The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-08-23
CORTELyOU ACCEPTED
FULL RESPONSIBILITY
Told Senator's He Was Sure I'm
proper Contributions Were
Not Made.
HIS SIDE OF CAMPAIGN
Insisted 1t Was Clean and Said
He Never Visited Wall
Street.

lie never NlSlteu Null
Street.
George p. Cortelyou refused yesterday
to make a public statement concerning
the disclosures by Senator Boies Pen
rose at Washington on Wednesday on
the ground that his testimony before
the Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections on July II contains every
thing that his memory retains con-
cern!ng the subjects under discussion
Mr.. Cortelyou believes that his full
testimony before the Senate committee
in July contains passages that have
never been printed In the published
extracts OF his testimony and that this
heretofore unpublished testimony is q
complete answer to charges from any
source.
Friends OF Mr.. Cortelyou who under
stand his position say that he has
cleared up for them the testimony by
witnesses who followed him before the
Senate committee as well as certain
allegations by Senator Penrose. Mr.
Cortelyou has explained to them fea
lures OF the campaign Of 1904 about
which he was not questioned, as well
as other points Of his testimony not
heretofore brought out. Mr. Cortelyou
has said that while the collection of
contributions In no way came under
his supervision. or within his knowl-
edge except when certain occurrences
of no special consequence at the time
brought them within his knowledge,
he is willing to take full responsibility
since Cornelius n. Bliss, the treasurer
Is dead. and can make no reply to
certain statements that have been made
Cortelyou's Attitude.
This concluding passage OF his testi-
mony before the Senate committee is
held to be a full explanation OF Mr..
Cortelyou's attitude:
The treasurer OF the National Com
mittee during the time that was at
the head of the committee was Cornelius
y. Bliss. He had been treasurer OF the
National Committee for several terms.
He was man Of the highest social and
business standing. He had been men,
her of the Cabinet. in the position of
Secretary OF the Interior, a man who
had the absolute confidence and respect
OF all his associates
II do not believe for one minute
that Mr.. Bliss would have sanctioned at
any time 0nlings OF a character that
could not have seen the light OF day II
II were proper and necessary that thew
should.
Vl,tf
Yer In the position Of treasurer, and in
'he hurried activities of great national
campaign. the proper organization IN
uicated that he be allowed to do the
work OF his department, and that the
heaus OF the other great departments
CHOSEN lot similar reasons. should be lef,
20 90 and have responsibility for and
supervision over those great depart
inehts' the chairman himself having
charse OF the large question OF policy
general policy: the allotments of the
more important speakers.
Inc very great and engrossinS work
OF mapping out the organization
throughout the country. such an or
eahlHation as we conducted. which
reached Into every village and hamlet
Win a multitude Of details. wouId
ieaNe him no time TO take up the do.
taiIs' and | refer more particularly n
the general divisions OF the work a.
organized under these more important
heads.
Accepted ResponsibiIity.
But as 10 Mr.. Bliss or the members
or my executive committee, or any
other OF the higher officials, | want II 10
ne distinctly understood that as far
as mat campaign was concerned ac-
cept gladly full and complete respon-
sibility."
The following Is said to be an ac.
curate statement OF Mr.. Cortelyou',
attitude on recent DEVELOPMENTS.
Throughout the entire campairn of
1904 he worked under tremendous pres-
sure FOR never before nor since did
the work of the chairman of the Ma
'lohai committee make more demands
upon him. IL was only by dismissIng
from his mind at the end Of each day
the many things that came TO his at
tent!on that day that he was able to
obtain any sleep or rest, and then the
usual amount he received was two or
three hours. Since the events of the
campaign occurred he has been Post
master-General. Secretary Of the Treas
ury. was through two panics and has
been In business over three years. 1t
Is scarcely within reason that he could
call to mind at this time any par
ticular event that occurred on a GER
tain day at that time. In his testimony
he merely gave his recollectlons TO
the best Of his ability,
In view of certain statements that
rave been made. however. he Is con-
fident that Incidents which have been
told by others. could not have occurred,
because they are out OF the realm of
reasonable probability. While Gsv.
Odell has testified that before the col
lection Of the campaign funds began
Mr.. Cortelyou had promised him $780,
600 for the New York State campaign
alone, Mr. Corteyou at that time
didn't know that the National Com
mittee would have half a million for
the entire county, and as It turned
out the committee gave only S7o0,0OO
to all the States.
Never Went to Wall Street.
Statements have been mada 70 N.