Omaha daily bee., 1912-10-18
PLENTY MONEY EVERYWHERE
Clapp Committee Seeking Facts
About Campaign Funds.
ATTORNEY MURFIN Is A WITNESS
Tells Of Corruption I'm Detroit. Add
ing that Their own Party
Was just an Bad MS the
Other,

WASHINGTON, Oct l7--Lavish use Of
money by the supporters Of President
Taft in the Michigan primary campaign
was charged before the Clapp committee
today by James o. Murfin, a Detroit
lawyer.
Murfin said that when he and Iaptain
Alger raised 81, 500 and offered 1t TO John
d. Mckay, In charge Of the TAFT cam
paign. Mckay said he had plenty Of
money--more than he had ever had be-
fore in any campaign.
Murfin testified he understood Mckay
TO say that candidates for delegates TO
the county conventions were holding him
up FOR As much as $500 each. ....
ut Is matter Of general knowledge
that primaries in Detroit this year were
the most corrupt on both sides that was
ever known" said Murfih. 1T was just
as bad on one side as the other, but our
people were the most skillfu and we got
the delegates, But both were absolutely
rotten.
II asked Charles b. Warren how much
money was to be used in Wayne county,
He asked me how much thought was
necessary. I told him that not more than
$500 could be honestly spent. He told
me Mckay insisted on having $500 be-
fore he started.
worst He Ever Saw.
"'Well. / said, wen have rotten
campaign, and we did" declared the
~ x.1n
campaign we ever saw.
why, SENATOR. he exclaimed, answer
ing Senator Pomerene. both sides bar
tered for those delegates like so many
sheep. Some Of them accepted money
from both sides. OF course don't know
the details. but that was the general
situation"
who would know the details?" asked
Senator Pomerene.
John d. Mckay"
Chairman Clapp placed in the record a
copy Of the bank account for the repub-
lican NATIONAL committee In 1904 at the
Fourth National bank of New York. 1t
showed deposits, among others OF $4,000
in the last few days OF October; s35, 900
October "a 100000 October % and sl05,OOO
October 81. This was about the time the
so-called Hartman fund wasfcolIected
George B. Cortelyou, chairman of the
notional committee in 1904 was ques-
toned about John d. Archbold's testi-
mony that the Standard Oil company con-
tributed 100000 to the republican fund
that year. Cortelyou said the question
had been brought to his attention by let
ters and kilograms from President Roose-
welt in the last days of the campaign ,f
1904 When he spoke to Treasurer Bliss
about it. the latter had said there had
been no such contributions
Thought Case Covered.
Cortelyou said that he had not thought
Il necessary to go to Bliss with further
kilograms from the president inquiring
about the Standard Oil cAtrbutions be-
cause he supposed that Bliss original
statement covered the, case.
II told the president just what Bliss
told me-" he said.
Coreeiyou could not remember Bliss
having arranged for him to meet some
Of the Standard Oil people He said he
never had asked J. p. Morgan for any
for any purpose.
Corteiyou said he knew little Of the So
called Hartman fund. but insisted It was
raised entirely for the New York state
committee. He denied that early in the
1904 campaign he had promised B. B |
odel. jr.. $500, 900, for the. state campaign !
cortelyou denied he had ordered the
books of the 1904 campaign destroyed OF |
that any gathering or committee of New |
York financiers was formed to under !
write the republican campaign. He dis
agreed with George R. sheldons estimate |
that 73 per cent Of the 1905 republican !
'unI was contributed by corporations and
declared the bulk OF the fund was given
~ largo individual contributors.
Cortelyou at length defended his con.
iection with the 1904 campaign. President
Roosevelt was not active in the manage.
nent Of the campaign. he said The cam
,aign was directly In his charge as chair
tContinued on Second Page)