The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-11-01
A POLITICAL PHILANTHRoPIsT

A POLITICAL PHILANTHROPIST
Mr.. Thomas Fortune Ryan is an eX-
tremely liberal millionaire. From all
accounts he delights in spending his
money and in devoting it in large
measure to objects which enlist his
interest
1t has been brought out. in the tes-
timony before the senate committee
investigating campaign expenditures
and receipts, that Mr. Ryan almost
entirely financed the Harmon and Tn
derwood campaigns for the democrat
ic presidential nomination this year.
He donated practically the whole
fund spent by these two aspirants.
Mr.. Ryan says in his own testimony
that he helped Governor Harmon be-
cause he believed him a good man
and a good democrat, and that he
would make a good president Later
on, after he had given a large sum
to the Harmon fund, Senator Bank
head, who was directing the cam
paign for the nomination of Mr., Tn
derWood, called upon him and argued
to him the desirability of having a
southern man nominated Mr.. Ryan,
agreeing with Senator Bankhead in
this proposition, and having a high
personal regard for Mr.. Underwood,
gave another large sum to his fund
And, according to Mr.. Ryan's testi-
mony, he would have given freely to
the aid of the Champ Clark and Will
son funds, if he had been asked to do
Sc.
But this is not all. 1t has so devel-
oped that, near the close Of the cam
paign of 1904, when democratic lead
ers had come to the conclusion that
Judge Parker could not be elected,
the national committee faced q Sc
rious problem. Debts had been in
Cured in the campaign and to pre-
serve the good name and integrity of
the party, it was necessary that they
be met. Mr.. Ryan, who had opposed
the nomination of Judge Parker, was
made cognizant of the facts. Mr.. Ry-
an had already given 100000 to the
fund, but that was a small matter to
him He promptly came across with
the handsome sum of S350,000 addi-
tional, and the party name was saved
from disgrace. ~
This is the same Thomas Fortune
Ryan who was elected, by unanimous
vote of the democrats of Virginia, in
convention assembled, as a delegate
to the national democratic cOnven-
ton at Baltimore, and who. before he
had become snugly settled in his seat,
was greeted from the platform with
/ proposed demand that the party
| have nothing to do with him, and
that he be forthwith expelled from
the convention. This is the same
/ Thomas Fortune Ryan who was de-
nounced in that convention as a man
| unworthy to sit with representative
of the party and as a scherer who
was endeavoring TO corrupt and pol
lutte the party. The man who thus
sought the expulsion Of Mr.. Ryan and
his condemnation by the convention
of the party he had saved from
shame. was the man who has three
times led the party to defeat, and who
has never in his entire connection
with it sought other than his own
personal ends and self-aggrandize-
ment
AS for the Tribune. it is heartily
glad to have a man like Thomas For
tune Ryan in the democratic party.
and would be happier to see him exer-
cising functions of leadership in the
party. He has always freely given
money and time TO the cause. and
he has never derived one cents worth
OF benefit from the aid he has ex-
tended. 1t is the fault of w. J. Brv-
an that Thomas Fortune Ryan is not
active in the support of the demo-
cratic ticket this year. and that self.
respect compels him to limit his adj.