The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-09-24
Investigation OF
contributions
Great Financiers viii Testify Be-
fore Committee About
T. Campaign Funds.
By Ernest q. walker.


WASHINGTON, September s.-De.
yelopments are constantly pointing to
the importance of New York and of
New York people, as the campaign pro.
crosses. There is the matter of inves.
tigating campaign expenditures, for in.
stance. Most of the magnates of the
metropolis, who have had anything to
do with campaigns and campaign con
tributions, are to be invited or sum.
monsed to Washington for late Septem.
Der when Senator Clapp's committee
begins anew its hearings. Colonel
Roosevelt is expected to be present.
Smart lawyers are already at work
gathering data upon which to cross-ex.
anime him. Lists of witnesses are be-
ing carefully prepared, on one side with
view to supporting the Colonel s
contention that he would not accent
the contributions of the big trusts in
the 1904 campaign, and that there was
nothing reprehensible in his campaign
contributions for the nomination last
June. On the other side there are ac
Invites to bring prominent men who
will contound the Colonels conten.
tions.
1t is now proposed that ]. Pierpont
Morgan Will be one of the witnesses
before the committee. He is only one
Ut many great financiers who will be
brought from the Wall street section to
help throw some light upon these con.
troverted topics. A son of the late
Cornelius n. Bliss, who was the treas.
urer of the Republican national com
mittee in 1904, is another of the wit
nesses from whom much is expected.
There are rumors that, as executor of
his fathers estate, Mr.. Bliss has a
statement in the elders own handwrit.
ing, which bears upon this question of
whether the big trusts, good and bad,
were coerced by Roosevelt into contri-
buting to his 1904 campaign.
If such statement is in existence,
as it probably is, the publication there
of will be real sensation Mr.. Bliss
would not have written it unless there
was something important to be said.
The explanation is that he anticipated
great public upheaval at some date
over the matter of campaign contribu-
tons. That he was an upright man
whose word could be depended upon
absolutely is generally accepted. The
business world had great confidence in
Cornelius Bliss. Colonel Roosevelt in
recent statement declared that Mr..
Bliss was man of the highest probity.
Standard Oil to the Fore.
John D. Archbold of the Standard
Oil Company, who has already testified,
will be back from Europe in time to
testify again and will be summoned by
the committee for a cross-examination
on matters that have developed since
ae testified William Rockefeller, one
of the Standard Oil directors who had
cognizance of the great contribution to
the 1904 campaign, is also to be heard.
Senator Penrose is saying nothing
just now, but is known to be making
ready for the hearing, which is of mo-
ment to him and his political future,
because of Progressive charges that he
improperly received $4,000 from the
Standard Oil Company for the 1904
state campaign in Pennsylvania. Will
lam r. Hearst, who claims to have ad'
ditlonal knowledge about campaign
contributions for the last ten years, is
likely to have an opportunity to testify
before the senate committee.
All in all the sessions of this com
mittee in Washington, now hardly two
weeks away, promise to arouse the
country. Much gossip and many ru
more as to what was what in thai
1904 campaign and in subsequent cam
paigns will be found groundless bu
there are large possibilities. 1t may
easily happen that this investigation
will become of commanding interes
and overshadow campaign activitie
out in the States.
Senator Clapp, as chairman of the in
vestigating committee and ardent cham
p'on of Roosevelt, appeared reluctant I
/ approach the great task. He has con
ferred with Roosevelt latterly, however
returned to Washington and announce
that the investigation is to be wide ope
and thorough. He wants to get at tn
truth and is himself proposing that a
the big names, associated with popula
comment about campaign contribution
be put down upon the witness list. III
coming of such men, if they do CONF
Twin alone. make the investigation col
spicuous.
A Fullest Investigation.
The administration is encouraging tn
fullest investigation. President Tai
has nothing to lose by it. Colonel Roos
welt is about the only man who can
materially injured by the disclosure
For the moment he is making somethin
Of virtue of the Penrose disclosure
Emphasizing his denials of knowledt
that any Standard Oil contribution
were used in his campaign, the Colon
proclaims the disclosures as evidence
: the iniuuity of the Republican part