The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-07-12
|. R. WOULDN' I
ACCEPT FUNDS
From TRUSTS
coRTELYou SAYS FUND RAISED
IN YEAR 1904 WAS ALL CLEAN
MONEY.
COMBINES WERE REFUSED
.Ex.cHAIRMAN TELLS OF HAND.
ING $4,000 BACK TO MAN WHO
DESIRED FAvoRs.

A total OF $1.9OO.OOO was raised by
the Republican National committee in
1904 for Theodore ROosevelt's cam.
paign, according to George B. Cor.
telyou, then chairman OF that com.
mittee. who testified yesterday before
the Senate Campaign Contributions
committee. The chairman did not
follow the old method of obtaining a
campaign fund.
Mr. Cortelyou testified that at the
beginning of the campaign he had
laid down general rules as to con.
tributions and was not concerned
with detailed contributions except in
rare cases as the campaign pro.
gressed.
Tells o. Tarndown.
One of the rules was that there
should be no promise or pledge at.
tached to contributions, he said.
Mr. Cortelyou told of one contribu.
tion rejected under that rule.
"A wealthy man came to headquar.
tiers he said, with an offer to contrib.
ute something like $4,000 or 5000.
As he was not connected with any big
business We were glad to get 1t. How.
ever, in turning 1t over, he remarked
that he hoped that he might be con.
sidered some time for diplomatic
lost, and In that event that he would
have the good will OF the chairman
Of the committee. | told him that he
had probably been mIsinformed as to
low those things were done, and,
while | did not want him to misunder.
stand. that We could not accept the
contribution"
Ever hear Of any contribution from
the Beef Trust?'" inquired CHAIRMAN
Clapp.
81 never did" ,,..aIs
Senator Clapp went down through
list OF trusts" and came 10 the To.
bacco Trust. 4# aa
tr .5 Ban on Trusts.
y remember distinctly that tie 10.
bacco Trust did not contribute" de.
c!ared Mr.. Cortelyou. about that
time the Treasury Department made
ruling as to tobacco imports.
Shortly afterwards some tobacco
people came In with a contribution.
| issued orders that no contributions
were TO be received either from to.
bacco combinations or independents
! didn't think 1t proper
who was the party?" asked Sen.
ator Lea.
81 do not recall" 10
The contribution. Mr.. Cortelyoti
thought. was approximately $40, 900 or
100000.
Chairman Clapp ASKED Mr.. Cortel.
you about a contribution from the
late Edward Hartman. Mr.. Cortel.
you said he heard n contribution was
made, but this was at the close OF the
campaign. while he was at Chicago.
He said he never inquired about the
matter.
Senator Clapp asked about n long
list OF possible contributions, but Mr..
Cortelyou could give no information
in regard to them.
Some believe all chairman does
Is to raise money" said Mr.. Cortel.
you. ut is not He has other bust.
ness"
Women chiu-in
He said he knew OF some contrlbu.
tions around $4,000. Several OF them,
he said. were from women, who he
believed contributed because Of long
Interest in the party or through senti.
mental reasons. So far as he knew
they were not interested in trusts. He
estimated between 100 and 500 per.
sons were authorized to collect mon.
ey. He said that contribution books
were distributed and many annony.
nous contributions were made "just
as to charitable. religious or social or.
ganizations."
Mr.. Cortelyou recalled that Andrew
Carnegie contributed 10000. He had
corresponded directly with Mr.. Car
negle about the contribution. Mr.. Car.
telyou said about $4,000 was left In
the treasury at the end OF the cam
palgn.
At the close OF his examination Mr..
CGrtelyou said he desired 10 take full
responsibility for the campaign con.
tributions. He denied that he had
been selected as chairman because he
had been Secretary OF Commerce and
Labor and was In n position to force
corporations to contribute.
AT that time the Bureau OF Cor.
porations had Just been organized"
said Mr.. Cortelyou. "and | knew no
more about the affairs of corpora
tions than any other citizen who read
the current literature OF the day."