The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-08-29
LOEB IN DEFENSE
OF COL. ROOSEVELT
Gives Version of Contributions in
1904 Campaign.
TELLS OF HARTMAN VISIT
Declares He Heard Flnancier ASK
Former President to Help OUT
New York Ticket and Re-
quest Was Granted.

New York, Aug. 27,-William Loeb
Jr, collector of the port OF Ne"
York by appointment OF President
Taft, came out in vigorous defense
Of Colonel Roosevelt against the at
tacks being made upon the express
dent in the controversy raging over
The contributions to the Roosevelt
campaign fund of 1904 by the Stand
ard Oil company and by +. II. Har'
riman.
He says 1t was he. and not Presi-
dent Roosevelt, whose secretary he
then was. to whom George b. Cortei-
you, as chairman Of the Republican
national committee, gave positive
assurance that the Standard OIL com
pany had made no contribution to the
campaign.
Tells Of Hartman Visit.
Mr.. Loeb also makes the further
statement that instead OF Roosevelt
asking Hartman for assistance, the
latter, at the famous White House in
terview, had urged the president to
CAUSE NdtlOl6l 'udil man SOi'SiJ ~
forthwith to give financial help to
The New York state committee in or
der to save the state ticket.
II am making these statements
only In the interest Of TRUTH said
Collector Loeb Il have not public
ly discussed either OF these subjects
before because l had not thought 1t
necessary to do so. When l visited
Colonel Roosevelt at Sycamore Hill
last Sunday ! voluntarily offered TO
give out for the first time correct
account Of both incidents.
II was present through the entire
Interview E. H. Hartman had In the
White House with President Roose-
welt on the eve OF the election In
1904. | was his private secretary
and the president made it practice
to have me present at every import
ant political interview he had with
visitors. | remember clearly the
spirit and result Of the Hartman In
terview ON that occasion.
Asks Aid for New York.
"Mr. Hartman assured the presi-
dent that he (Mr. RoosevelD was
certain to be elected but that the
state ticket in New York, headed by
Higgins, was in grave danger and
that it was in the power Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt alone to save 1t.
MIR. Hartman complained that al
though he had more than once asked
National Chairman Cortelyou to trans
fer to the New York state committee
sum of money from his treasury to
meet the exgency of the state stu
alton, Mr.. Cortelyeu had declined to
do 80 and insisted that the president
should direct Mr.. Cortelyou imme-
diately to hand over the money
where it was imperatively needed.
The president told Mr.. Hartman he
would comply with his request. Be
fore Mr. Hartman arose to go the
president turned to me and told me
to call up Chairman Cortelyou on the
long, distance telephone and instruct
him to help the state committee out.
This ! did and received the promise
from Mr.. Cortelyou that he would do
at once as President Roosevelt want
ed him to do. | do not now recollect
the amount OF money Mr.. Hartman
asked for or what ! told Mr.. Cortel-
5ou was needed
Tells Of OIL Gift.
Collector Loeb then took up the
Standard Oh contribution.
"Cf this matter" he said, my
memory is quite as clear and distinct
as to the other l have just discussed.
remember the two letters and tele-
gram President Roosevelt had sent to
Chairman Cortelyou instructing him
to return forthwith to the Standard
Oil company any contribution that
concern may have made to his cam
paign. The first letter recited re-
port then widely published by the
newspapers that the Standard Oil
company had made big contribu-
ton. 1t was dated October &c, 1904.
In this letter President Roosevelt
told Mr.. Cortelyou that IL the report
were true he must see to 1t at once
that the money was sent back The
other letter and the telegram were
to the same effect. Two or three days
passed and no word on the subject
had come to the White House from
Chairman Cortelyou, The president
was growing more FESTIVE hourly.
He told me to call up Chairman Cor
telyou on the long-distance telephone
and ask him II he had received the
letters and the telegram and II 30
what he had done about 1t. This |
| did Mr. Cortelyou told me over the
telephone that he had just conferred
with Treaurer Bliss about the matter
and had received positive assurances
from Mr.. Bliss that the Standard Oh
company had not contributed a dollar
TO the campaign fund.
IF called upon by the senate com
mittee ! shall very cheerfully respond
and tell all ! know about both the
Hartman and the Standard OIL con
troversy,"