The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-05
Contributions Received
From Corporations

Continued from First Page)
Senator Clapp asked Col. Roosevelt
If his attention had been called to GER
tain statements made by John D.
Archbold.
1T has" replied Col. Roosevelt
tersely.
Senator Clapp asked the colonel
what he knew about the Archbold
contribution at the time it was said
to have been made.
The colonel asked permission to in
clude in his answer the letter he sent
to Chairman Clapp. already published.
denying that he knew Of any Standard
Oil contribution to the 1904 campaign
at the time it was made.
In the first place, gentlemen" he
said, since I was elected governor of
New York, about fourteen years ago,
I have written and signed about a
hundred thousand letters, SO 1t Is not
possible at once to recall all the let
ters l have written on any given sub
ject.
Since l wrote my recent letter to
Senator Clapp, l have found two other
letters bearing on the subject of cam
paign contributions. One was to Cor
nelius n. Bliss in 1905, which I UNI
derstood was recently given to your
committee: the other letter written
to George r. Sheldon in 1909
The colonel found the letter he
sought and handed it to Senator
Clapp, who had it placed 'in the rec
ord as an exhibit. At the chairman's
request. Col. Roosevelt read the letter
dated September q, 1908, and ad-
Irrr
ureg of the Republican national COM
mittec. 1t was practically as follows:
ORDERED MONEY RETURNED.
Il am informed that you or some
one on behalf Of the national commit
tee has been soliciting contributions
from corporations, particularly John
y. ArcAbold and the Standard Oil
Company If this is true 1 wish to
enter a vigorous protest and say thas
not only should such contribution be
refused, but that If made. that It
should be Immediately returned"
The letter set forth that -four years
ago Mr.. Cortelyou refused all contri-
buttons" from corporations which were
being prosecuted or were likely to be
prosecuted, and that Col. Roosevelt
wished the same course followed in
the 1908 campaign.
Col Roosevelt read also the letter
of October 26, 1904. to Chairman
George B. Cortelyou, in which he di-
rected that if any money had been
contributed by the Standard Oil Com
pany or John D. Archbold, it should
be returned at once, This letter, he
said. had been referred to and partly
quoted in his recent letter to Senator
CIapp. It was an emphatic declara-
ton to Mr.. Cortelyou that we cannot
under any circumstances afford to
take 2 contribution that might be con
strued as placing us under an obliga-
ton
Col. Roosevelt said he had also
found that on October 27. 1904, he had
sent an extra telegram to Chairman
George B, Cortelyou, which he had
only recently found. It was sent from
oyster Bay and referred to his letter
TO Mr. Cortelyou, dena nding return Of
the Standard Oil contribution.
OFFERED THE ORIGINALS.
Col. Roosevelt offered the committee
the originals Of all the letters he had
sent TO Chairman Clapp or had read
into the record.
Wen take your word for that"
said Senator Oliver as the colonel re-
turned to the witness chair and testi-
fed that he knew of no other letters
bearing on the subject.
Nov, in regard to the Hartman
fund" began Senator Clapp.
Col. Roosevelt asked to explain the
charges that have been made in
regular order. Senator Clapp acqui-
esced.
There is no testimony against me
except in the form Of hearsay evil
dence," the colonel said, "hearsay
statements Of men that are dead.
Mr.. Archbold and Mr.. Penrose pur-
port to give statements Of what Mr..
Bliss had to say; Mr.. Bliss is dead.
Mr.. ODel and the other gentlemen
refer to statements made by Mr.. Har-
riman, who is dead"
May I speak of a letter published
in Hearst's magazine from Congress
man Sibley?" asked the colonel, and
then went on, 1T is a letter which in
substance states that Sibley came to
sneak to me about seeing Mr. Arch
bold, and said I would be delighted
to see him and asked Mr.. Sibley TO
bring Mr.. Archbold to lunch. I don't
remember ever having talked to Mr..
Sibley about that matter. but 1t is
very possible I may have done so.
Any invitation that I may have ex-
tended was the result Of a request by
Mr.. Sibley. always saw any men
brought to me by a representative or
q senator.
While I was president If any man,
trust magnate, Socialist, lawyer or
clerg yman had any business with me
and wanted to see me, l gladly saw
him. And. If I thought there was