The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-06-19
WALL STREET FOR CANDIDATE WHO'S
 FOR ALDRICH PLAN
Any Man in Either Party Openly or Secretly" Favor able Gets High Finance
 Backing, Says Crozier
FLOOD OF MONEY SPENT
 AT CHICAGO, HE AYERS
Law Would Put Country in Financial Bondage Half a
 Century, He Says

AASAAANAOA DVAANO6N AAeAA -
 Century, He Says
 (By Alfred Owen Crozier.)
 Chicago, June 19.-The people of the United States should know of a fact that so far has been concealed The Aldrich Private Central Bank bill now pending in Congress is be- ing made the one test of candidates in both parties. If a man is opposed to the measure ''big business" is Oppos- ed to him whateer his politics or views on other questions. If he is favorable, openly or secretly, to the Aldrich plan, high finance will be for him unanimously, whatever his party or opinions on tariff, trusts, Sc. When the time comes, if dark horse" is selected, the interests will try to put up the most progressive candidate willing secretly to bargain to support the Aldrich measure in exchange for their financial and political support in convention and at the election. Men and parties will be sacrificed, ruth lessly to that one end.
 Wharton Barker, the prominent re- tired Philadelphia banker, testified at the Congressional hearing that Wall street and the big banks had raised 8 fund of $1,00O,000 cash to put over" the Aldrich bill. The only denial was by big New York banker who said the amount was $500, 1000. By this time it may be several millions. This is the source of much of the flood of money being spent here now. Wall street gambles with million only when it has "sure thing' to win hundred million or a billion.
 And the Public Will Pay,
 Former Secretary Shaw says that privileges and powers granted by the Aldrich bill would be well worth billion dollars to any private corpora tion. The measure gives 1t all free to the National Reserve Association, owned by the banks controlled by Wall street, the same interests that raised the million dollar promotion fund. It must be remembered that every dollar of profits won will be paid by the people out of the public treasury.
 am Republican and was in 1896. But the most crooked deal in political and legislative history seems to have been entirely overlooked. Wall street and the big banks put up several mil lion dollars to beat Bryan and free silver. There may have been some excuse for that. But how can we justify the fact that without one dol lar of extra investment the profits of the big banks since 1900 have been directly increased at the expense of the public Treasury the enormous sum of $47,O0O,000 by means of simple little joker slipped into the Gold Standard act of 1900 by that renowned monetary reformer, Senator Aldrich That is the way the cam paign contributions of 1896 were re- turned. In fact, they are being paid back in full each year since 1900.
 Through the agency of the Aldrich Central Bank bill the millions being lavished in this campaign to nom- mate sound candidates in both par ties will be returned highly compound ed from the pockets of the American people.
 A Haf-Billion Dollar Raid.
 If we go back a little further in the history of the national banking system we uncover the staggering fact that bill was slipped through Congress relieving national banks of ordinary taxes that would have paid off half the national debt since that time if the graft had not been lob- bied through by the banks. It was direct gift to the banks from the public Treasury, without any excuse or benefit to the people, amdmting to nearly half billion dollars.
 The history of the national bank system is the most corrupt and crim- inal in American annals. Every amendment to the bank act since 1863 has been for the benefit of the banks. Every measure introduced or off, cially urged by United States Comp trollers to strengthen the bank law in the interest of depositors and the public has been defeated by improper bank influence and intrigues. In his report of Dec. 4, 1911, the United that 59 per cent. of all national banks knowingly and continuously violate the laws of the United States. This terrible accusation is based on the sworn admissions of the banks them selves on file in his office. This criminality in part is due to the fact that the bank act put through by the banks omitted all criminal penalties. But the bankers have overlooked an- other statute. Any offense against the United States by two or more per sons constitute the crime of conspir- acy. The labor union iron workers were indicted under this law. Under the decision of the Supreme Court 10000 bank officers and directors are right now each liable to $1O,OOO fine and two years in the penitentfary.
 What the Aldrich Bill Means.
 The Aldrich bill proposes to take away from the Government and grant to a private corporation, owned abso- lutely by these same 1awless banks, an exclusive monopoly of printing and issuing and regulating the volume If the entire public currency during the next fifty years. 1t would bind the S4,392 banks all together and create a huge incorporated money trust by act of Congress to control the supply of money and bank credit of the whole country for a half century.
 This revolutionary and radical de- parture has injected a new issue into politics, the most important for fifty years. Government money vs. cor poration currency is the issue. Around this question the campaign