The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-07-15
A $50, 900 MYSTERY.

~ 0pPC0IS uu0V q lCOOG o. 40" lCNAAS
ing q public statement of the receipts
and expenditures of campaign funds
Is a matter which Mr.. Bryan and his
friends will attempt to present as an
important political issue at this time.
A measure of that kind al passed in
the house of representatives at the re-
cent session of congress, one Of It's
provisions also contemplating fair
elections in the southern states, and
this feature of the bill caused the dem
ocratic members of the sen ate to block
it's passage through that body.
There is . state publicity law in ef.
feet in Nebraska, Mr.. Brysn's home
state, but according to the New York
World it has been violated by Mr..
Bryan and his friends. The World
tells this interesting story:
In 1904 the democratic national com.
mittee had q very modest campaign
fund, as recent campaign funds go.
The spirit was willing, but az alert
and vigilant republican organization
~ the corporations fret.
In October Of that year, when the
demand for funds ia most urgent, T.
S. Allen to New York. Mr..
Allen is Bryan's brother-in.law and
Is chairman of the Nebraska demo-
cratic state committee. Mr.. Allen
wants money for the state campaign,
James C. Dahlman. the national COM
mitteeman, having already written to
William F. Sheehan that there is no
chance whatever to carry Mr.. Bryan's
state for Judge Parker.
Strangely enough, MIR. Allen gets
the money. Thomas F. Ryan, who
has already been the heaviest contrib.
utor to the national campaign fund,
sends down 5000 more in currency
in order that Mr.. Bryan's brother.in-
law and Mr.. Dahlman may elect q
fusion state ticket and q fusion legis.
lature in Nebraska. The national
committee Is hard pressed for funds.
It cannot obtain the money It wants
to carry On the Parker campaign, but
it a give up at least 5000 OF
Ryan's money for local politics in
Nebraska.
Nobody knows how this money was
spent, except that the editor Of one
populist paper in Nebraska admits
having received s 5000 of it for q spe-
cial edition Of his newspaper. As for
the rest, the manner of expenditure re-
mains q mystery, no report having
been made, as the election laws of Ne
braska provide.
Mr.. Sheehan, in his letter to Mr.
Bryan, says the action was ~
perfectly legitimate one on both Sides
We do not doubt it. The fact tina
Hon. "Blue-Eyed Billy" Sheehan l
involved in the matter must be con
'vincing proof to anybody familia
with his political record that 1t wa
ga perfectly legitimate transaction
But certain things remain to be CLEARED
up.
How did Thomas r. Ryan come t
have such an intense interest In tn
success of q fusion ticket in Nebrask
that he was willing to contribute $40,
600 to help it along? Why did MI
Allen and MIR. Dahlman forget to re
port the receipt and expenditure c
the money to the state authorities
How does it happen that Mr.. Brya
is not in the least shocked by this vic
lation OF the publicity laws OF his ow
, state and has said nothing abor
forcing a detailed account of the e!
penditures?
The World is willing to accept tt
word Of Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Sheeha
that it was q virtuous and uprigl
transaction, but it is still puzzled
understood how Mr.. Bryan's politics
managers found it so easy to get Rys
money for local purposes when 9TH
state managers found it 30 hard.