The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-05

the committee that year?9 witness was
 asked.
 .;And Cornelius Bliss treasurer?'' asked I Mir Clapp.
 Yes"
 senator clapp asked witness If his at
 tention had been called to certain state rnarts ,,ade bv John D. Archbold. "Tt has" Colonel Roosevelt tersely an- swered.
 senator Clapp asked witness what he knew about the sArchbold contribution at the time 1t was said to have been made. Witness asked permission to include in his answer the letter he sent to Chair
 man Clapp already published, denying
 that he knew of any Standard Oil con tribution to the 1904 fund at the time it was rendered. This was granted. Tn the first place. he said ''since was elected governor of New York about 14 years ago, I have written and signed about 100, 600 letters, so it Is not possible in minute to remember all the letters have written on any given subject. Since I wrote my recent letter 10 Sen | ator Clapp I have two other letters bear l Ing on the subject of campaign oontri- | buttons in my desk One was to Cornell | jus N. Bliss in 1906, which understand
 was recently given to your committee, |
 R. Sheldon in 1908. These will answer
 the purpose
 Letters Placed on Record
 Witness found the letter he sought. This he handed to Senator clapp, who had ] 1t placed in the record as an exhibit. At the chairman's request witness read the letter dated September 21, 1908, addressed to George R. Sheldon. Sheldon was treas urer of the national republican committee. It was in part
 'l 'T am informed that you or some per
 son on behalf of the national commit tee has been soliciting contributions from
 corporations, particularly John D. Arch : bold and the Standard Oil company. If this is true l wish to enter a vigorous l protest and say that not only should ' such contributions be refused but that if made that it should be immediately l returned.'
 The letter set forth that four years
 ago MT. Cortelyou refused all contribu- tions from corporations which were be- , ing prosecuted or were likely to be prose-
 cuted and that Colonel Roosevelt wished tbe same course pursued in the 1908 cam
 paign
 Witness read also the letter of Oc- tober 26, 1904, to Chairman George B. Cortelyou. in which he directed that If any money had been contributed by the standard oil company or John D. Arch
 bold 1t should be returned at once. This letter. witness said, had been referred
 to, and quoted in part, in his recent let ter to Senator Clapp.
 | 'It was an emphatic declaration to MT. Corteyou that we could not under any condition accept a contribution that ! might be construed as placing us under an obligation to business" witness as-
 serted
 Witness said he had likewise found on October 27. 1904. he had sent an extra telegram to Chicago, addressed to George
 B. Cortelyou, only recently found It
 was sent from Oyster Bay, he said. and
 referred to the demand of the return
 of the Standard oil contribution. Wit
 ness offered the committee the originals of all letters sent to Chairman Cortelyou.
 Mr. Clapp had these placed on record. wen take your word for the rest
 of these things" said the inauisitor, as
 MT. Roosevelt resumed his seat. About Hartman Fund Now, in regard to the Hartman fund?'
 Mr Clapp asked.
 Witness said he wanted to explain the charges in categorical order. The chair
 man acquiesced.
 .'There is no testimony against me ex- cept in the form of hearsay evidence, Colonel Roosevelt said. "hearsay state
 ments of dead men,"
 MT. Archbold and Mir. Penrose pur- port to give statements of what MT. Bliss had to say MT. Bliss is dead" the wit
 ness said MT. Odell and the other gen tlemen refer to statements made by Mr. Hartman who is dead.
 May I speak of letter published in Hearst's magazine from Congressman | Sibley?' witness asked. l He resumed
 oIt is a letter which in essence
 states that Sibley came to speak to
 me about seeing MT Archbold and l said I would be delighted to see him l and asked MT. Sibley to bring MT 7 Archbold to lunch. I do not remember : ever talking to Mir. Sibley about that l matter but it is very possible I may l have done so. Any invitation that : may have extended was the result of . request by Mir. Sibley. l always saw ' any men brought to me by repre- ' sentative or n senator. While l was Q President if any man. trust magnatc
 socialist, lawyer or clergyman had any s business with me which was fair and . square and wanted to sec me l gladly : saw him. If there was anything to be n gained from the standpoint of the pub $ lie service in seeing any man ther
 without waiting for him to ask. would send for him. If I am elected
 President a year hence, if MT. Rocke- = feller or anyone else wants to see me | t | anything to ask for the public serv- s ice from MT. Rockefeller. j. P. Nor , gan or anyone else, I'll not hesitate ! Sent for Hill Colonel Roosevelt declared during i, his administration he had sent for ]
 lJ Hill, the railroad magnate. "I think
 I sent for ]. P. Morgan" he said, 70, i at least l saw Mt. Morgan in regard |, to currency questions. At this mo r ment some of the same newspapers tha , are carrying comments on the supposed : fact that l sent for MT, Archbold con {, tained details of certain things alread, explained. claiming l sent for MT U Rruiere. socialist. to aid me draw u . my platform
 As to Mir Bruiere they were right , witness added, and continuing said; , If there is any one man l think r, can obtain valuable information from ' I'll send for him. l have sent for trus T magnates and prize fighters. l hay ~ sent for John l.. Sullivan. Battling Mel a son and Lyman Abbott and other prom
 inent educators"
 Y Did you really send for Sullivan? o asked Paynter T thought he was :. has been.' and l didn't know you wer Y in that class
 As to Sullivan and few others
 think they came to see me volun
 tarily," witness said. Sullivan was IS big fellow, you know. They had publi <. policy questions to look into.'' n Laughter here interrupted the pro 1t ceedings
 e We thought perhaps you had al