The Washington times., 1912-10-11
THE REMARKABLE TESTIMONY OF
Mr.. HILLES.


must needs summon q deal Of mendacty to its sup
port. Accepting that hypothesis, and then contem-
plating the remarkable testimony Of Mr.. Hies about
campaign funds, the mystery about why Hilles was
made national chairman is instantly cleared. Mr..
Hilles Is the man for the occasion.
Several days ago Hilles put out the unsupported
statement that from two millions to three millions
Of dollars we're spent in the fight for Rooseves nom
nation. This was so outrageous an exaggeration SO
indecent q perversion, that Mr.. Hilles was marked
for grilling and a humiliation from the time he
gave it the publicity that II could not possibly have
commanded but for his position as head Of the Taft
organization.
Yesterday Hilles was before the Clapp CON-
mitee and his effort to justify his charges proved
even feeble than could have been expected. II
was hardly beevable that man in his station would
have promulgated such wild statements without any
evidence whatever Yet when he came to testify, it
developed that he had facts whatever to sustain
himself, except those that the Clapp committee has
adduced and the better part Of those facts had not
been brought out in the hearings at the time Hilles
made his accusation
Hes had charged that special interests had put
up two or three millions to nominate Roosevelt.
When he came to testify, he reduced his figure to a
pitful fraction of the amount first named. To reach
this, even, he had to indulge extreme exaggeration
What he charged was in effect that there had been
raised for Roosevelt sum just about equal to that
which Charles P. Taft admitted spending in the pre-
convention campaign Of this year and the post-con-
| vention campaign OF 1908.
Now, those expenditures of Charles P. Taft did
not include his gifts to the pre-convention fight Of
1908 and the posconventon fight Of this year, which
probably bulked even more than the items which he
admitted. Therefore it is probable that when
complete accounting Of Charles p Tafts gifts to his
| ol q,
IL it is, there will be grand total Of over
million dollars and probably nearer million and
a half.
For Roosevelt to use less than one-third Of this
constitutes in the Hes purview 4 scandal; for Taft
to three times the amount charged against Roose
vet is laudable and praiseworthy!
The public's attention has been riveted on two
revelations Of this inquiry. One is the gross use Of
Taft family money to buy Presidency for the fam.
lily; the other is the cynical confession by the Stan
dard Oils president that he has long been financing,
with vast sums an influential group of people in pub
lie lfe EVERY ONE OF WHOM IS TODAY OP-
POSING ROOSEVELT.
From the Standard Oil Golfers the yellow food
fairly poured out to politicians who we're the con-
sistent, persistent enemies Of Roosevelt. Foraker
was notoriousy the leading Republican opponent Of
Roosevelt throughout the latter's Administration.
Archbold identified payments of $4,000 to Foraker;
for legal services" he said. Well who could better
perform valuable Legal services than q lawmaker
Il Sibey is revealed anew as sycophantic messen-
ger boy for Archbold, doing his errands and writing
that IF there is anything more can do, let me
know" Sibley got his generous slices. Grosvenor,
chief figure in the Cannon coterie Of rulers Of the
House under the old ring regime, got his" There
always was suspicion Of it, He was so bitter, 60
malicious so violent in his service OF privilege that
nothing less could reasonably have accounted for his
subserviency.
4 Penrose was another of the precious beneHcaries
Of the Archbold gratuites Go on through the list
t and without exception it is made up Of men who
hated and fought Roosevelt, who now supporting
5 Taft to the limit of their power.
S That is what this inquiry thus far has shown. II
will show it with more and more emphasis as ii gets
farther into the facts That is the essence Of the
whole business. The interests that have alway:
been accustomed to get what they wanted in public
e affairs by paying for it were always opposed te
Roosevelt and his policies they are today lined ur
solidly for Taft
Consider for moment what must have been the
contributions to Taft in the various phases of hi
campaignings, from the Lumber rrust from the
Alaska syndicate to which he tried to donate the
Il treasure house Of Alaska; from the railroads, fo
which he tried desperately to get the interstate com
d merce laws emasculated, and for which he DID ge
# the Commerce Court created; from the tariff pets II
Il whose behalf he defended the Payne BILL securet
e the reciprocity legislation and vetoed all other re
Il vision measures from the trusts that have beef
& busted" into vast increases Of their wealth ans
power under the Taft Administration II Is perfect,
s plain that the Presidency has been used to serv,
these interests Achbod has confessed to the methos
Of payment, by the interests, for favors received