Bill - Cochran Offers Amendment
that PreclDitates Long Argument.

Some routine business having been die
posed Of the House of Representatives.
IN Committee of the Whole yesterday
proceeded O. The further consideration Of
the bin codifyng the criminal laws Of
the United States
Until the committee reached the section
punish.ns the contribution Of corporate
funds TO campaign funds. passed by tra
last Congress, proceedings were per
functory and l.stless.
Efforts were made by Hardy Dem
Tex and KimbaU Dem. XVI to so
amend this section as TO make it apply
10 election OF State legislators who might
participate In the election OF United
States Senators. and 10 add the words
''or any other thing Of value TO the
phrase relating to bribery at elections.
but they failed
Starts Long Discussion.
Mr.. Cochran CDem.. y. " then pre-
Cipt;ated a two hours discussion upon the
general subject Of corruption al eIec-
tions, upon the merits Of the pending
measure. and upon the pr0priety and NIr-
tue of the plan OF proceedings
Hc moved 20 amend by making the pun
'ishment for an officer Of a corporation
violating the laws fine of $1,000 and inn
prisonment for five years, instead OF the
alternative Imprisonment for one year and
"a fine Of $1,000 To retain the penalty in
its present form. he said. was 10 reduce
the prevention Of bribery and corruption
at elections to the level Of the opera
bouffe
Mr. Williams Dem. Miss1. Mr. De Ar
mond tDem.. Mo- and Mr.. Gaines Dem..
Tenn supported the amendment. and 10
these Hr Payne (Rep., \. y replied.
repeating his appeal Of q few days ago.
that the pending measure be considered
and disposed Of for what it was-a cOdi-
fication OF existing criminal laws. When
the rule for its consideration was re-
ported. the charge was made that the
bill was intended 20 be used only as a
buffer TO prevent undesirable legisla-
tive propositions from getting a hearing.
Fitzgerald az "A LoA.
Mr.. Fitzgerald Dem. \. Y)-'T have
been somewhat at loss to determine
whether my colleague favors or opposes
the pending amendment.
His speech seemed 10 be a protest
against the delivery Of buncombe speeches
in the consideration Of the pending bill.
But it would require q careful search Of
some dictionary. of which I have no
knowledge, 10 find a word which would
otherwise describe his remarks Oaugh-
ter
He reiterated that the purpose in bring
ing the bill before the House was TO pre-
vent a discussion of real live questions
affecting the American people, which
might embarrass the Republicans. and
continued:
When the House considered the bill
prohibiting political contributions by cor
pOratOns it had not at that time learned
of the peculiar relations that existed be-
tween the President of the United States
and a very distinguished railroading mag
nate in the preceding election
Might Have Been Careful.
HAD it that information. had it known
that the President had written to Mr..
Hartman that he and Mr.. Hartman
We're practical men, and that perhaps
1t would be inadvisable, Immediately be
fore a Presidential election. for AIr. Har-
riman to call at the White House and
confer with the President. because of the
effect 1t might have on the coming cleo
tion, the Congress might have devised
some more stringent provision to pre-
vent these contributions. And it is not
improper to remark, gentlemen on that
side of the House. that before the last
Congressional election members of Con-
gress on this side advocated the passage
Of a bill prohibiting corporate contribu-
tions 10 campaigns and the press of the
country demanded that the President
urge this House to pass that bill. which
had already been passed by the other
House; 1t being a bill to prevent the
abuses IN the last Congressional cam
paign that had existed in the others
The President carefully withheld his
very vigorous request to the Congress
until the session Of Congress Immediately
succeeding the last Congressional cleo
tional." iApplaise)
After further debate Mr. Cockran's
motion was defeated, 50 to Y, The same
fate awaited a motion of Mr.. De Ar
mond's to make the penalties Of the sec
ton minimum instead Of maximum. ana
one of Mr. James. of Kentucky. to in
clude corporations engaged in interstate
commerce among those prohibited from
making campaign contributions
Having disposed of this subject. the
r0YDO1tffea roco and @ha FTo,,~.