Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-23
A POLITICAL QUESTION.

Just as an evidence that all the
animosity stirred up by the present
presidential campaign is not confined
to the republican ranks alone, the Du-
buque Telegraph-Herald (democratic)
comes forth mistakenly demanding
"where the money being spent in
Champ Clarks campaign in Iowa is
coming from?" The Dubuque paper
says the source of the money being
expended In behalf of Wilson in Iowa
10 given in sworn statements by Will
sons Iowa managers. "Of the Clark
fund.-" the Telegraph-Herald says, how
ever, 1--WE know nothing, the Clark
managers refusing absolutely to tell
where and in what amounts they are
getting their revenue and how they
are spending it." These are things,
the Dubuque paper insists, the demo
Gratis have right to- know. They have
right to know, it says. who is put
ting up the money for the politicians
sands of dollars expended in postage
interest. Continuing the Telegraph
Herald, says:
Are much the same interests at
work here in behalf of the speaker
that are behind him elsewhere? Man.
aging his campaign is ex-senator Du-
bois Of Idaho, who has appeared before
the legislatures of this country in be-
half Of bills in which the wool trust
has been interested, for many years.
Then there is Pettigrew, of South
Dakota, who slipped into the demo
cratic party by the kitchen window
and who, regardless of politics, always
Is found in the vicinage Of the pantry.
Pettigrew has been the right hand
man of James J. Hill for years and
has been his representative in many
legislative matters. He is we'll known
IN Washington as the lobbyist of the
Indian claims.
In Missouri sone Of the men most
active in Clark's support is Harry
Halves, of st. Louis, the active agent
of what is known as the big Cinch,,"
which is small group of men con-
trolling the banking and public serv-
ice interests in st. Louis, Brecken-
ridge Jones, president of the Missis-
sippi Valley Trust Co., Is one of the
Clark managers. The report is that he
and Judge Henry 8. Priest raised the
campaign fund. The Mississippi VAL
ley Trust Co., Is the fiscal agent in
Missouri Of J.. Pierpont Morgan & Co.
The chairman of the board of directors
of the trust company is chairman of
the Terminal Railway association of
st. Louis. J. Pierpont Morgan owns
$50, 100000 Of bonds in the terminal
company. Judge Priest of st. Louis
is attorney for the Public Service cor
poration and the United Railways and
Electric Light & Power Co., in st.
Louis. These companies are in turn
owned by the North American Co., of
New York, which is owned by Morgan.
Judge Priest is on the Clark CAM
paign committee. He was also at
torney for the Standard Oil Co., in the
custer suits brought by the United
States government. -
For the sake Of Speaker Clark, let
us assume that he does not know any
thing about the financial connections
Of his supporters. But it would be
folly not to take account of these facts
in speculation of where the support Of
Clark supporters will go when it
leaves him. "
Iowa democrats have no call to sup.
port movement which is covered up,
or campaign management which
takes the position that the source Of
its funds, and the manner of their
expenditure, is not for democrats to
know. .as W.