The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-09
THAT HARTMAN FUND.


There has been much righteous re-
joicing among the camp-followers CT
Colonel Roosevelt over the contribu-
tory evidence from J. Pierpont Morgan
that the now famous emergency cam
paign fund of $4,000, raised by the
| late Mr.. Hartman in 1904, was for
the purposes of the New York Re-
publican state committee, and not for
the use of the Republican national
| committee. This, it is claimed, dem
| onstrates conclusively the correctness
of the assertions of Mr.. Roosevelt that
Mr.. Hartman did not raise any money
for the purposes of his presidential
campaign. And, technically, there is
little doubt but this is so.
But a distinction is being drawn
here that is in reality not much of
a difference.
This campaign fund was raised by
Mr.. Hartman and turned over to the
Republican national committee. Mr..
Morgan testified he would chip in his
$4,000 only on the understanding
that the money should be paid to the
national committee. 1t was the only
political agency with which he pro-
posed to do business. The national
committee, after getting possession of
the money, promptly turned it over
to the New York Republican state
committee, for whose purposes it was
raised.
And does any one believe that. the
national committee was not interest
ed in any way in the expenditure of
this huge sum to make certain the
success of the Republican cause in
New York state? Was this money
merely turned over to the state COM
mittee to assure the success Of
the Republican state ticket? Well,
hardly!
In New York, as in many other
states of the east, when state and
a presidential election come in the
same year they are so dovetailed to-
gether that the campaigns waged in
behalf of state tickets are as a mat
ter of fact campaigns in behalf of the
national tickets. The voters in New
York state, and especially as far back
as 1904, were not given much to the
practice of voting for the presidential
of one party and the state
candidates of another party. 1t has
generally been a case of straight vot-
ing in New York, either for the |
Democratic or the Republican candi- |
dates or even candidates of an INDIE |
pendent ticket from the presidential
electors down. The New York Re |
publican state committee in 1904 and |
before and since has always concerned |
itself in waging a vigorous campaign |
for the presidential candidates as well |
as for its state ticket. This is the |
method pursued by state committees
of all parties in every other state. |
And so in 1904, the New York Re
publican state committee was just as
much interested in the success of the |
presidential candidates in that state |
as it was in the success of it's state |
ticket. Even more so, in all prob
ability. For with Colonel Roosevelt,
a native son and then intensely pop
uIar at home, as the presidential
candidate, the Republican state COM
mittee had every reason to believe
that if his success in the state could
be assured, there would be that much
more chance of the state ticket being
because of the prediction
Of New York voters to vote their
tickets straight.
1t is therefore childish prattle to
argue that neither Colonel Roosevelt
nor the Republican national commit
tee was interested or could be bene-
Of the Hartman fund of $4,000
through the medium of the New York
Republican state committee.