The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01
THE CLOSING. DAYS.
Desperate Efforts of Republicans To Raise Money And Traduee Mir.
 RPvnm

Raise sToney And Traduee MT.
 Bryan.
 Chicago. Oct. s1-In their anxiety to create an immense slush fund for corruption purposes on the day of election. Republican campaign man agers are assessing corporations in defiuance of the law. i as ff
 The Democratic National Committee has been given copy of letter that is being sent to corporations under the direction of Chairman Hitchcock and the members of the Republican National Executive Committee. It Is the. boldest attempt at "hold-up" in the Presidential contest and indicates the desperate character of campaign that the Republican party Is waging.
 The letter in question, which is writ ten on the stationery of the RepubiI-' can National Committee was forward ed to the Chicago Telephone Supply Company at Elkhart, Indiana. The Indiana concern resented this charac- ter of hat passing in a stinging re- ply. a copy of the letter seeking cor poration contributions in violation of the Federal law, which is being dis tributed by the Republican National Committee is given herewith:
 "You want Mir. Taft elected and you want Mir. sherman elected. You are a public spirited and patriotic citizen est of our country that they should succeed. You also know that they should succeed. You also know that they cannot be elected without an or ganization whose purpose 1t Is to get them every vote that Is available and that 1t takes money to get halls and speakers, maintain headquarters, print literature, pay railroad fare for speak CTS. anJ buy postage stamps. etc We have not received your contribution. Won't you please send 1t promptly and be as liberal as you can? Our task ss large and everyone must lift all he can"
 Herewith is the answer to the above letter, which Is signed by the President of the Chicago Telephone Supply com pany:
 .Replying to your letter of the 2sth inst. since we are competitive manu- lecturers and do not encounter the tariff at any point that 1t does not i'm ture us. we are, for selfish reasons, opposed to the success of your can didates. There are other reasons why we are anxious for Democrauc success, but think perhaps Repubii- can mind is more capable of appreclat- ing selfish motives than any otheF kind"
 All kind of false stores have been circulated in this campaign against Mir Bryan. The Hearst papers took the initiative declaring that the Demo- cratic Campaign Committee had in- herited $300.000 from the old commit tee. Despite emphatic denials from Chairman Mack in all the press as- sociationB, President Roosevelt repeat cd the Hearst islander and has never made correction of his error. though specifically requested to do so. Then there Is the deliberate fa1sehood which attributed to Mr. Bryan the remark that union labor men are "a lot of beg gars." On an equality with this canard Is the story that MT. Bryan charged the Catholic Women's League of Chicago an excessive sum for his lecture. "The Prince of Peace" The injustice of this last charge prompted the officials of the league to give pub lie denial through the Chicago press of this widely circulated story. Volun- tarily and without solicitation, Mrs. T. J. Webb, the treasurer of the Catholic women's League has brought to Chair man Mack's attention this denial of this false story, which is given here with.
 Report has been circulated. am in- formed, in many Catholic centers in the limited States to the effect that MT. William Jennings Bryan came to Chicago early last spring and de- livered his celebrated lecture entitled
 'sThe Prince of Peace" under the l auspices of the Catholic women League of this city, which osgahi]A A., | tion was at the time engaged In q special effort to raise large sum TOT | inc benefit of the Day Nurseries sup norted bv it, and which are located Tn | the three sub divisions of the ctty' ano this report goes on to say that on tna' occasion Mir. Bryan charged our league | a sum largely in excess of his ordinary | charge for the lecture. on account ol l The great success of the occasion. Tnt sttention of some of the officers of the l league was called to this report yes l teTday. and the President, Mrs. George
 P. Vosbrink, 5047 Grand Boulevard | and the Chairman of the Press Com nnittee. Mrs. Charles Trainor, 9Ob E | 72nd Street, requested me as treasur' | CT of the fund being raised upon tne | occasion referred to. to state the facts connected with the transaction as | matter of Justice to MT. Bryan.
 l "As treasurer of the fund raised or 1 the occasion referred to. I am entire 1 ly familiar with the facts, The Tee, 1 ture was a very successful event. ane | Inc amount raised for the fund 1T l question was $3.300. MT. Bryan maat q special journey from New York ct; | expressly to keep the appointment. anG at the close of the meeting. intorheo | the Committee having the lecture 1T l charge that he desired to donate hi'
 services to the philanthropy in the m, terest of which the meeting was held 1 He even refused to accept the amour off his travelling expenses from New York to Chicago and return. Th' ladies of the league were so Impressed
 with Mir. Bryan's generosity in tni'
 roatter and appreciated so highly thu
 vaIuahle service which he thus render
 ed to the object which they had II
 view, that at the next meeting follow ing the lecture the executive board
 unanimously directed the secretary t'
 communicates with MT. Bryan and t'
 express the grateful appreciation Of tht
 league for the service thus senerousi'