Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-10-21
PERKINS DECLARES THAT PENROSE
should BE MADE TO APOLOGIZE
FOR STATEMENTS Regarding HIM

/ this convention that statement, per
haps ought to be placed at the top be,
cause it is the largest. l am in
hopes that Senator Penrose win be
here today He made that statement
on the floor Of the senate and he
ought to be required to prove it, or,
as o gentleman, he ought to take il
back. There is not a scintilla OF
truth in 1t from A to o."
Just a minute interrupted Chair
man Clapp. "all that is necessary is
that you deny it. All that the com
mittee can do is to determine the
proof or the absence of proof"
Mr., Perkins was not to be stopped.
He continued: 4 want to know
where | stand. | want to know wheth-
er can be charged with these things
on the floor of the United States SEN
ate and not be given an opportunity TO
disprove them"
He insisted that Mr.. Penlos should
be brought before the committee anu
say whether his charge was mere
hot air" Taking up accusations by
Chairman Hilles that the Internation-
al Harvester company had made large
contributions to the Roosevelt cam
paign, Mr.. Perkins declared with heat:
This is an absolute falsehood made
out of the whole cloth and if Mr.
Hilles has any reason to believe that
contributions have been made by the
Harvester company he owes it to me
and to others to have the books of
the company audited for the purpose
of proving or disproving the accusa-
tions"
Mr.. Perkins contended that it
would be easy to prove what had been
contributed to the campaign fund
from the treasury Of the Harvester
company. He said yanas ne was 1
member of the board of directors OF
that company and chairman of the
finance committee and knew that not
a cent Of the company funds had been
given to aid Colonel Roosevelt.
Mr.. Perkins gave his contributions
to the Roosevelt pss-convention fund
as follows to New York state com
mittee, $4,000; E. H. Hooker, for the
national fund, $22,5eJ; to the Wash
ington bureau, s82,5oo; for pollsy ETC.,
in New York and Brooklyn, $4,000;
sent to other states, $4,000; to Il.
w. Sims, $4,000.
This statement is absolutely com
plete," said Mr. Perkins My total
contributions were $l22,5OO."
MIR. Perkins declared that he urged
publicity of campaign contributions
in the Hanna campaigns and the 1904
campaign, but without much result.
He produced memoranda showing
that in the convention OF 1908 he urg-
ed Chairman Hitchcock of the repub-
lican national committee to make
public the campaign contributions
and expenditures before election.
Il kept no memorandum, said Mr..
Perkins. Il only know from the ac-
counts of the people to whom | gave
money, how much l gave. Why didn't
you ask member of your own party
for a memorandum? You didn't ask
Mr.. Ryan to account -or his $450OOO.
Il am not here to be lectured, in
terrupted Senator Pomerene.
Mr. Perkins arose from his chair
and shouted Il know what you are
here for. all right, just as well as
know what I'm here for
The senator and Mr.. Perkins en-
gagged in a heated exchange while
Pomerene tried to find out just how
much Perkins gave TO or collected
for the 1904 fund, Senator Painter
asked about the suit against the
Harvester trust Mr.. Perkins said
he personally had asked President
Roosevelt to withhold the suit while
the bureau of corporations was inv
yestigating. He SAID ne told Herbert
Knox Smith, commissioner OF cor
porations, that if the suit were be-
gun we would fight"
President Roosevelt" Perkins
said, ordered the suit delayed until
the investigation was complete. Mr..
Perkins said that when he said he
would fight" he meant the suit would
be fought in the courts
If that suit had been brought
would you be supportnf Colonel
Roosevelt now?" asked senator
Pomerene.
There you go again, said Mr.. Per-
kins. q cant answer suDposition.