The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-10

erai public are massed i'm the south
filed.
William III. Libby, a director of
the Standard Oil Company, ana a
resident of New York CITY. an
peared before the committee un-
der subpoena.
His name has not been men,
uOned before in connection with
The investigation. He is to tes-
uiy today If the other witnesses
90 not consume all of the time.
YOUNG BLISS.
cornelius Bliss, Jr.. son of the
late treasurer of the National Re-
publican Committee of 1904, was
called TO the stand at 1916.
Upon taking the stand he SUBJ
mitted two documents TO the
committee. One is n report made
by an auditor of the accounts of
cornelius n. Bliss, ST., as treas
urer OF the Republican National
Committee. The other is a letter
written by Bliss. Sr, on his resig-
nation as treasurer to Harry S.
New, then chairman of the COM
mittee. Young Bliss declared
tlat he knows nothing of any con-
tr1Dutions TO the campaign. and
that he has not examined the re-
ports. except i'm a casual way.
MENTIONED NO NAMES.
DO you know If this report
contains the records OF receipts
OF any campaign contributions
from the Standard OIL Company
or from John ID. ArchboId?'
asked Chairman CIapp.
Il do not know. There vvere
no names mentioned in the re-
port" replied Bliss.
senator Clapp, after gIancing
over the letter from the elder
Bliss directed that the witness
read it.
The letter reads as follows:
Harry ;. New, Chairman of the
Republican National Commit
tee:
AS i am about to retire from
the reasurership or the commit
tee and cannot be present at its
sessions, IL seems proper for me
10 make a report OF the receipfs
and expenditures for the nast
(l9O4) campaign.
enclose copies of reports of
campaign contributions availabIe.
nave consistently refused TO
nuke the contents public for the
reason that 4 believe that the con-
tributors have the same riwhS 20
secrecy that "a voter has TO casf his
ballot In secret.
"A great presidential campaign
Is n contention for princIpIe-
and there Is no more need TO .ilS,
close the contributions thereto than
there would be TO make known the
mnove t OF opposing armies I'm
war time, TO each other.
statements OF Republican re-
celpts and expenditures, already
Pubiished, were the emanation OF
sptteful and diseased minds and ala
like it.
"No political campaign has ever
been conducted I'm this country ms
In the Republican campaign OF 1904,
under the able and conservative
management OF Mr.. COrteIyOu. Not
dollar was received which the
committee had not a good moral
right TO receive and no pledges
were made which should not have
been made. There was no Improper
appropriation of the funds. Every
member of the national committee
should take pride In this record"
The letter showed that in 1904
there was balance of 100000
from 1900, and n total of $2,OSS 900
was obtained I'm addition. The ex-
penseS for that year were S2,O96,-
900.
In 1900 the campaign fund was
slightly less than three million
dollars. and, after expenses were
paid, there remained the balance
referred to.
In 1896, the letter said. n total of
$3,50O,OOO was collected. and I'm 1902
the campaign contributions aggre-
gated 81 100000, which failed TO
meet expenses by 100000.
The members Of the committee
then examined three other letters
of a semi-prfVate nature, which
were written by Bliss and returned
them to the witness with the re-
quest to verify them.
The committee did not order
these letters read. One was from
Theodore Roosevelt TO witness
father. All were ordered entered
I'm the record
Senator Clapp questioned Bliss:
Between the time of the cam
paign and your fathers death,
do you recall any conversations
with reference to campaign ex-
penditureS?"
mo sir. He might have men,
toned something in a casual con-
versation, but I don't remember
anything that would throw light
on the subject" answered Bliss.
PUBLISHED INTERVIEW.
"WaS your attention ever called