The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-18

the Standard Oil company contributed $l00.090 to the republican rnnd that year. Mir Cortelyou said the question had been brought to his attention by letters and teleerams from President Roosevelt in the last days of the campaign of 1904. When he spoke to Treasurer Bliss about 1t the latter had said there had been no such contributions.
 T told the President at the time just what MT, Bliss told me-" said Mir. Cor talyou.
 He said that he never had asked J. P. Morgan for any contribution for any purpose. Cortelyou said he knew little of the so-called Hartman fund but Insisted it was raised entirely for the New York state committee. He denied that early in the 1904 cam paign he had promised B. R. Odell, Jr., S500,000 for the state campaign. Cor tolyou denied he had ordered the 1904 books destroyed or that any gathering or committee of New York financiers was formed to underwrite the repub lican campaign. He disagreed with George R. Sheldon's estimate that 7S per cont of the 1904 republican fund was coGtrbuted by corporations and declared the bulk of the fund was given by large individual contributors cortelyou defended his conduct Of the 1904 campaign and replied vigor- OuSiN tO CIllltlSn Ol HIS appointment as chairman after his service as sec rt tary of commerce and labor with su- pervision of the bureau of corporations President Roosevelt was not active in the management of the 1904 campaign according to Mir. Cortelyou.
 Defends His Methods Cortelyou said he knew nothing of Morgan, of Hartman. or Prick, or Standard oil, or of General Electric contributions to the campaign fund until after the election. He said when he asked Treasurer Bliss about Stan- dard oil contribution he referred only ;o the company and not individuals identified with It.
 Bliss said simply that he had re- ceived no contribution from the Stan dard Oil company" he said "I have a vague recollection one time Bliss said something to the effect that he raised TO question as to contributions by in- dividuals. Bliss after the campaign gave out the impression that con tribution had been received from II. II. Rogers"
 Cortelyou said he believed the Rogers contribution to which he referred was the same as appears In the record as one of sl0o.000 given by John D. Archbold for the Standard oil company. Witness said that he did not consider President Roose- velts letter directing that no Standard oil contribution be received had any re- ation to individuals connected with the company.
 Wrote Letter to Hartman
 Questioned by Senator Paynter. MT. Corteyou said he wrote the letter placed in the record inviting E. II. Hartman to become a member of an 'auxiliary cam paign committee, He said the letter had been written to about 100 republicans and related 10 q purely honorary" com mittee. Senator Paynter wanted to know why the letter enjoined secrecy, as committee was not 10 be made public" If it was an honorary committee MT. Cortelyou did not explain.
 Senator Pomerene questioned Mir corte- you as to charges of Alton B. Parker as to the collection of the republican fund in 1904. in which MT Cortelyous expert merce and labor and the bureau of cor porations was touched upon The wit- ness said he considered Mir. Parker charged him personally with "blacSmail."
 Mir. Cortelyou said he had no records of the 1904 fund and he did not know whether such records are in existence. He said MT. Bliss told him he had de- stroyed some of the books.
 Senator Pomerene asked about Mr. Cor telyou's activity as Secretary of the Treasury during the 1907 panic The wit ness said he deposited $36000.O00 in gov erument funds in 9 or 30 national banks fin New York city during four days of the panic. Under the law he said nothing was collected on these deposits.