Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-09
Was Spent in Pres. 7 ats
Last Campaign.
Relatives Gave S15O,OOO-- The
Balance Given by Outsiders.
The Campaign Expense Five Times
what Was Expected.


pa. gn for President Taft's re-nomina-
ton through his Washington head
quarters. was partially accounted for,
today by Rep. VIM. b. Mckinley OF
Illinois. the Presidents campaign
manager in testimony before the SEN
ate investigating committee.
Mr.. Mckinley said the Taft fam
ily." comprising Charles p. Taft. Hen
ry W. Taft and Horace Taft, brothers
of the President, gave Sl50,0oe. The
campaign, he declared, had cost five
times what was anticipated.
when we started out we expected
to spend about $50,000 he told the
committee.
The other chief contributors to the
Taft fund, as given by Mr.. Mckinley
were John Hays Hammond, $4,000:
Andrew Carnegie. $4,000; E. 7. Stotes-
bury, Philadelphia, $4,000; MIR. Kel-
sey" and Mr.. Patten of New York, de-
scribed as friends of the President"
$4,000: Richard Kerens, st. Louis. am
hassador to Austria Hungary 5000,
Senator w. Murray Crane, 5000; Sec
rotary Knox, S25o0: Attorney General
Wieersham, $1,000; Former Senator Ma
t'.tf4A ~ t7Sbttf YIp'ps "a -. Jbuto fNINvt.
Mr. MeKinley's records were read
from small pencilled memoranda
which lie dug out OF a trousers peck
ct. He told the committee they We're
ali he had To show for the handling
Of the big fund, except books kept in
the headquarters that covered $13f.00e
spent directly for ordinary campaign
purposes Mr.. Mckinley declared his
memory was not good enough To recall
all the purposes for which the money
went out.
Il always thought l had good mem
DRY until got into that mixup," he
explained; "but l saw new man
every five minutes III that whirl'
Air Mckinley said he cid not know
the total amount that mad been spent
for President TAFT in the entire cam
raign.
The amounts given by the respective
members Of the Taft family We're not
furnished by Mr.. Mckinley, nor did
the committee ask for further partic-
ulars. Charles Z. Taft of Cincinnati.
will appear before the committee to
testify as to his contributions to the
Presidents primary, and Charles d.
Hilles, now national chairman and
Formerly the Presidents secretary.
will appear. Thursday. The commit
tee. tomorrow, will also hear Dan r.
Hanna of Cleveland. who gave about
$4,000 TO. the Roosevelt fund, this
year.
Mr. Mckinley though sharply ques-
toned by members of the committee.
today. could give no, information as
TO the Taft funds raised in the diff
fere1t states. He declared ne did not
even know the names of men in
charge of affairs in many states.
Fine balance of the big find for
which he had no record mad "dripped
out" in the different state campaigns.
he said.
The contributions to state cam
paigns by the Taft national head
quarters We're given as follows;
West Virginia $4,000: Maryland
slO0oo to $4,000; Ohio $2o,OoO Illinois
$1,000; Maine $4,000; Texas $4,000; In
diana $4,000; iowa. $4,000: Kansas
S5000 Kentucky $4,000.
Mr.. Mckinley and Ormsby Nc
Harg, the latter contest manager for
Col. Roosevelt in the primary fight,
held the witness stand throughout the
afternoon. Mr. McHarg accounted for
the expenditure of $4,000 or 100000 by
the Roosevelt committee in the South
ern states where contests Were
brought He denied that any money
had been spent to influence delegates
or that he knew of the use OF any
money in this way either before or at
the Chicago convention.
Mr. Mckinley admitted freely that
the Taft campaign committee had paid
the expense OF delegates TO the Chi
cage convention, procedure that
both he and Mr.. McHarg said had
been a long standing custom" Ask
ed as to how many delegates had thus
been provided for, he said he thought
expenses had been paid wherever a
delegate could not afford to pay his
own way
do you know anything of the use
of money at the Chicago convention
to change delegates" asked Chairman
Clapp.
Nothing would want to swear
to-, said Mr.. Mckinley, smiling. 4
have kept out of the Ananias Club
SO far and / guess | will remain out"
Chairman Clapp asked both Mr. Nc
Harg and Mr.. Mckinley if they knew
of an alleged Underwriting of the
Roosevelt campaign by men who We're
said to have pledged $2,0Oo,o0o or So
600. 600 to secure Col. Roosevelt's NOM
nation.
lit is an absurd yarn" declared Mr..
McI4arg. Il would have heard Of
such thing if it were true and
consider such story absolutely alb
surd."
Mr. Mckinley answered the same
question: Il think that silly story,
just as Mr. McHarg said"
Senator Pomerene minated that
Mr. Mckinley was a poor business
man to have kept such inadequate
books: but the latter insisted that
the campaign had Just grown, like
Topsy," and that it had been impos-
sible to keep track of receipts or ex-
penditures.
lie did not knows whore the bank
books or cheekbooils were, Nr whether
.herc were any balances left in the
banks. but agreed to look the matter
UP.
The detailed expenses at the Wash :
ington headquarters sworn to by Mr..