Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-02
Devotes 0ne-Third of Epistle to Evi-
dence in This Form.
SCORES PENRoSE IN PASSING
Says Member of Senate Submitted
Report to Archbold.
DECLARES STORY A FALsEH0oD
T. II. Says IL Any Request Made OF
Standard, IL Was Against His
Express Direction During
the Campaign.


Roosevelt made public tonight his letter
to Senator Clapp, chairman Of the senate
committee investigating campaign con-
tributions in reply to the recent testimony
Of John d. Archbold and Senator Penrose
regarding an alleged contribution Of
100000 by Mr.. Archbold to the republican
campaign of 1904 The letter Is a docu-
ment of approximately 1900 words cover
ing forty-four typewriter pages, About
one-third Of the letter is devoted to copies
of correspondence by Colonel Roosevelt,
while president, with James $. Sherman,
now vice president, Senator Bourne and
others, and to the reply of President
Roosevelt to the charge made by Alton
B. Parker In 1901 that the republican cam
paign was financed, in large measures,
sy the contributions OF big corporations.
Refers TO Penrose.
The letter, in part, follows:
THE charge against Mr.. Penrose was
a direct charge. This charge was not
merely that he took $25.0Oo from the
Standard OIL company but that at or
about the time of thus taking It,, while
a member OF the committee of the senate,
which was formed to investigate indus
trial affairs in the United States, he was
In constant communication with Mr.,
Archbold on the subject and that he
submitted to Mr.. Archbold for his ap'
proval In advance a copy Of the report
of the commission. II these statements
are true, of course Mr. Penrose is unfit
to represent the people | nthe United
States senate; and the testimony against
him is direct. Apparently. however, the
committee is investigating not this
charge against Mr.. Penrose, which was
sustained by direct evidence, but Mr.
Penrose's eounter-charge, which was
sustained by no evidence at all and only
by the repetition OF secondhand gossip.
Says story Faisehood.
"As regards the statement of Mr.. Pen
rose and Mr.. Archbold that with consent
or knowledge Mr.. Bits asked the Stand
ard Oil people for 100000, or other sum,
or received snch sum from them, it is an
unqualified falsehood. .....
'If any request for funds was made
from the Standard OIL company, or If any
funds were received from the Standard
OIL company by Mr.. Bliss or any one else
connected with the national committee in
1904, 1t was not merely done without my
knowledge, but was done against my ex-
press direction and prohibition. and in
spite of the fact that was assured that
no such request has been made and that
no such contribution had been. or would
be received"
In support Of this statement Colonel
Roosevelt includes here his letters and
telegram to George B. Cortelyou, the re-
publican national chairman, of October
26 q and %. 1904. respectively. These
letters, which were made public recently,
called Mr.. Cortelyou's attention to re-
port that the Standard Oil interests had
contributed 100000 to the Roosevelt cam
paign and directed that the money be re-
turned II the report were true. The tele-
gram was one asking IL this had been
done and adding that there should be no
delay in so doing.
Loeb Sees Bliss.
subsequent u lIlS Ittc5I all. MI
Loeb, my private secretary. called Mr..
Cortelyou upon the telephone" the let
ter continues. 'and later did SO my
self He notified me first through Mr..
Loeb and then directly that no contri-
button had been received or would be
received. He tells me he saw Mr.. Bliss.
showed him the letters and telegram,
and that Mr.. Bliss then told him that
no Standard Oil money had been received
and that none would be accepted.
"Mr Penrose was candidate for
chairman of the republican national
committee in 1904 and 1t was reported
to me that the members of the COM
mittee wished to choose him. This 1
emphatically refused to allow. ! knew
but little Of Mr.. Penrose then, but
was not willing to have any man whom
/ did not personally know and In whose
probity / did not have entire confidence
as head Of the committee.
Mr.. Cortelyou was put on at my per-
sonal request. He ran the campaign
almost without suggestions from me.
with him occasionally by
telephone, and generally in writing
Comment ON Returns.
Several matters irrelevant to the COM
mlttee's inquiry are mentioned by Colo
mel Roosevelt as the topics of these let
ters He communicated also with Sem
ator Penrose, Colonel Roosevelt added.
One letter from Colonel Roosevelt to
Penrose, dated the day after
the 1904 election, read:
Upon my word! OF all phenomenal
returns, the Pennsylvania figures are
most phenomenal congratulate YOU
and heartily thank you"
Colonel Roosevelt continues:
TN all my communications with him
before or after election l spoke of con-
tributions but once. This was in a letter
to him OF October Is. 1904, in response to-
request of his that / should retain the
services of one OF his henchmen named
Bum, of the Philadelphia postoffice. who
had been recommended for removal by
the Civil Service commission because OF
the collection of political assessments
from among his subordinates In the
postoff1ce. My letter ended as follows:
'I have no alternative but to direct
CONTINUED on Second Page.l