Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-25
SAYS CORRUPTION
FUND STORY LIBEL
Democratic Committee De-
nounCeS Letter of Republican
Press Bureau as SIander
ALL MEMBERS ARE INDIGNANT
Mr.. French Is Dared to Make
Specific Charge of His Un-
iuStifiable CaIumny

Democratic state central committee,
and M. f. Tarpey, chairman of the
| finance committee of the state Democ-
racy, both Of whom arrived in Los
! Angeles yesterday from San Fran
cisco, were highly indignant at the
action of the Republican state central
committee in sending broadcast
! through the state letter and news"
| item charging that an enormous cor
ruption fund of several hundred thou
sand dollars" has been raised in San
! Francisco, implying that the Demo-
! cratic party has raised this money for
| the purpose of accomplishing the de-
| feat of Hiram w. Johnson"
Mr.. Murray, Mr.. Tarpey and Albert
| M. Norton, chairman of the county
| central committee, late yesterday
afternoon issued the following signed
! statement:
"Our attention has been called to
| the following letter which has been
| sent out by II. A. French of the pub
| licity bureau of the Republican state
| central committee to all OF the editors
| of newspapers in California. This
| letter we denounce as a base infa-
| nous. libelous and uncalled for attack
on the honor and principles of the
| Democratic party of California;
/ party that every fair-minded Repub-
/ lican must admit has been fighting
corruption and pernicious politics in
California for more than thirty years.
Following is the letter of which we
make complaint:
sLANDEROUS LETTER
To Editors: 1t has come to the
knowledge of friends of Mr.. Johnson
from a confidential source that
cannot be doubted that a fund of
several hundred thousand dollars
has been collected in this city,
among those most interested in
securing his defeat, to be used in
q campaign OF outrageous Villflca-
tion and denunciatory abuse. and
for corrupt use to which it can be
put to prevent his election.
To minimize the effect of the use
of this fund it is of the greatest
Importance that the public be
warned through the press OF its
existence and its purpose, 1t is
urged with the utmost earnestness
that you publish the enclosed item
in your columns and give it as
much prominence as possible in the
matter of headlines and favorable
location. Very truly yours,
H. A. FRENCH,
Publicity Bureau.
"Mr French states in the foregoing
| letter that it has come to the knoWl-
confidential source that Ncannot be
doubted that this fund has been raised.
1.-THE people of California should de-
mand that the source of this startling
information be revealed. There ought
| to be, and there can be, nothing con-
| fidentiaP when the characters of men
are assailed in this unprecedented
manner. We dare Mr.. French or any
member of the Republican party to
m a lYn oh l1xy
clearly so that if not true it will come
within the law. As couched, no man,
no party and no set of men are ac-
cused, but by inference-by the lowest
form of innuendo-the Democracy of
California is accused of utilizing funds
of the Southern Pacific.
AN UNJUsTIFIABLE LIE
1.-THE charge that a corruption fund
has been raised, with of without our
knowledge or within the Democratic
party, or any of its affiliated organ
izations, is a revolving calumny, base
and unjustifiable lie without the slight
est shadow of foundation.
"AS the Democracy of California is
the most interested in securing Mr..
Bells election, hence in securing Mr..
Johnson's defeat, the charge embodied
in this slanderous letter conveys the
inference that this corruption fund has
been raised by the friends of Mr.. Bell.
If there exists in California a corrup-
tion fund of any size, to be used to
defeat Mr.. Johnson, we are positive the
standard bearer Of Democracy, nor the
officers of the party, nor any of the
rank and file are aware Of it. Not one
dollar has been raised in any other
than the usual and legitimate manner.
Our campaign fund, which is small and
barely sufficient with which to carry
on the fight, has been raised by popular
subscription. Not one dollar-has come
from the Southern Pacific or any other
corporation directly or indirectly
within our knowledge. We demand that
Mr.. French PROVE his charges. We
want him to prove them Immediately.
It is a gross injustice and an insult to
the intelligence of the citizens of Cali
fornia to make such a far-reachiDg
charge without substantiating 1t with
at least some semblance of fact-with-
out producing some proof to justify the
assertion. Mr.. French and the Re-
publican central committee know that
it is a preposterous lie. 1t is the swan
song-promulgated as an eleVenth-hour
bomb by which 1t is intended to turn
the victory for Mr.. Johnson. 1t con-
vinces us that the Republicans are
desperate and that their new leaders
are prepared to resort to any calumny
to prevent the election of Mr.. Bell.
-. f. MURRAY,
''M. f. TARPEY,
| Democratic State Central Commit
teemen,"