The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-18
HITCHCOCK TELLS . OF TAFT'S EXPENSES Says Committee Refused
 Contribution of Dupont NEARLY TWO MILLION President Taft's Election Cost s1,655,-
NEARLY TWO MILLION
President Taft's Election Cost S1, ,655,- 5lS.27-Promises to Secure Rec ords for Committee-Sheehan
 Will Testify Today

 subject of inquiry today by the Sem ate committee Investigating the polit- fca1 war chests of that campaign and that of Alton B. Parker four years be- fore
 Postmaster General Hitchcock. chair man of the republican national com mittee in 1908, told the senators no contribution was accepted from any corporation and that the committee had declined s20,O00 from T. Coleman Du- pont because the government was then attacking the powder trust and besides Congress had forbidden corporation contribution.
 Cost Million and Half
 The total of the republican fund was s1,655.518.27. MT. Hitchcock said. and he reminded the senators that those figures were disclosed in the report filed at Albany in conformity with the laws of New York. Charles F. Taft the Presidents brother; Lars Ander- son, mbassador to Belgium; Whitelaw Reid. ambassador to Great Britain; An drew Carnegie Frank Munsey and oth- CTS were among contributors whom Mir Hitchcock names
 Neither the tobacco trust nor any of it's stockholders that MT. Hitchcock knew of contributed.
 Some stockholders of the Steel cor poration and some of the International Harvester company, among the latter George w Perkins, gave to the fund. Chairman Clapp announced he might want to consult the books of the com lnittee and question MT Hitchcock again about the connection of con- tributors with corporations.
 MT. Hitchcock told the commit tee that the records of the funds as filed in Albany, N. T., were absolutely correct and that he could not supple ment these reports by testimony.
 MT Hitchcock said that of the total collected $620,150 was secured in vari- ous states and handled by the local staso committees. The latter sum never was turned into the treasury of the republican national committee although that committee kept account of it.
 Will Furnish Records
 MT. Hitchcock promised 10 furnish the investigatisg committee with copies of the financial records of the campaign.
 No contribution was received from cor porations said MT, Hitchcock, because Congress had just passed law prohihit- ing it. He told of the only contribution he could remember having rejected.
 It was offered by Gen T. Coleman Du- pont of Delaware, then member of the republican executive committee, actively assisting in the management of the canl- paign and amounted to S20,Gl0
 He turned it over to the treasurer, George K. Sheldon," began MT. Hitchcock. far@ Dupont and told him that did not think we could accept it because the govern ment had a civil suit against corpora tion in which he was interested. l in structed the treasurer to return it and he did so.''
 Senator Paynter asked if this contribu- tion was not then given to some other fund.
 MT Hitchcock replied General Dupont declared he felt he was not doing his part and asked if he could not give the money in some way. MT. Hitchcock said he had replied in the negative.
 T am positive he did not contribute it to any other fund" he added, because l have talked with General Dupont about it since the campaign. He said that when the fund was returned he considered he had given 1t to a cause and placed it on special deposit"
 Tt may come in handy remarked Sem ator Oliver aside
 "Is he Roosevelt man?" injured Senator Paynter.
 The question was unanswered. MT. Hitchcock insisted that with the excep- ton of about %, all the contributions were below 5000.
 We figured that the more persons we could get to invest, the more interest they would take in the success of the venture" explained the former chairman.
 "Friends" Came Forward
 Before the system of collecting money bv finance committees organized in each state was put into operation, Mir. Hitch cock said: "Fortunately friends of the party came forward with large contribu- tions."
 During the examination MT. Hitchcock remembered that a number of banks con tributed 5000 each and that they might have been interested in corporations, but he thought at any rate that was a small contribution for them.
 Yes" responded Mir Hitchcock. My object in appointing the chairmen of these state finance committees was to super intend the collection O. runds and to re- uuire the state committees to report to the national committee"
 Did the tobacco trust contributor in- ouired Senator Paynter.
 "No. sir"
 Amy of it's stockholders?
 Not to my knowledge I am not espe- cially familiar with the stockholders. I know by name those chiefly interested and do not have any knowledge of such contributions being received.'
 Steel Corporation Men Contributed Any from stockholders of the Steel corporation?'
 T believe some of the men have men tioned as contributing at the opening Of the campaign are interested in it. I think MT. Frank Munsey is"
 And MI. cochran?" suggested Senator Oliver.
 Yes. sir.
 Senator Paynter asked MT. Hitchcock if he was acquainted with any of the stockholders ot the International Har- vester company He said he knew the McCormicks, Frank Munsey George Per- kins and Clarence s. Funk.
 Did MT. Perkins contribute?' asked the senator.
 T do not think so.''
 Did the McCormicks?"
 "Not that l remember. They would oe more likely to contribute to your party sir
 When asked if Mir Funk contributed or if he had requested him to do so MT Hitchcock replied that he had never talked with any officer of any corpora ton about contributions during the cam paisn.
 Tomorrow William F. Sheehan of the democratic national executive committee in 1904 will testify.