Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-22
Perkins Denies
Any Huge Fund.

Washington, Oct Emphatic de
malls that a huge fund had been I'M
derWritten to finance the Roosevelt
pre-conVention campaign, or that any
money had been contributed to the
fund by the International Harvester
Co or the United States Steel Corpor-
ation,~were entered, today, by George
w. Perkins, on the stand before the
Senate campaign contributions COM
mittee. The testimony of Mr. per-
kins bristled with such expressions as
"Unmitigated lies" Absolutely false"
Totally unfair" and Mere hot air"
He denounced the charges made by
Senator Boise Penrose and by Chas
ID. Hilles, Republican National chair
man. demanding that Senator Penrose
be made to prove his assertion that
100000 was underWritten for the
Roosevelt campaign, or Like a gentle
man take it back and declaring that
Mr.. Hilles should prove his charge or
BE dismissed from Office" Through
OFT most OF his examination, Mr.. Per
kins was in a Wfangle with some
member of the committee. Time after
time, he waved a clinehed fist in the
air and declared the committee could
not get away with it, once the COM
mittee voted to expunge remark from
the record.
Mr.. Perkins accounted to the COM
mittee of $123.000. which he said he
spent in the pre-eonvention campaign
of Col Roosevelt. That was abso-
lutely all of my contribution he de
ctsred, emphatically.
But Mr.. Perkins could not recolleet
clearly the amounts he subscribed or
collected for the Republican campaign
fund of 1904. He said that the various
large amounts credited to &c. w. p"
on the list of contributors to that
fund furnished the committee by Ell
mer Dover were undoubtedly secured
by Treas. C. \. Bliss from men whose
names he had suggested or whom he
had asked personally to contribute.
Mr. Perkins grew indignant when he was
questioned to any relations his aetivi-
ties in connection with the 1904 campaign
might have made TO the Withholding of the
suit against the Harvester Co. plannde by
the department of justice in 1907. He
declared that for the government to have
begun the action at that time would have
been totally unfair because the bureau
of corporations was taen investigating the
company that he went to see President
Roosevelt and that the latter, after inves-
tigating, ordered the suit delayed. His
statement to Herbert Knox Smith, commits
sioner of corporations, thai We would
fight or The Morgan interests would
fight he said meant only that the case
would be fought in the courts, and had no
political significance Mr. Perkins declared
he had never asked favor of any govern
ment official and that he was not in pol
itcs TO secure business favoTs.
Thomas Fortune Ryan doomed zip as the
biggest individual campaign contributor that
has come to the committees attention. when
he told of contributing S45o,ooo to The fund
OF Alton Is. Parker. in 1901 OF this sum.
AR Ryan said. he gave $35o.ooo. after he
was convinced that Mr.. Parker was defeat
ed, in order to save the Democratic organ
ikation.
Halt dozen Philadelphia newspaper men
were sworn, today, TO testify thar William
Flynn, the Pittsburg leader. was in Phila-
delphia at the time Senator Penrose charges
Flynn offered him $1,000 600 fer his sup
port for the senatorship to succeed Sena-
tor Quay. Mr.. Flynn on the stand declared
that he was not in Philadelphia at the
time.
The committee will meet tomorrow, but
it is probable no witnesses will oe heard.
Several will be summoned for Wednesday,
according TO present plans. and the COM
mittee, after Wednesdays session, will
probably adjourn until after election.