The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-18
BELMONT CITES SUPREME COURT
TO PUT TEDDY IN ANANIAS CLUB

WASHINGTON, January PERRY
Belmont, once member of Congress
from New York and the originator and
chief prepayment of the law for the pub
LEGATION of campaign contributions, has
produced a decision of the United
States Supreme Court. which makes all
the noisy discussion between Colonel
Roosevelt and George r. Sheldon
about the Hartman campaign contri-
button seem aat, stale and unproft-
able.
Politicians wondered when Sheldon
/ first gave out the correspondence be-
tween himself and Theodore Roosevelt
in the matter of the famous 100000
campaign fund raised by e. II. Harri-
man in the 1904 campaign What
earthly good can it do?" was the uni
versal question The original charge
made by Judge Parker was the most
serious brought against a presidential
candidate since the time of Blaine
w hOoeGNSlN NPS'OSJ'
/ Roosevelt answered merely by the
lie direct, without giving the slightest
evidence in support OF his denial.
Judge Parker had made his charge too
late in the campaign to AFFECT it's re-
suit and the matter would have been
put in the political lumber room had
not the revelations of the Hughes in
surance inquiry and the famous letter
Of Hartman to Sidney Webster shown
that Judge Parker had told the literal
truth
Some people thought at that time
that Roosevelt might explain away his
earlier rage by protesting his lgnor-
ance of the contribution and accom-
panying his statement with an apology
to Judge Parker, whom he had labeled
Ia liar, when in fact the judge spoke
the truth.
But that was not the Roosevelt way.
He let the matter sink into quiescence.
There it would have remained had not
Sheldon met the colonel on a train,
as Sheldon says, or in a club, as Roose-
welt says, and reopened the question.
Now that Roosevelt and Sheldon are
2 sharply contradicting each other on
8 the question as o which one wanted
the letters published. politicians are
puzzled as to why either wanted them
published, and the ranks of the Anau,
las Club are daily recruited, as the re-
suit of proclamations from Oyster Bay.
understanding Is Sufficient"
The. question of fact raised during
the 1904 campaign never has been set
tied" says Belmont THE Democratic
leaders charged that the Republican
national committee had received con
tributions from corporations. This vas
not denied Roosevelt and his allies
only pleaded that no promises or
agreements had been made on account
of the contributions. OF course not.
The understanding was quite sufficient
without formal promises. The story Of
Tennessee Coal and Iron shows that.
Still, leaving the question of fact
e undenied, Colonel Roosevelt and Mr..
Sheldon now declare that the money
raised by e. II. Hartman in 1904 was
given not to the national committee
but to the state committee; that 1t
was used to aid the election of Gov
ernor Higgins, not that of President
Roosevelt. From a political point Of
view that is merely begging the ques'
ton. In a general election the state
and national tickets help each other
But in setting aside this plea of Roose'
welt and Sheldon as merely trivial
have something more than ordinary
political opinion upon which to go
Quotes Supreme Court.
In the Seibold Ease the Supreme
Court had to pass upon this question
of the identity of national and state
elections when held on the same day
This language of the court leaves NJ
doubt as to its intent:
1T is a misleading refinement tC
say that there are two elections ma
- tional and state held at the sam
time 1t is one election for the con
duct of which the two sovereigntie
= have a common concern, though inter
. ested in several results. Once con
cede that an Indictment for bribery, Il
/, order to be good under the fedora
statute, must charge an attempt to al
feet the congressional election, an
10 the speedy result will be not less bril-
. cry in respect to that election, bu
=. more likely large increase. contrive
N and conducted in such a way as
70 prevent proof of it's real purpose b
pretense Of different purposes.
mo Defense to Lawbreaking."
In other words, the Hartman GO
d. tribuuon, whether made for the pu
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