The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-22
Declares He Had Not Been Underwritten to Finance
 Campaign
PARKER ASTOUNDED
 AT RYAN DONATION
Thomas F. Ryan Was Biggest Indi. vidual Contributor-Gave S450,- 900 to Aid Parker Cam
 paign in 1904

Washington October 21.-Emphatic de- rials that huge fund had been under written to finance the Roosevelt pre- convention campaign, or that any money had been contributed to the fund by the International Harvester company, or the United States Steel corporation, were en- tered today by George W. Perkins on the stand before the Senate campaign con- tributions committee.
 The testimony of Mir Perkins bristled with such expressions as ''unmitigated lies, 7 absolutely false" totally unfair" and mere hot air He denounced charges made by Senator Penrose and by Charles D. Hilles, republican national chairman, demanding that Senator Pen rose be made to prove his assertion that ss,00O,000 was underwritten for the Roose- welt compaign, or Hike gentleman take it back" and declaring MT. Hilles should prove his charge or be dismissed from office" Throughout most of his exam nation MT. Perkins was in a wrangle with some member. Time after time he waved clinched hand in the air and declared the committee ''could not get away with it' As he grew indignant under cross examination the witness would rise in his place, glaring at the committee and ges- ticulating violently.
 Accounts for $123,000
 Mir. Perkins accounted to the committee for s123,Oco which he said he spent in the preconvention campaign of Colonel Roose- welt
 That was absolutely all of my contrbu- tion." he declared emphatically. But MT. Perkins could not recollect clearly the amounts he subscribed or collected for the republican campaign fund of 1904. He said that the various large amounts credited to "G. w. F." on the list of contributors to that fund furnished the committee by Elmer Dover were undoubtedly secured by Treasurer C. N Bliss from men whose names he had suggested or whom he had asked personally to contribute. The wit ness said he almost dropped dead" when Senator Beveridge of Indiana returned to him s10,0o0 which he sent him in 1904 This was the only instance he knew of, he said, of man running for office return ing money after he had got his hands on it."
 
 was questioned as to any relation his ac- tivities in connection with the 1904 cam paign might have had to the with holding of the suit against the harvester company planned by the department of justice in 1907. He said if the govern ment had begun action at that time 1t would have been totally unfair" be- cause the bureau of corporations was then Investigating the firm. His state inent to Herbert Knox Smith, commission of corporations, that he would fight" or the Morgan interests would fight, lie said meant only that the case would be fought in tho courts, and had no political significance. In conclusion MT. Perkins declared that he had never asked favor of any government official and that he was not in politics to gain business fa- vors
 When this campaign is over," he add ed, If on the 9th of November Theodore Roosevelt is elected on November 6. our accounts will be all square,"
 Ryan Gave $45O,O0O
 Thomas F. Ryan loomed up as the big eest individual contributor that has come to the committees attention when he told of contributing $fJO,O00 to the fund of Alton B. Parker in 190i
 Of this sum MT. Ryan said he gave ss500o0 after he was convinced MT. Par ker could not be elected to save the democratic organization. Half d dozen Philadelphia newspaper men were sworn today to testify that Villain F. Flynn, the Pittsburg leader. was in Philadelphia at the time Senator Penrose charges Flynn offered him sl 100000 for his support for the senatorship to succeed Senator Quay.
 MT. Flynn on the stand, declared he was not in Philadelphia at the time.
 Nr. Perkins witnessed the production of a statement on the contribution corrobo- rating the items. He quoted at length from the testimony of the late President Mccall of the New York Life Insurance company before the Armstrong investi- gating committee to show that the insur- ance company's contribution was made 10 defeat the policies of Mir Bryan on free silver. It was argued that the money was given to insure the establishment of a gold standard for the protection of the policyhoders of the company and that, therefore. 1t was proper to use the money of the policyholders. In conclusion the statement reads
 s-'ieyed at the time, and have al- wEys since believed, that in this trans action MT Mccall did exactly right; that he would have been disloyal to his true, weak and cowardly had he taken any other course With no law or regulation to guide lis, impressed with the vast responsibility we were carrying, firmly believing that the democratic party was advocating financial theories which If en- acted into laws would most seriously af- feet the assets of the policyholders of the New York Life Insurance company. 10th Mccall and myself did our duty as we saw the light"
 The Insurance Money
 Perkins said that for the life insurance company he had advanced to Bliss ssS. boe for which he was reimbursed by the company
 Later when the insurance investigation began he returned the money to the company. he testified
 Perkins denounced "as an unmittigated falsehood the charge that he had un- derwritten the Roosevelt preconvention campaign this year in the sum of ss, co., GOO He testified that his total contribu- tions were sl22. 800 Rising from the wit ress chair before the Clapp members and shaking clenched fist, Perkins shouted: Among the long list of unmitigate ted lies throughout this campaign that state ment perhaps ought to be placed at the top because it's largest l was in hope