East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-08-23
One Was 100000, Paid to Cornelius
N. Bliss; Other $4,000 Paid to
Senator PenroSe.
SURE ROOSEVELT KNEW
Money Was Paid In Currency, says
WItness-Declares That Bliss Said
lie Would Tell Roosevelt That
Money Was From standard OIL
Dcnounces Attacks of T. X.

Washington. Aug. 23.-That Col.
Roosevelt attempted political extor-
ton on the Standard Oil company
during his second administration be-
cause it failed to follow up the al
legged s125,OOO contribution with
second and larger one in the compalgn
of 1904. was the substance of the tes-
timony given the senate campaign
contribution committee here today by
John ID. Archbold, president of the
standard Oil company Archbold's
denunciation of Roosevelt was ex-
tremely bitter, he openly asserting
that Roosevelt's attacks were direct
ly responsible for the death of Henry
II. Rogers and Henry Tilford, two oil
the directors.
Washington. Aug. 23.-John ID.
Archbold, president OF the standard
Oil company, was witness before the
senate committee today, which is in
vestigating campaign contributions
"I made two contributions to the
committee in charge of the 1904 cam
paign." estified Archbold. one
was 500. 900 to Treasurer Cornelius
n. Bliss of New York, now dead, ana
the other OF S25.OOO TO Senator PEN
rose. 1t was in September. l gave
Bliss the money in my office. 1t was
currency. Bliss sent me a receipt
but I am not able to find it,
Archbold promised Senator Clapp,
who questioned him, that he would
try to produce the -eceipt.
Archbold was asked directly by
Clam If he sent Penrose check Tor
S25 600. Archbold said, NO. ! thlhk
the money was paid in currency
Right here I wish to state that no
such letters as have been published
purportlng to have passed between
Penrose and myself exist. The ma
ture of the signature attached to the
published letters makes them suspic-
ious.'
On Republican Side.
Archbold said he told Bliss that he
and his associates were on the repuo-
lican side and wanted to help' out
didn't want to make contribution
unless 1t was thoroughly understood
and appreciated by Roosevelt. Arch
bold testified that Bliss said. smiling'
you need not entertain any appre-
hension on that scale ,
Archbold said the Standard oll
company was determined that It's
interests were on the republican side
and concluded to contribute SlZo'-
600. one hundred thousand went to
Bliss and $4,000 to Penrose. Arch-
bold said he told Bliss he wanted
Roosevelt to know the contribution
came from the Standard Oil. Accord
ing to Archbold, Bliss said: II VIII
most certainly tell Roosevelt
Bliss Told Roosevelt.
"I considered Bliss truthful
man" said Archbold, land had no
reason to doubt his statement that ne
had taken up the matter with hoose-
welt. Later | was satisfied he had. l
told Bliss we could not contribute
more money. He said he thought we
we're making serious mistake ad-
ding speaking personally, 1 ADVISE
Won to make a contribution. You VIII
be making a mistake of you don't.
Referring to Roosevelts attacks on
Standard Oil Archbold said: ut is
in shape now to be written up ahu
some day it will be, this unjust at
tack. James K. Garfield, then secre-
tarv of the interior, and Herbert Knox
smith. chief of the bureau of corpora
tions. were puppets to jump wher
Roosevelt pulled the string. We,
mean Rockefeller. Rogers and the
rest of us, were subjected to humili
alton here and abroad. Darkest Afrl
ca never saw anything like the pn
Just persecution waged on the stan
dard Oil by the Roosevelt admins
tration. Nothing like 1t was ever seei
before In the history of the nation.
Archbold said that Bliss asked hin
for a second contribution, saying tina
Roosevelt appreciated what had beel
done and would like $150,0OO more. l
was decided to give no more. Arch
bold said he never heard that Roose
welt objected to the first contributio
till the last few days. Archbold sal
that after Roosevelt's first attack o
the Standard Oil he and Rogers wen
to Bliss's office, Bliss telling them h
thought Roosevelts attack was un
Just, but he could do nothing. Her
the witness bitterly denounced Roose
welt for what he termed ingratitud
and unjustness.
Bliss" said Archbold, told me h
had no influence over Roosevelt Bills
was not the man to say I told yo