The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-05
COLONEL ROOSEVELT DEFENDS HIMSELF
 BEFORE COMMITTEE
fcontinued From Page One)

cupied a seat at his left. The forfne President turned repeatedly to ask MI Loeb for facts and records and at thu and of his testimony Mir Loeb himself took the stand to corroborate statements Colonel Roosevelt had made
 Laughter Is Frequent
 Expressions that brought laughter wlth committee members and spectators ln- terspersed the colonels remarks through out fhe dav. Once he said: "I have act nallv sent for while l was President fr11st rnagnates. labor leaders, sociailsts' Tohn l.. Sullivan. Battling Nelson, = there was a pause-and pr. Lyman Ap- bolt" .,
 +o tbe nropriety of his sending for E. 1J TTarrirnau in 1904 10 discuss matters of legislation or campaign anairs.
 If am elected President he added, ..,f Mir Rockefeller or anyone else wants fo see me. I'll see him
 Aoain when Senator Pomerene asked if some corporations did not expect returns for their contributions, Colonel Roosevelt declared emphatically:
 "As 6 practical man of high ideals who has always endeavored to put his high ideals into practice. think any mar who would believe that he would get any consideration by making any contribution to ne was either a crook or fool.' And when the crowded committee roou was swept with burst of applause tht witness turned around and cried.
 'Stop that please.s
 Asked whether the so-called "coal trust had contributed to his campaigns, he re piled: My dear sir, after the revela tons that have been made here, l woul' not be surprise at anyone having con tributed." He had said previously he Ina no idea that MT. Morgan had contribute fo his 1904 campaign until the financie testified yesterday.
 Refers to Primary Campaign
 The only reference to the use O money in the progressive campaign th wear was brought in by Colonel Roose welt himself with denial that Ormsb' McHarg had improperly used funds il securing southern delegates and de mand that Charles D. Ifilles republican Bartholdt of MissouJf be summoned bl the committee befause of statement attributed to them that the 'progres sives had expe2ded ss'OOO'ooo in thu T saw the e[dlnerent gentlemen wh, h said, land I explained with the utmos explicitness to them that l woul' not tolerate any effort of any kind be ing mede by the of money or tn offer Of patronage or the offer of an, cOnSAeratlon whatever, 10 get d deie ss sz btion. Ioa me 0' any A'A'' sort 'i '' Ifl letter dated March ,. 1912 iron fmsby McHarg. presented to the com Ihittee by Colonel Roosevelt, Mir Me x5Iarg, who handled contest cases fo NColonel Roosevelt at the Chicago con vention, declared that mo reputable man in the United States can face m, and unblushingly say that l made : promise of patronage, or money, ol made any sort of an improper offer t' influence him 10 secure delegates fol you or do anything else of politica character for you"
 Colonel Roosevelt insisted that tn, committee should summon at once rep resentatives of all other candidates ant should immediately force MT. Hille' and MT Bartholdt to account for thei statements
 T suggest very strongly" he said that those gentlemen be brought i'm mediately before the committee and re quired to make their statments good l draw very little distinction betweeI the iniquity of breaking the eighth an, breaking the ninth commandments Thou shalt not steal is one, and 'Tho' shalt not bear false witness agains thy neighbor is the other, and any mai . who breaks either commandment il guilty of infamy.
 Demands Proof
 If MT. Hilles and Mir Bartholdt cal prove their assertion l want to knov it. If they can't they should not onl, he required to apologize but they shoul both of them immediately be drive out of public life. That kind of state ment is an infamy unless it s abso lutely based on fact. 1t is their dut to make the accusation. if they kno' 1t to be true and it is infamy to mak it if they don't know it to be trude.
 T want to call your attention to thi fact" Colonel Roosevelt said at the out set of the hearing. that there is no tes timony against me except in the forr of hearsay evidence, hearsay statement of men who are dead" "
 He took up in succession what he terme the different charges made.''
 As to the Archbold-Standard oil cor tribution of $l00,00o, Colonel Roosevelt sai he knew nothing of it except the repoi that reached him just before he wrote hi letter to Chairman George B. Cortelyo, October 26, 1904, instructing him to accel no such contribution or to return it if had been accepted He said he had bee informed repeatedly that no contributio had been made.
 Cortelyou told me that" he added "and Mr. Bliss told MT. Loeb that, an only the other day Cortelyou informe again that he had been informed b MT Bliss that no such contribution ha been fecelNtu.
 The colonel said he knew nothing c $10o.000 contributions by j. P Morga LOT George J. Gould until Mir. Morga snd George R. Sheldon testified befor M the committee yesterday. He knew H. Prick had contributed heavily, he sait and was ready to contribute again if had been desired. Colonel Roosevelt sal he had never denied that corporation \ gave to the 1904 campaign fund. At ths " time he declared 1t was not considered in 4 proper for them to contribute. He ha made rule for the national committe however, he added, that no such contribl E tion should be received from any sour, if it carried with it an implied dire' promise or return or favor from the as ninistration.
 Roosevelt Takes the Stand
 Colonel Roosevelt took the witne chair before the committee at 10:o5 o'eloc Applause greeted the ex-President wht he entered the room. The witness wei first to Senator Clapp,s private oft and met members of the investigatir committed Colonel Roosevelt learn, that Governor Hadley of Missouri had d clared in favor of President Taft. I offered no comment on the reputed actio The spectators cheered lustily as the co onel entered the room. secretary fo lowed him lugging valise with oodl N of paper in it.. The ex-President thu 7 took the stands
 'You were candidate for President the year 1so4?'r senator Clapp asked