Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-03
DR.. E. L. Scharf of This City
Denounced on House Floor
BY JOHNSON OF KENTUCKY
Speaker Says He offered to Deliver
Catholic Vote for Pay.
APPROACHED OTHER MEMBERS
Used Name of Knights of Columbus,
It Is Said, in Offering Help,
to congressman.

Dr. E. L. Scharf of this city was de-
tive Ben Johnson of Kentucky. chair
man of the District of Columbia COM
mittee in the next House. on the floor
of that body today. Mr.. Johnson made
a bitter verbal assault on DR.. Scharf.
warning his colleagues against the lat
ter. who, he said. had made a practice
of obtaining money from members of
Congress, just before election, of the
pretense that he could deliver to them
the Catholic vote in their districts
through the knights of Columbus.
Mr.. Johnson, who is Catholic and a
member of the order. seemed particularly
bitter against Scharf for claiming that
he could deliver the vote of the order.
Failed to Make Good, It Is Said.
1t was said this afternoon that several
ye~rs ago Scllarf had been employed by
the republican congressional campaign
committee ito deliver the Catholic vote
to republican candidates in the various
close districts, But his services were later
dispensed with, according to former
chairman of the republican congressional
committee, because Scharf did not make
good"
The charges against Scharf We're made
by Mr. Johnson in connection with the
bill to change the name of Messmore
place to Mozart place, which had been
called up by Chairman Smith of the Dis
trict committee, just few moments
previously.
"Reserving the right to object to this
measure" said Mr.. Johnson. Il wish to
make statement that 1 feel every man
in this House is entitled to hear. Finally,
i shall not interpose any objection to the
passage OF this bill. But i desire to say
that it has been lobbied for by man
whom every member Of this House ought
to know something about. That man is
named E. L. Scharf.
Got Note From DR.. Scharf.
When l came to Congress four years
ago 1 got a very mysterious note from
this man, asking~me to call at his place
and see him, at 900 14th street / went
and when / got there he asked me if
would be a candidate for reelection to
Congress. 1 told him that I would. He
then told me he had discovered there were
1900 Catholic votes in my district.
HE then made proposition to me that
for consideration he would deliver those
1000 Catholic votes to me. In that con-
nection he also said that he was knight
of Columbus, and through that organiza-
ton he could surely and certainly deliver
those votes.
''Mr. Speaker, i wish to say that I am
proud of being both a Catholic and a
knight of Columbus, and l know this
man cannot do anything of this kind.
Il furthermore know that there are
several members this floor to whom
he has made the same proposition, and
1 have been informed that he has OBJ
tanned money from members of this
House upon the pretext that he could de-
liver to them the Catholic votes in their
districts and the votes of the Knights of
Columbus in the United States for a
monetary consideration
DR.. Scharf is remembered here as
president of the Anti-food Trust League,
which was organized by him year or
two ago, with the avowed intention of
bringing the beef trust to terms by a
nationwide popular boycott Of meat
and meat products for food, for a GER
tain period of time.
Efforts by reporters for The Star to
locate DR.. Scharf at his home, his office
and at the Capitol today were unsuc-
cessful. At his home it was said that
he had gone to the Capitol.