The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-10-01
Made a Personal Question


You attempt to make a personal
question of it and ask whether any
one will accuse such men as you,
Gov. Hughes and Mr.. Taft of being in
fiuenced by contributions. That is not
the question. If it is found that a
party to a suit has given a sum of
money to one of the jurors, the court
does not stop to inquire whether or
not the juror is an incOrruptible man
or whether in accepting the money he
explicitly stated that il was accepted
with the understanding that he was
under no obligations TO consider it in
making up his verdict. The court
would hold that the giving of money
by an interested party or the receiving
of money was a contempt of court
and an interference with the admin
| istration of justice. Public officials
occupy much the same position as
jurors. They are constantly called
upon to decide questions between the
vor-seeking corporations on the one
hand and the people on the other and
there is a very general impression that
officials of these favor seeking cor
porationS do not put up large sums
of money from purely patriotic mo-
tiveS. Mr.. Havemeyer testified before
senate committee some years ago
that the sugar trust made it business
TO contribute TO campaign funds and
that it was its custom to give to ito
party in power in the state. / do not
mean TO say that Mr.. Hughes was
influenced by the contributions made
to him by the trust magnates whose
names were given in the after election
report do not mean to say that you
We're Influenced by the contributions
collected by Mr.. Hartman. neither do
| IN that Mr. Taft will hp
influenced by the contributions that
are being made TO his fund by the
trust magnates; but l do mean to say
that the American people have
right to know what contributions are
being made, that they may judge for
themselves the motive of the givers
and the obligation imposed upon those
who receive
Let the People Judge
THE reflection upon the people in
vOlved in your charge that they would
misuse the knowledge, which publicity
would give, is unworthy of one who
has been elevated TO so high an office
by the votes of the people and l ven
ture the assertion that you can not
procure from Mr.. Taft an endorsement
of your defense. He is now before the
people: he is offering himself as
candidate for the presidency: he dareS
not tell the people to whom he ap-
| peals that they have not sense enough
| to form a just and correct opinion as
to the purpose which leads parties in
terested in special legislation to make
! big contributions. You fear that We
| would misrepTesent the motives of
those who are contributing to the Re.
! publican campaign fund. and cast an
unjust suspicion upon Republican cam
! didates if the names and amounts
Wer made known before the election.
Your argument. if sound, would pre-
vent publication after the election,
| for why should an unjust suspicion be
| cast upon officials after the election
/ any more than before? Does not the
| secrecy before the election increase
| this suspicion? We are going to give
/ YOU an opportunity TO miSrepresent
! the motives OF those who give to our
campaign fund and to arouse all the
suspicion you can; I'VE are going 10
/ prove to the people that we are max
I ing a fight for the whole people and
/ not for those who have been enjoying
| privileges and favors at the hands Of
| the honest sentiment of the country
Will rebuke the party whose conyen-
| ton refused toe ndorse any kind of
/ publicity and whose candidates are
not willing that the people should
| know until after the polls are closed
| what predatory interests have been
| active in support Of the Republican
| party. With great resDect etc