The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-10-03
GAVE $4,000 To
CAMPAIGN FUND
Secretary of Late Hartman
Shows Receipt to Senate.
SAYS RECORDS WERE BURNED
Son of Cornelius N. Bliss Testifies
That Papers Showing Contribution
Was Destroyed by His Father
Standard OIL Did Not Aid.

campaign fund donations.
Mr. Tegethoff produced series of
papers from the Hartman estate files.
The first was a receipt signed by G. n.
Bliss as treasurer of the national Re-
publican committee, dated 1904. 1t
was for $4,000, which Mr.. Tegethoff
said was Mr.. Harriman's contribution
to the Republican campaign fund of
1904. \
Then Mr. Tegethoff put in the rec
ord series of letters in which Presi-
dent Roosevelt asked e. H. Hartman
to visit him at the White House dur
ing the fall and winter of 1908. Let
tiers continued up to May II, when
President Roosevelt wrote asking Har-
riman if he could take lunch with me
on Monday, May 23.'
In a subsequent letter written by
William Loeb, then secretary OF the
president, it was set forth that Sec
rotary of State Knox, Mr.. Cortelyou
and Senator Murray Crane would also
be present"
Hartman Raised $25o,ooo.
Did you ever hear Mr.. Hartman
say anything ABOUT campaign contribu-
tons in 1902" asked Senator Clapp.
Yes, in 1907, when he was ill., just
before Christmas he called me up to
his house." answered Tegethoff. I'VE
talked over the relations between him
and Mr.. Roosevelt then and in 1904.
| knew he had visited Washington at
the presidents solicitation and that as
result of that visit he raised this
money for the campaign"
How much?"
1.-TWO hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, of which $4,000 was his own
contribution. | knew at the time that
he was raising the money"
You were with Mr.. Hartman in
1908. Do you know of any contribu-
lions ne made in that year,"
mo, none," said the witness.
Cornelius N. Bliss, Jr., was the
first witness.
Bliss Destroyed Records.
Under examination by Senator Payn-
ter the witness said that his father
had told him he allowed the books OF
the treasurer's office of the Republi-
can national committee to be de-
stroyed because he, the elder Bliss, be-
lieved the records useless.
Have you found any papers bear
ing on the campaign funds handled by
your father" asked Chairman Clapp.
Mr.. Bliss placed in evidence a re-
port from the auditor who examined
his fathers accounts when he resigned
as treasurer of the Republican com
mittee. He said the records did not
show any contribution by John d.
Archbold or the Standard Oil com,
pany. Members of the committee ex.
amined the records.
The letter added that the Republi,
can committees receipts in 1900 had
been "a trifie below S3,000,000;" in
1896, $3,50O,0OO, and in 1892, $780,
900.
Roosevelt Letter Read Privately.
The witness said he had discovered
three other letters of personal and
more or less intimate nature" These
he handed to Chairman Clapp. One
was from President Roosevelt; an.
other from William Fl. Taft, as secre'
tary of war.
The committee suspended it's in.
uuiry for a few minutes while the
members read the letters privately.
While the committee at first seemed
confused as to the disposition of the
three letters to Mr.. Bliss, put in evi.
dence, the substantial portions of them
we're finally made public. Two were
Of no particular import, but the third,
dated March 26, 1906, written by Pres
ident Roosevelt from the White House
to Mr. Bliss in New York, made speci,
fic denial that he had ever been influ.
enced for or against any persons or
interests as a result Of contributions to
the 1904 campaign.
Referring to Messrs. Frick, Ryan
and Belmont, Mr.. Roosevelt said in
the letter:
"Mr. Prick was one OF my stanchest
allies; Messrs. Ryan and Belmont
were two of our most Fesolute oppo-
nents."
Held Names Confidential.
No names Of contributors to the
1904 campaign fund appeared in the
records. Mr.. Bliss was asked to read
his fathers letter Of resignation to
Harry S. New, which also had been
placed in evidence.
The letter set forth that the late Mr..
Bliss had held as confidential the
names of contributors and the amount
of their contributions in the last four
presidential campaigns in which /
have acted as treasurer"
Il have persistently refused to make
these reports public" the letter read,
because | regard the relations of
campaign contributions to party com
mittees as confidential"
The witness could not remember
having talked with his father about
the much-discussed 100000 Standard