Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-08
CAT LET OUT OF BAG
Stephenson Says La Toilette
Asked Him for $25O,OOO.
ROLE OF HANNA FOR HIM
He Could Not See It, But Gave Up
$2,000-Cause of Rupture
Between Senators.

MILWAUKEE. January S.-The suit OF
ex-Assemblyman Herman j.. Ekern
against Assemblyman Albert T. Twesme
on account of matters growing out of the
campaign OF 1903 brought out some start
ling statements when the deposition OF
Senator Isaac Stephenson was taken yes
terday.
The reason Senator La Toilette and
Senator Isaac Stephenson came to a part
ing Of the ways was that the latter re-
fused to pony up a quarter of a million
dollars for a presidential campaign for
Senator La Toilette. Such was the state
ment of Senator Stephenson.
$3.50, 900 Demanded, $4,000 Paid.
From Senator Stephenson's testimony,
given at times with evident reluctance.
II appeared that after he had been asked
to sweeten the campaign pot with $50.
COO the demand was lowered TO $4,000.
and finally the La Toilette men were glad
to take two checks for $1,000 each.
Senator Stephenson testified that Sir.
Ekern and Mr.. Dahl came to Marinette
and asked him to contribute to the La
Toilette presidential campaign fund. The
senator refused to invest so heavily and
after a lengthy discussion, in which he
he gave them a check for 81 COO.
When he was in Washington Mr.. Ekern.
he said, came to the Shoreham Hotel.
where he was staying. and opened an
other line OF argument, the burden of
which was that he ought to help along
the Progressive" cause, of which Sena-
tor La Toilette was the leader, by a con-
tributiOn of $500
All that Stephenson would agree to do
was, to pay the expense of headquarters
han thn LNn1 ko IN
cago to the national convention. On this
Mr.. Ekern. 1t was said. engaged thirty
rooms in the Stafford Hotel. The hotel
people, however, insisted on a bond for
$500. and the bond was forwarded to
Washington for Senator Stephenson S
Senator Stephenson said he refused to
sign II, but later sent the La Toilette
committee a check for $1,000. This COM
pleted his contributions to the presi-
dental campaign of the senior senator.
What Caused the Break.
Mr.. Stephenson said the first signs of
GOODNESS came when he suggested that in
stead of trying to pass more laws they
see that those already on the statute
books were enforced
The real cause of the break, he said.
was his refusal TO contribute $4,000 to
La Follette's presidential campaign fund
He said further that he had a stack OF
letters from Senator La Toilette and his
followers which would in time be pub
lished and would show up some people In
a far different light from that in which
they had posed.
At the conclusion of the examination
Mr.. Ekern. white with rage, turned to
60, and as he did said:
You are an old man. senator, but you
have done a great injustice to Senator
La Toilette this afternoon
Il may be an old man. replied Ste
phenson. but / am not SO old that l do
not know what / am saying"
It was intimated by those in attend
ance. though not brought out in the ex-
animation. that the chief argument used
in the attempt to raise the $250.OO0 for
the campaign was a hint that Stephen
son might be the Mark Hanna of the La
Toilette administration in case the latter
was elected: but Mr.. Stephenson had been
measuring men as well as logs for too
many years to be taken in by this argu-
ment.