The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-31
RYAN MADE GIFT
OF $4,000
Believed That Nebraskan Was a
Dark Cloud and Had Already
Lost Past Campaigns-Mor-
gam Former Partner Elk
plains His Gifts.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Special

WASHINGTON, ID. C., Special
IhOs.'s.s n OrIune hyan was Ine
first witness to testify when the
Clapp committee convened today.
Mr.. Ryan declared that although
he Was unalterabiy opposed to
Alton IL. Parker a. candidate
OF the Democratic party i'm 1901,
and favored the nomination of
the late Arthur Pue German. of
Maryland, he contributed nearly
half a million dollars To keep the
Democratic campaign from col
lapsing.
Before Chairman CIapp asked
him about his activities in 1904
the multi-milIionaire told the
committee he was engaged i'm
agricultural pursuits i'm Virginia
and then volunteered "a statement
OF his connection with the 1904
campaign.
II went to- ST. Louis" he said.
''as a delegate from Virginia i'm
1904. Judge Parker was can
didatc for the presidency at that
time and his friends sought To
enlist me i'm his campaign. But
i opposed his nomination, being
i'm favor of Senator German.
Judge Parker was nominated i'm
st. Louis, but 1 took no part i'm
aiding his nomination and fur
niShed him with no campaign
funds.
''After the committees were or
ganized i'm New York I made the
national party a contribution of
$4,000. Later 1 contributed to
the national party small sums uD
TO 100000. Toward the end of
the campaign members of the
national committee came to me
when IL was perfectly apparent
that Judge Parker could not be
elected and told me that the cam
paign would collapse unless they
had financial aid.
I'm the interests of the Demo-
cratic party, just ut the close of
the campaign, so that the party
workers through the country who
were trying to keep the party to-
gcther would have the aid they
thought necessary. I contributed
about $35O,00O and paid the debts
of the committee, SO that at the
end of the campaign there wCre
no outstanding obligations"
OPPOSED TO BRYAN.
BY Senator Clapp:
q. How much of your cOntri-
button came from you personally?
n. Every dollar / gave was my
own. / didn't get n cent from n
corporation or anyone else.
Ryan added that he might have
contributed to congressional cam
paigns, but he didn't remember
any specific gifts.
q. Do you know OF any cOntri-
buttons i'm 1904 or 1908 other than
your own?
\. 1 do not.
In answer 10 n general question
by Senator Clapp concerning Dem
ocratic conditions during the pres
ent year the New York financier
said:
when L came back from Eu-
rope in 1911 i was sure that the
Democratic chances Of success i'm
1912 were brighter than i'm any
previous campaign. i was posi-
tive that any good Democrat, eN-
ccpt Mr.. Bryan. could be elected.
MIR. Bryan had been defeated
three times. 1 regarded him as the
only cloud i'm the Democratic
Sky. was "a lifelong friend of
Governor Harmon. and, rs L pre-
ViOuSly testified, 1 gave between
$4,000 and $4,000 TO his CAM
paign fund. Senator Bankhead
also approached me i'm behalf of
Representative Underwood. As
nc was a SOuthcrnci-. L naturally
wished To see him nominated. and
i contributed in the ncighborhOod
OF $4,000 to that end. L never
had any reward for these or any
other political gifts, nor did L
ever hope for any,
senator POmcrcn caused some
merriment when he asked the
witness what part of his 1904
contribution had been made after
he was sure Judge Parker could
not be elected. Ryan replied: II
concluded that Judge Parker
could not be elected before he
was nominated. Therefore, all
gave was subsequent to that con-
cIusion. 1t was given for the
good of the Democratic party"
Mr.. Ryan was then excused.
PERKINS y WITNESS.
Put me down aS retired
nottingham" said George w.
Perkins 10 the official Stenogra-
phcr on taking the stand.
AT present / am spending
about eighteen hours a day TO put
through an eight-houT law"
What do YOU know of the
1904 campaign" asked Chair
man CIapp.
Il feel SO insignificant where
contributions are concerned after
listening 10 Mr.. Ryan'S testimony,
that L don't know whether L ann
going TO be interesting"
Perkins then told the commit
tee that in 1904 he WAS n menu
ber of the firm of y. Il. Morgan
AZ Co. and was also connected
with the New York Life Insur-
ance Company and served under
treasurer Bliss on the RepubIi-
can national committees.
BY Senator Clapp:
.. There has been some evil
dencc with reference to meetings
in New York during 1904 of GER
tain business men to determine
what candidate they would sup
port. What do you know about
that?
y. L have no recollection of
any such meetings. and the first
L heard of il was when judge
Parker made the charge.
witness said he contributed
somewhere between $4,000 and
$4,000 in 1901, and that he be-
hcved j. l.. Morgan contributed
$15O,OOO.
.. What other contributions
do YOU know of that wear?
n. The only one 1 know of is
the one made by the New York
Life.
~ 40 gai