The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-02
Col. ROOseveIt's Promised Com
municatiOn Is Made Public.
Complains That His Frequent
Denials Are Ignored.
HE CAN'T GO ON FOREVER
Takes Up Charges in the DEM
Ocrat Text Book
Regarding Steel Trusts COntri-
button to 1904 Fund.


Oyster Bay, Sept. I'm his letter
to Senator Clapp, made public, Colonel
Roosevelt believes he has complete
refutation of any testimony rejecting
upon him which was given before the
senate committee that investigated
campaign contributions.
Il have answered every question as
fully and explicitly as possible he
said. "Of course, cannot go on in
definitely explaining the things that
are always being brought up. They
are brought up five million times, and
after 1 have explained them five mill
lion times, they are brought up again.
just as though I never had explained
thena.''
To illustrate his point, Colonel
Roosevelt said his opponents were al
ways saying the corporations con-
tributed to his 1904 campaign and that
he had denied it, although, he said, he
had merely denied that money from
corporations had been accepted in re-
turn for promises of favors from the
government. In the Democratic text
book, just issued, he .aid it was stated
that the United States Steel corpora
tion had contributed $4,000 to his
campaign.
'T never said that no such contribu-
ton was received" he continued. Il
have no knowledge of such contribu-
L
was perfectly proper one"
Colonel Roosevelt returned from
We mont Sunday morning. He said he
had not heard until his return of what
Governor Wilson said about him in his
speech in Pennsylvania last Thursday,
when he criticized Colonel Roosevelt's
statement that he favored a more
even distribution of the prize money"
The colonel said he took exception
to Governor Wilson's remarks and
would take up the matter in speech
shortly.
The letter is a document of approxi-
mately $4,000 words. About one-third
is devoted to copies OF correspondence
by Colonel Roosevelt, while president,
with James S. Sherman. now vice
president, Senator Bourne and others.
and to the reply OF President Roose-
Welt to the charge made by Alton B.
Parker in 1904. that the Republican
ure, by the contributions of big cor
porations. ss
The letter, in part. follows:
"The charge against Mr- rPenrose
was direct charge. This charge was
not merely that he took $25, 900 from
the Standard Oil company, but that at
or about the time of thus taking It,
while a member of committee of the
senate which was formed to investi-
gate industrial affairs in the United
States, he was in constant communi-
cation with Mr.. Arehbold on the sub
iect and that he submitted to Mr.
Archbold for his approval in advance
a copy of the report of the commits
sion. If these statements are true. of
course Mr.. PenroSe IS unht to repre-
sent the people in the United States
senate: and the testimony against him
is direct. Apparently, however. the
committee is investigating not TINS
charge against Mr.. Penrose. which was
sustained by direct evidence. but Mr.
Penrose's countercharge which was
sustained by no evidence at all and
only by the repetition of second hand
gossip.
"As regards the ltatement of Mr.
Penrose and Mr.. Archbold that with
my consent or knowledge Mr. Bliss
asked the Standard for 100000, or
other sum, or received such sum for
them, it is an unqualified falsehood.
"If any request for funds was made
from the Standard Oil company, or IL
any funds were received from the Stand
ard Oil company by Mr.. Bliss or any
one, else connected with the national
committee in 1904, it was not merely
dcne without my knowledge, but was
done against my express direction and
and in spite of the fact tnat
was assured that no such contribution
had been or would be received"
In support of this statement. Colonel
Roosevelt includes here his letters and
kilograms of October 26. 27 and 20. 1904,
to George b CorteIyou, the Republican
committeeman. These letters,
which were m. de public recently, called
Mr. Cortelyou's attention to a report
that STANDARD Oil interests had con-
tributed 100000 to the Roosevelt cam
paign and directed that the money be
if the report were true The
telegram was one asking IL this had
been done and adding that there should
be no delay in so doing.
What They Told Him.
Subsequent to this telegram. Mr.
Loeb, M private secretary. called Mr..
Ccrtelyou up on the telephone" the let
ter continues. "and later I did so my
self. He notified me first through Mr.
Loeb. and then directly that no such
had been received or would
be received. He tells me he saw Mr..
Bliss, showed him the letters and tele-
gram, and that Mr. Bliss then told him
that no Standard Oil money had been